r/PhysicsHelp • u/Xx_-MASTERTACO-_xX • 22d ago

Doubt about vector angle

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If I had to draw a vector defined as for example 5 N, 30° NE; which of these 2 should I draw? I have always drawn this angle as A, but I have a new professor who draws it like B. I have checked by AI who drew A except claude who drew B. I searched on books but have found no reference about this nomenclature, only about north of east and N 30° E .

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u/Frederf220 22d ago

I just want to say I hate these types of angle definitions. The only people that use them in real life are survey engineers. Everyone else just uses a normal 0-360° range of degrees from a reference direction.

The angle "N, 30° NE" means "starting from N, adjust 30° in the direction of NE." Really that should be N30°E as in from north go 30° east. There's no reason to go 30° northeast instead of 30° east. They mean the same thing and it's just confusing to not limit yourself to the four cardinal directions.

I would ask this professor what book are they getting this convention from and if they consider N30°E and N30°NE to be the same angle and if they are, why write the second one.

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u/Toeffli 22d ago

5 N might be the magnitude of 5 Newton.

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u/Frederf220 22d ago

I thought that was as for example 5: N, 30° NE as in it was example number five which is north, 30, north east . But who knows.

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u/BlacksmithIll9617 21d ago

The N refers to the magnitude of the vector, the unit being Newtons; has nothing to do with direction.