Activity Overview
In this lesson, students will first explore the relationship between the magnitude and direction of a vector and the components of the vector. Students will then explore how two vectors are added to produce a resultant vector.
Objectives
- Students will explore the relationship between a vector and its components.
- Students will explore how two vectors may be combined to produce a resultant vector.
- Students will be able to calculate the resultant of two vectors which are added.
Vocabulary
- clockwise
- collinear
- component
- counterclockwise
- parallel
- perpendicular
- quadrant
- resultant
- magnitude and direction
About the Lesson
This lesson first explores the relationship between the magnitude and direction of a vector and the components of the vector. It then explores how two vectors are added to produce a resultant vector. Vector addition progresses from collinear vectors to perpendicular vectors and finally to general vectors.
As a result, students will:
- Describe how the magnitude and direction of a vector determine its components.
- Calculate the magnitude and direction of the resultant vector when two perpendicular vectors are added.
- Determine the resultant vector when two general vectors are added by using the components of the vectors.