VECTOR RESOLUTION

Any vector directed at an angle to the horizontal (or the vertical) can be thought ofhaving two parts (or components). That is, any vector directed in two dimensions canbe thought of as having two components.For example, if a chain pulls upward at an angle on the collar of a dog, then there is atension force directed in two dimensions. This tension force has two components: anupward component and a rightward component.

As another example, consider an airplane that is displaced northwest from O'HareInternational Airport (in Chicago) to a destination in Canada. The displacementvector of the plane is in two dimensions (north-west). Thus, this displacement vectorhas two components: a northward component and a westward component.

The process of determining the magnitude of a vector is known as vectorresolution.