:confused: does anyone know how to find the magnitude of a vector because I can add and subtract them and all that stuff but I can not find the magnitude and the heading... so if someone could help me that would be nice!:confused:

As Pythagoras' theorem shows: the magnitude of a vector V is


For the heading you need to use basic trigonometry, form a triangle and use the lengths you know to work out the angle you need.

Capuchin's answer is correct but I thought you might like to have it spelled out a bit more.
Lets assume you have a vector V which starts at and ends at
means "magnitude of V"


The direction can be found like capuchin said, with trig.

Here's the vector V starting at (x1,y1) and ending at (x2,y2).

Code:

---

          (x2,y2)
          /|
          / |
        V/  |dy
        /  |
      /----|
(x1,y1)  dx

---

Now you want the angle of the vector V. I found this image that will explain what to do. Replace the x and y with the dx and dy you found above. is the angle of V.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/5/3...c0153a4044.png



As an aside, Capuchin, |V| is the magnitude of V, do you recall what symbol is used for the angle of V? I feel like there is something but I can only recall how to denote the unit vector.

I don't believe there is one, you just use I, j and k, the direction information is there :/