Q.Obtain the expressions for the rectangular (Cartesian) components of a vector in terms of (x), (y) and (z) axes.
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →A vector A can be resolved into rectangular components Ax, Ay, Az along the x, y, z axes using the unit vectors î, ĵ, k̂, so that A = Ax î + Ay ĵ + Az k̂, with magnitude |A| = √(Ax² + Ay² + Az²).
Consider a vector A with its tail at the origin O of a rectangular (Cartesian) coordinate system with mutually perpendicular axes x, y, z, and let î, ĵ, k̂ be the unit vectors along these three axes respectively.
Drop perpendiculars from the tip of A onto each of the three coordinate axes (or, equivalently, onto the coordinate planes and then onto the axes). The projections of A along the x, y and z axes are called its rectangular (Cartesian) components: Ax, Ay, and Az.
The vector A can then be written as the vector sum of these three mutually perpendicular components:
A = Ax î + Ay ĵ + Az k̂
where Ax = A cos α, Ay = A cos β, Az = A cos γ, with α, β, γ being the angles A makes with the x, y, z axes respectively (cos α, cos β, cos γ are called the direction cosines of A).
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