Question

How is the position of an object described

Answer 1

The position of an object can be described by specifying the following two parameters: * The distance of the object from a fixed reference point. Any point whose location is 'known' may be taken as the fixed reference point. The origin (the point of intersection of the Cartesian axes) is generally taken as a fixed reference point.The direction of the object. The direction of the object is described by the angle which the line joining the object and the fixed reference point makes with a reference axis. The reference axis may be one of the,

• Cartesian axes e.g., x-axis, y-axis (Fig.1.1a) or,

Geographical directions e.g., east, west, north and south (Fig. 1.1b)