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A force arrow is moved to a new starting point on the Cartesian plane, but its length and direction are not altered. What happens to the physical quantity it represents?
AIt reverses its own sign
BIt doubles its own size
CIt stays exactly the same
DIt loses its own units
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. It stays exactly the same
1. A vector carries only two pieces of information, a magnitude and a direction.
2. Sliding the arrow changes neither of those two pieces of information.
3. Where a vector starts on the plane does not affect the physical quantity, provided magnitude and direction remain the same.
4. This property is known as equality of vectors, and it is why parallel arrows of equal length represent the same force.
_Source: Siyavula Physical Sciences Grade 11 (Everything Science, CC BY 4.0), Chapter 1: Vectors in two dimensions_