Question

The magnitude of the resultant of the two vectors is always:

(a) Greater than one of the vector’s magnitude

(b) Smaller than one of the vector’s magnitude

(c) Depends on the angle between them

(d) Axis we choose to calculate the magnitude

The question was asked by my school principal while I was bunking the class.

This intriguing question originated from Method of Joints topic in portion Structural Analysis of Engineering Mechanics

Answer 1

Correct answer is (c) Depends on the angle between them

Explanation: Yes, the magnitude of the resultant of the two vectors always depends on the angle between them. It might be greater or smaller than one of the vector’s length. For perfectly saying, it does depends upon the angle between them.