Direction of vector 2d how to#

Steps to find the direction of a vector (x, y): Thus, the direction of a vector (x, y) is found using the formula tan -1 (y/x) but while calculating this angle, the quadrant in which (x, y) lies also should be considered. We also know that if θ is the angle made by this line, then its slope is tan θ, i.e., tan θ = y/x. We know that the slope of a line that passes through the origin and a point (x, y) is y/x. The direction of a vector formula is related to the slope of a line.

Direction of vector 2d how to#

Let us learn the direction of a vector formula and how to determine the direction of a vector in different quadrants along with a few solved examples. The direction along which a vector act is defined as the direction of a vector. For example, if the direction of a vector is 60 degrees North of West, it implies that the vector pointing West has been rotated 60 degrees towards the northern direction. Another convention to express the direction of a vector is as an angle of rotation of the vector about its tail from east, west, north or south. For example, a vector with a direction of 45 degrees is a vector that has been rotated 45 degrees in a counterclockwise direction relative to due east. The direction of a vector is given by the counterclockwise rotation of the angle of the vector about its tail due east.

The direction of a vector is the angle made by the vector with the horizontal axis, that is, the X-axis.