Vector Maths

parallel vectors is simple addition or subtraction of magnitudes depending on direction. Opposite directions take away!

Composition of perpendicular vectors.

looking at the 2 vectors on the other side we can see they are not parallel vectors.

We can see they have a magnitude and a direction.

How can we write these quantities down and combine them, we know how to draw them from graphical vectors

If we consider the i & j grid then ......

the blue vector might be represented by ___________

the green vector might be represented by ___________

5i + 10j

= the resultant magnitude and direction of the 2 vectors

You may notice that this example only had vectors that went parallel to the axis, but not the same axis, so we only had to combine the i side with the j side.

Copy out the vectors above accurately on to graph paper

(you should choose to spread them out across the page)

Label each of the vectors with a name,

(some are named above)

Also label them in terms of i & j vectors

When adding non parallel vectors, we combine the i values with the other i values, and the j values are added seperatly

Resolution of co-planar vectors.

AN OLD PC MOUSE!

http://physics.info/vector-components/

http://physics.info/vector-addition/

The following link is not required on this course ... but if you are doing Honours maths for the leaving it will help

http://physics.info/vector-multiplication/

In exam questions they will ask you to give the velocity of the object after some calculations, you will only recieve full marks if you specify both the Magnitude and the Direction,