You are given a vector in the xy plane that has a magnitude of 90.0 units and a y component of -40.0 units. What are the two possibilities for its x component?

what is arcsin( 40/90)?

Then x is +- 90Cos above angle

To find the two possibilities for the x component of the vector, we can use the magnitude and the y component. Let's denote the x component as 'x' and the y component as 'y'.

The magnitude of the vector can be calculated using the Pythagorean theorem:

magnitude = sqrt(x^2 + y^2)

Given that the magnitude is 90.0 units and the y component is -40.0 units, we can substitute these values into the equation:

90.0 = sqrt(x^2 + (-40.0)^2)

Solving for x:

90.0 = sqrt(x^2 + 1600)

Squaring both sides of the equation:

8100.0 = x^2 + 1600

Rearranging the equation:

x^2 = 8100.0 - 1600

x^2 = 6500.0

Taking the square root of both sides:

x = ±sqrt(6500.0)

The two possibilities for the x component are the positive and negative square root of 6500.0:

x = ±80.62

Therefore, the two possibilities for the x component are +80.62 and -80.62 units.