Question

multiple select question
select all that apply
which situations are examples of vectors in two dimensions?
a boat moving west is moved by a current moving north.
you push a heavy object with a force directed to the west as it moves southward on an icy surface.
you are walking north on a walkway at an airport that is moving north.
three people pull on ropes in slightly different directions to get a car out of some deep mud.
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Explanation:

A vector has both magnitude and direction. In two - dimensional vectors, we consider two perpendicular directions (like east - west and north - south).

• For the boat situation: The boat's motion (west) and the current's motion (north) are two perpendicular directions, so it is a two - dimensional vector situation.
• For the pushing object situation: The force direction (west) and the object's motion direction (southward) are two perpendicular directions, so it is a two - dimensional vector situation.
• For the walking on the walkway situation: Both the person's walking direction (north) and the walkway's motion (north) are in the same direction (not two perpendicular directions), so it is not a two - dimensional vector situation.
• For the three - people - pulling - the - car situation: There are three directions (more than two perpendicular directions in a simple two - dimensional sense), so it is not a two - dimensional vector situation.

Answer:

A. A boat moving west is moved by a current moving north.
B. You push a heavy object with a force directed to the west as it moves southward on an icy surface.