I will be so grateful if someone can explain me in a simple language what is difference between vector magnitude namely r=|vec(r)_1−vec(r)_2| and distance vector namely vec(r)_(12)=vec(r)_1−vec(r)_2

Taliyah Reyes

Taliyah Reyes

Answered question

2022-08-12

I will be so grateful if someone can explain me in a simple language what is difference between vector magnitude namely
r = | r 1 r 2 |
and distance vector namely
r 12 = r 1 r 2

Answer & Explanation

Erika Brady

Erika Brady

Beginner2022-08-13Added 19 answers

Let's take an example in the plane. Let a = ( 1 , 0 ) and b = ( 0 , 1 ). Then the difference vector is
r a b = b a = ( 0 , 1 ) ( 1 , 0 ) = ( 1 , 1 ) .
In other words, if you are walking from a and want to go to b, you need to make one step to the left and another step up.
Finally, note that
r = | r a b | = ( 1 ) 2 + 1 2 = 2 ,
so if you are walking from a to b directly, on a straight line segment, you will have to walk a grand total of 2 units.
babibell06cz

babibell06cz

Beginner2022-08-14Added 4 answers

Your r is the length of the distance from two points indicated by the vectors r 1 and r 2
r 12 is a vector, this means that it is not only the length of the distance from two points but also the orientation of this distance, directed from r 1 to r 2

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