Can the magnitude of the resultant of two vectors be less than either of them ? Explain.

Explanation

In Fig.2.75, `veca=vec(AB) and vecb=vec(BC)`. If the resultant of these two vectors is c , then according to the triangle law of vectors, ` vecc=vec(AC)`. Obviously, the side AC of the triangle ABC may be smaller than AB or BC or both. Thus , the magnitude of the resultant vector `vecc` may be smaller than that of `veca or vecb` , or both .