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Can a vector resultant have a negative direction I have a statics problem and the answer is 77.31 deg in the III quad Negative or Positive Or is the answer 257.31 deg from the horizonal?
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
A vector has both magnitude and direction. The magnitude is always positive, by convention, but this is not cast in stone. So you can have in your case a positive magnitude with a direction 257.31 degrees, which is the same as a positive magnitude 77.31 degrees in quadrant III, but the first way is more conventional. One could also say a negative magnitude at 77.31 degrees, in which case the negative sign implies a 180 degree reversal.
So there are many choices, and you seem to have a good handle on this.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
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Can there be a positive acceleration and a negative acceleration?
Yes, acceleration can be positive and negative because acceleration is a vector. It has both direction and magnitude. The direction is what makes it positive or negative. Negative acceleration is usually called deceleration.
Can a speed of a body be negative?
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When does latitude become negative?
If you define one direction (for example, north) as positive, then the opposite direction is negative.
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How can friction be positive and negative?
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Is a net loss a negative or a positive?
You can consider any direction as positive, and the opposite direction as negative. However, in this case it is customary to call a gain "positive", and a loss "negative".
Can there be a positive acceleration and a negative acceleration?
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What is resultant force of number of balanced forces acting on a body?
The resultant force of a number of balanced forces acting on a body is zero force. The reason is because any force in one direction is always canceled out by another equal force but in the opposite direction. This is what is meant by balanced forces. For every force in the positive direction, there is also an equal negative force in the negative direction. So the forces all add up to Zero. No net force at all.
How do you find the magnitude and bearing of resultant if force of 11 lbs. east and a force of 17 lbs. west act on a point?
Take east to be the positive direction, +11 lb. Take west to be the negative direction, -17 lb. Resultant (net force) = +11 lb + (-17 lb) = -6 lb, or 6 lb west.
Is the direction of current through a battery always from negative to positive on the terminals?
Conventional current flow is from positive to negative. Electron flow is from negative to positive
Can a speed of a body be negative?
The 'speed' of a body cannot be negative. But if you are stating the 'velocity' then it can be negative. Negative velocity means it is going opposite to the direction that you decided to call the positive direction.
When does latitude become negative?
If you define one direction (for example, north) as positive, then the opposite direction is negative.
Is there a positive or a negative angle?
Yes. Angles may be measured from the direction of the positive horizontal axis and, clockwise is negative, anticlockwise is positive.
When is an angle positive?
An angle is positive when it is measured in a counter-clockwise direction. It is negative when it is measured in a clock-wise direction.
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Alternating current varies in magnitude, and reverses direction every half-cycle. When the current is drifting in one direction we allocate it a 'positive' direction; when it reverses direction we allocate it a 'negative' direction. So the positive half-cycle refers to its variation in current during its forward or positive direction and the negative half-cycle refers to its variation in current during its reverse or negative direction.
