A vector of magnitude 5 points in the +y direction. Another vector of magnitude 4 is added to the first vector. The largest possible magnitude of the sum is
A) 1.
B) 4.
C) 5.
D) 9.
E) 10.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The largest possible magnitude of the sum of two vectors occurs when they are in the same direction. Here, the first vector has a magnitude of 5 in the +y direction, and if the second vector of magnitude 4 is also in the +y direction, the magnitudes add up to 9.

A Vector of Magnitude 5 Points in the +Y Direction