Vectors - Humble Independent School District



Intro to Vectors

Do not write on this paper. Answer all questions on your lab report in complete sentences.

Getting Started:

Go to the following site:

On the left side, scroll down to find “Math Tools” and click it. New icons appear on the right side of the screen. Scroll down on the right side until you see “Vector Addition” and click on the icon.

Then click on The program may take a few minutes to load.

Terms to know: From your text (p. 84 and 85) be familiar with the following terms: scalar, vector, resultant and from page 92: components of a vector

To Begin:

Before you begin this exercise … under Component Display click the circle next to “Style 2” and Check the box next to “Show Grid”. These settings will not change for the rest of the activity. Answer all questions in complete sentences.

1. Grab a vector from and drag it onto the grid placing the “tail” at the origin (0,0). Use the cursor to grab the arrowhead and place it on the +y axis so that it is “10” units long.

Fill in the values on your report in table A:

Reshape this vector so that it is completely horizontal. Keep the tail at (0,0). Fill in the values in table B.

Do these values make sense? Answer a-d on your paper.

a. What does |R| represent?

b. What does Ry represent?

c. What does Rx represent?

d. What does Θ represent?

2. Why does the vector have an arrowhead? What does that arrowhead indicate?

3. Drag another vector into the grid. Reshape it so it is completely vertical with a value of 15 units. Move that vector so that the tail of the arrow is touching the arrow tip of the first vector on your screen. For this new vector, what is the value of Rx? Ry? Θ? |R|? Do these values make sense?

4. What have you begun to create? Draw what you see on the screen TO SCALE on your own paper.

5. Click on the “Sum” button. A new vector appears on your screen. Drag it so that the tail of the vector is at (0,0). What is the value of Rx? Ry? Θ? |R|? Do these values make sense?

6. Draw the new vector TO SCALE (with a different color) on the picture you drew for #4. How do you believe the value for |R| was determined? Calculate it on your own to verify the computer’s result. SHOW ALL YOUR WORK!

7. Does the method you used work for all triangles? If not, what special types of triangles does this method work for?

8. Clear all of your vectors. Create a new vector that starts at (0,0) and is neither horizontal nor vertical. What are the values of Rx? Ry? Θ? |R|? Do these values make sense?

9. Draw what you see on the computer screen on your own page TO SCALE. Using the value of |R| and Ry, how would you calculate Rx? Verify the value of Rx by calculating it on your own. SHOW ALL YOUR WORK!

10. Create another vector that is not completely horizontal or completely vertical. Drag it so that its tail is touching the tip of the vector from #8. What type of triangle is made? What are the values of Rx? Ry? Θ? |R| for the second vector? Do these values make sense?

11. Add the vector from #10 to your picture. Be sure to draw it TO SCALE on your paper. Click the “Sum” button. Move the new vector so that its tail is at (0,0). Draw this vector to scale on the drawing you made in #9 and 10.

12. For your newest vector, what are the values of Rx? Ry? Θ? |R|? Do these values make sense?

13. For your newest vector, how was Rx determined? How was Ry determined? How was |R| determined? Try to verify the results the computer gave you by calculating the |R| yourself. SHOW ALL YOUR WORK!

14. In general, if you know the measurements of the horizontal parts (components) of vectors and you know the measurements of the vertical components of vectors, how can you find their sum (resultant)?

Extension: Use the and clear the screen.

Now grab another vector, place the tail at the origin and use the cursor to move the arrow head

into quadrant II. Observe what changes about Rx and Ry.

Continue to rotate the vector arrow into quadrants III and IV.

What can you say about the sign of Rx and Ry based on the vector direction?

Physics – H Name _______________________ per ____

Intro to Vectors – lab report

ANSWER IN COMPLETE SENTENCES

1. A B

Answers for a – d:

2.

3.

  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |

10.

11. On grid in #9

12.

13.

14.

Extension:

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download