Vector Addition
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Transcript of Vector Addition
Vector AdditionChapter 3 – Part 1
Vectors represent magnitude and direction
• Vectors vs. scalars?
• Vectors can be added graphically
A student walks from his house to his friend’s house (a), then from
his friend’s house to the school (b). The student’s resultant
displacement (c) can be found by using a ruler and a protractor.
Vectors represent magnitude and direction
• To add vectors – draw “tip to tail” (these are the component vectors)
• Resultant vector is sum (think “as the crow flies”
A student walks from his house to his friend’s house (a), then from
his friend’s house to the school (b). The student’s resultant
displacement (c) can be found by using a ruler and a protractor.
Vectors can be manipulated graphically
• To add vectors - pythagorean theorem
• Vector resolution – use trig functions
The Pythagorean Theorem
• Use the Pythagorean theorem to find the magnitude of the resultant vector.
Trigonometric Functions
• Use trig functions to find the magnitude of any vector.
Resolving Vectors into Components
Consider an airplane flying at 95 km/h.
• Hypotenuse = resultant vector
• Adjacent leg = x component
• Opposite leg = y component