To find a unit vector that has the same direction as the vector 3i + 7j, we can follow these steps:
- Step 1: Identify the vector components – The vector can be expressed as v = (3, 7), where its components are 3 and 7.
- Step 2: Calculate the magnitude of the vector – The magnitude |v| can be calculated using the formula:
|v| = √(x2 + y2) = √(32 + 72) = √(9 + 49) = √58
- Step 3: Divide each component by the magnitude – To get the unit vector u in the same direction:
u = (1/|v|) * v = (1/√58) * (3, 7) = (3/√58, 7/√58)
- Step 4: Write the unit vector – The unit vector is thus:
u = (3/√58)i + (7/√58)j
This unit vector u has the same direction as the original vector 3i + 7j, but its magnitude is 1.