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Vector Addition. Chapter 3 – Part 1. Vectors represent magnitude and direction. Vectors vs. scalars? Vectors can be added graphically.
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Vector Addition Chapter 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 componentvectors) • 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 - pythagoreantheorem • 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 =xcomponent • Opposite leg = y component