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Ch. 4 - Laws of Sines and Cosines; Vectors
Blitzer - Trigonometry 3rd Edition
Blitzer3rd EditionTrigonometryISBN: 9780137316601Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 4, Problem 33

In Exercises 21–38, let u = 2i - 5j, v = -3i + 7j, and w = -i - 6j. Find each specified vector or scalar.
3v - 4w

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1
Identify the given vectors: \( \mathbf{v} = -3\mathbf{i} + 7\mathbf{j} \) and \( \mathbf{w} = -\mathbf{i} - 6\mathbf{j} \).
Multiply vector \( \mathbf{v} \) by the scalar 3: calculate \( 3\mathbf{v} = 3(-3\mathbf{i} + 7\mathbf{j}) \).
Multiply vector \( \mathbf{w} \) by the scalar 4: calculate \( 4\mathbf{w} = 4(-\mathbf{i} - 6\mathbf{j}) \).
Subtract the vector \( 4\mathbf{w} \) from \( 3\mathbf{v} \): compute \( 3\mathbf{v} - 4\mathbf{w} \) by subtracting corresponding components.
Write the resulting vector in component form \( a\mathbf{i} + b\mathbf{j} \) by combining the \( \mathbf{i} \) and \( \mathbf{j} \) components from the subtraction.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Vector Representation in Component Form

Vectors in two dimensions can be expressed as components along the i (x-axis) and j (y-axis) unit vectors. For example, u = 2i - 5j means the vector has an x-component of 2 and a y-component of -5. This form allows for straightforward addition, subtraction, and scalar multiplication of vectors.
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Scalar Multiplication of Vectors

Scalar multiplication involves multiplying each component of a vector by a scalar (a real number). For instance, multiplying vector v by 3 means multiplying both its i and j components by 3, resulting in a new vector scaled in magnitude but with the same direction if the scalar is positive.
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Vector Addition and Subtraction

Adding or subtracting vectors is done component-wise by adding or subtracting their corresponding i and j components. For example, to find 3v - 4w, first multiply each vector by its scalar, then subtract the resulting components to get the final vector.
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