Question

Find the direction of bold u equals negative 3 bold i plus 8 bold j. (Round to the nearest tenth).
(1 point)
Responses

69.4°
69.4°

110.6°
110.6°

249.4°
249.4°

290.6°

Answers

GPT-4o mini
To find the direction of the vector \(\mathbf{u} = -3 \mathbf{i} + 8 \mathbf{j}\), we can use the formula for the angle \(\theta\) in standard position, which is given by:

\[
\theta = \tan^{-1}\left(\frac{y}{x}\right)
\]

where \(y\) is the component in the \(j\) direction and \(x\) is the component in the \(i\) direction. In this case, \(x = -3\) and \(y = 8\).

1. Calculate \(\tan^{-1}\left(\frac{8}{-3}\right)\):

\[
\theta = \tan^{-1}\left(-\frac{8}{3}\right)
\]

2. Using a calculator, we find:

\[
\theta \approx -69.4^\circ
\]

This angle of \(-69.4^\circ\) is measured clockwise from the positive x-axis. To convert this angle to a positive angle in standard position (counterclockwise from the positive x-axis), we add \(360^\circ\):

\[
\theta = 360^\circ - 69.4^\circ = 290.6^\circ
\]

So, the direction of the vector \(\mathbf{u}\) is approximately:

\[
\boxed{290.6^\circ}
\]

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