Asked by tt

In order to use the Pythagorean theorem to find the magnitude of a resultant vector, which must be true regarding the two initial vectors?

They form a 90 degree angle.
They are equal in magnitude.
They have the same directions.
They are parallel to one another.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
They form a 90° angle.

Reason: The Pythagorean relation R² = A² + B² holds only when the vectors are perpendicular. In general R² = A² + B² + 2AB cosθ; for θ = 90° cosθ = 0, giving R = sqrt(A² + B²). The other choices (equal magnitudes, same direction, or parallel) are not required and generally give different results.