Hey,
Yes, you should write the unit vectors with the terms in the equation. The unit vectors help to specify the direction of each term in the vector equation.
unit_y_vector = \hat{R} * (mean_speed_T * mean_speed_N)/(magnitude_U0_mean_RTN)^2 - \hat{N} * (mean_speed_R * mean_speed_T)/(magnitude_U0_mean_RTN)^2;
Sometimes, when the vector comes from a matrix, the unit vectors are implicit in the matrix’s structure, so they don’t need to be written explicitly. However, as a beginner, it’s a good practice to write them out as it helps you understand the directionality of each term. As you get more comfortable with vectors and matrices, you’ll get a better sense of when you can leave them implicit.
Thanks!
