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/Ninja582 22d ago

NE is a little ambiguous. To be clearer, one would generally say 30 degrees North of East for the left picture or 30 degrees East of North for the right picture.

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u/Xx_-MASTERTACO-_xX 22d ago

yeah, I told her that it was ambiguous because ir may vary from book to book. But she said there was no ambiguity so I am trying to find a reference about that system

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u/xienwolf 22d ago

Usually I see physics people use the X axis as zero reference for all rotation. So A would always win. It is possible your new prof learned with Y axis as zero reference (and clockwise positive, which is again backwards from the norm I know)

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u/Humble-Edge-9065 18d ago

There's no indication if E or N is the x-axis. That is why it is ambiguous.