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MERLOT site:   Using Vectors, by Renganathan Palanisamy.  (direct link). 

  • Vector Addition and Subtraction
Topics:  Vector algebra, vector addition, vector subtraction.

Pre-requisite skills:  None.

Approximate completion time:  30 minutes.

Provide sufficient detail to verify that the assignment was completed in a meaningful manner.
One advantage of Renganathan Palanisamy's Using Vectors page is that you can add up to four vectors.
  • Go to this site, and on the graph select "4" for "Number of Vectors."   Now using the mouse drag out three vectors of arbitrary length and direction.  Now drag out the fourth vector that you think will cause all four to add to 0.  Watch what happens when you click on the "Add Vectors" button and describe.
  • What method is the applet using to add the vectors?  In comparison to the average lengths of the original four vectors, is the length of your resultant vector reasonably small?
  • Using the mouse, grab one of the vectors and drag its head around on the page.   Pretty cool, heh?  Can you force the resultant vector to be 0?

Helpful Resources

  1. Circular Motion by Zona Land.
  2. Oscillation and Wave by Fu Kwun Hwang.
  3. Simple Harmonic Motion and Uniform Circular Motion by Fu Kwun Hwang.
  4. Circular Motion and Simple Harmonic Motion by Sadahisa Kamikawa.
  5. Circle and Something More by Surendranath Reddy B.
  6. Amplitude of Circular Motion by Angel Franco Garcia.

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