Lesson plan for Vector Addition1: Introduction to Vector math phet.colorado.

edu Time for activity 80 minutes Learning Goals: Students ill !e a!le to "#plain vector representations in their o n ords $onvert !et een the of angular form of vectors and the component form %dd vectors. &ac'ground: I used this as part of an introduction to vectors. The students had !een or'ing ith vector and scalar (uantities for a!out a month. )y students had no e#perience ith vector math. %lmost all the !oo' pro!lems give vectors in angular style. )y te#t uses all acute angles in map coordinates. In our !oo'* +0,- means +0 north of est. %fter this activity* I.ll have to help the students thin' a!out vectors ith this system since the simulation a different system. The angles in the sim have a ma# of 180. They are measured from due east. $ounter/cloc' ise is positive. So 00 ,- is 110. $loc' ise is negative. So 00 S" is /00 and 00 S- is /110. %lso* I revie ed some geometry including the definitions of sine* cosine and tangent. )y students are not very familiar ith the unit circle and fe have had trigonometry. I dre a right triangle ith a*!*c notation li'e they used in geometry and then ith #*y*2 notation that is used in physics. I also dre a unit circle and helped ma'e sense of the angle measure. 3ne thing I found* during the activity* as that some of them anted to use sine* etc on any triangle and that they needed to !e reminded that the triangle must !e a right triangle. Vector Addition Introduction: I did not demonstrate ho to use the sim* I 4ust gave them the path from the home page. If they use 5irefo#* they need to hit the refresh !utton to get the latest version of the sim. Lesson: 2emind the students to change their calculator mode to Degrees. 6ave the students use the la! sheet for guidance after the class discussion. )y students or'ed in pairs. I fre(uently chec'ed understanding !y stopping at each group. %fter they finished (uestion +* I as'ed them a!out their understanding of linear verses 78 math using their ans er for e#ample: 9If you are driving 11 mph east and 8 mph north* are you going 1: mph;< )any of my students did not use the S=) !utton as I e#pected in step 1. I had to give hints as I chec'ed their ans ers. I as e#pecting them to rite their designs in paragraph form* !ut many made their plans ith pictures. I decided to as' them to rite a paragraph for 1 and 0. The activity too' my honors physics students a!out 80 minutes. There are som e clic'er (uestions that I adapted from the alge!ra !ased physics class at $olorado =niversity. %fter this activity* e did a la! using spring scales and used the sim to help the students understand the vector math. There is a lesson plan included called Vector Addition7: =nderstanding 5orce e(uili!rium

17>18>701+ Loe!lein