velocity vector?

Question

A sailboat is traveling in the direction of 40 degress west of north at a speed of 3 m/s.

resolve the velocity vector into components. Compute the velocity componenets and describe their directions.

Answer 1

Taking west to east as xaxis and south to north as y axis,
40 degree west of north means (90+40=) 130 degree with the x axis

component along x axis = v cos 130 = - 3 cos 50 = -1.928 m/s

component is negative( means along negative x axis) that is component of velocity is 1.928 m/s towards west.
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component along y axis = v sin 130 = 3*sin50=2.298 m/s

component towards north is 2.298 m/s

Answer 2

One vector is North ie the y-component
one vector is west is the x-component

for x-comp
v=3sin40=1.93m/s
if in your coordinate system you choose x+ to be east then this value would be negative.

for y-comp
v=3cos40=2.30m/s

Answer 3

At three miles per second, the sailboat must have been traveling at around 10,800 miles per hour. Are you sure it was a sailboat?

Answer 4

Is this your homework? :P