Question: Consider a particle with initial velocity v that has magnitude 12.0 m/s and is directed 60.0 degrees above the negative x axis.
Part A: What is the x component vx of v ? Express your answer in meters per second.
Part B: What is the y component vy of v ? Express your answer in meters per second.
Breaking up the velocities into components is particularly useful when the components do not affect each other. Eventually, you will learn about situations in which the components of velocity do affect one another, but for now you will only be looking at problems where they do not. So, if there is acceleration in the x direction but not in the y direction, then the x component of the velocity will change, but the y component of the velocity will not.
Part C: Look at this applet. The motion diagram for a projectile is displayed, as are the motion diagrams for each component. The x-component motion diagram is what you would get if you shined a spotlight down on the particle as it moved and recorded the motion of its shadow. Similarly, if you shined a spotlight to the left and recorded the particle's shadow, you would get the motion diagram for its y component. How would you describe the two motion diagrams for the components?