What term describes the method of combining two perpendicular components to generate a vector?

The method of combining two perpendicular components to generate a vector is referred to as composition. In physics and mathematics, vector composition involves adding two or more vectors to form a resultant vector. When two vectors are represented in a perpendicular coordinate system, the composition process entails summing their respective components, typically using the Pythagorean theorem for magnitude and trigonometric functions to determine the direction.

Resolution, on the other hand, is the process of breaking a vector into its component parts, which is the inverse of what composition does. Sensitivity refers to the responsiveness of a measurement or system to changes and is not applicable in this context. Phase shift relates to the offset of a wave in relation to another wave, typically in signal processing or wave mechanics, which also does not pertain to vector generation through component addition.