Regents Physics



Vector Treasure Hunt

Objective - To get a “walking” experience of vectors and hopefully learn other techniques for working with vector addition.

Procedure - Use your knowledge of vectors (in this case displacement vectors) and vector addition to add the 6 vectors on the list from your starting point. The end goal is to find the magic point where there is a hidden treasure!

The teacher will make you aware of your start. It is also listed as your starting position below.

Group #1

|Vector |Disp (cm) |Angle (°) |

|Start |#1 | |

|1 |450 |270 |

|2 |778 |135 |

|3 |250 |0 |

|4 |631 |285 |

|5 |406 |210.4 |

|6 |737 |125 |

Start Up Info-

The origin in the room is

The coordinates of your start point are (_________, _________)

The dimensions of the room are __________ across (x), and __________ deep (y).

Walking the Vectors-

1. Go to your starting point. Determine the direction of your first displacement vector using the diagram above as a guide (Remember, 0-360).

2. Now move the right distance to get to the end of your first vector. Mark it with a piece of masking tape and label it with Group # and Vector #. This will be important if you need to backtrack for any reason.

3. Move onto the next vector. Remember the direction is with respect to the room and not the previous vector.

4. When you get the end, use the tape to clearly indicate your finish point. Bring it the teacher’s attention so final coordinates of your finish point can be recorded.

The coordinates of your end point from walking are (_________, _________)

5. Once the treasure and its location are revealed, you will be given the actual end point.

The coordinates of the given end point are (_________, _________)

Do Not Proceed beyond this point until the treasure has been revealed!

Graphing the Vectors-

1. Now grab a protractor and ruler. In your notebook, on a clean piece of paper, or a piece of graph paper scaled such that each square is 1cm x 1cm, make a scaled rectangle to represent the room. Using 1 cm = 100 cm seems to be a good scale.

2. Mark your starting point in the box.

3. Proceed to graphically draw the 6 vectors from the starting point, always starting the next vector from the end of the last. Remember, "Tip to Tail." This should represent the path you actually followed in the walking part of the activity.

4. Determine the coordinates of your end point within your scaled drawing, remembering that the lower left part of your box is the (0, 0) point. Mark your graph with the x and y coordinates next to the tip of your final vector, where the yummy treasure should have been. Label it with a "G" for Graphing.

The coordinates of your end point from graphing are (_________, _________)

Calculating the Vectors through Component Vector Analysis-

1. Use the following table to summarize your data:

|Vector # |Mag (cm) |Direction (°) |x-comp (cm) |y-comp (cm) |

|#1 | | | | |

|#2 | | | | |

|#3 | | | | |

|#4 | | | | |

|#5 | | | | |

|#6 | | | | |

|Sum of x and y component vectors: | | |

|Start Point |Enter x & y from start up data | | |

|End Point |Sum of component vectors and the start point. | | |

2. The first three columns are exactly the same as the table on the first page. The 4th and 5th columns start with the coordinates of the start point given to you. Proceed to find the x and y component vectors using sines and cosines. Show each of these calculations on a separate piece of paper.

3. At the end of the x-component and y-comp column, find the sum for each column. These two values should represent the coordinates of your final destination. Put this point on your graph and label it "CV" for Component Vector Analysis, and include the coordinates.

- Note: if this value is different from the Given End Point, then you will need to go back and correct your mistake.

The Final Comparison-

1. Summarize your end point results from the four coordinate pairs listed; the walking, graphing, and component vector results, and the intended value of the final destination from the teacher, in the table below.

|Final Destination Coordinates |x – value |y – value |

|Given Values | | |

|From Walking | | |

|From Graphing | | |

|From Component Vector Analysis | | |

2. Mark your graph with the x and y coordinates from Walking and label it "W."

3. Determine your displacement from the given end point, and those from walking and graphing. The given end point should be identical to the point labeled "CV." Show all work!!

Distance between points CV and G

Distance between points CV and W

4. Write a summary about this activity:

a. Compare the walking results from the other groups in your class. How close were they to the true destination of the treasure?

b. Compare the graphing results for each member of your group. Were they similar or different, and how close were they to the given end point?

c. Compare the final math results (Component Vector Analysis) for each member of your group, and the other groups in your class.

d. Make a general statement about the accuracy of the different methods (walking, graphing, component vector analysis) used in this activity.

e. What were your sources of error during this activity?

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