Lab Assignment: 01

Vectors and Vector Operations

Part A: Triangle

• Open the vector simulation:

https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/vector-addition/latest/vector-addition_en.html
• Open Explore 2D by clicking on the icon above. Your screen will open the simulation like
the one in the figure below.

• You can add a vector by clicking and dragging a vector from the lower right panel on
your screen.

• You can adjust the direction and length of the vector by click-dragging the arrow head.
Play with this until you are comfortable.

Drag out the vector a, and move it until the tail is located at the origin. Click on the head
of the vector, and drag it until it is completely horizontal, points to the right, and has a
magnitude ( |a| ) of 20.

(Tips: If you want to start over, click Erase button )

• Look at the chart at the top of the page. Here is an explanation of what each number
represents:

• |a| represents the length of the arrow. This is usually called the magnitude of the
vector.
• ϴ represents the direction the arrow points. This is simply called the direction of
the vector. The magnitude And direction will completely define a vector.
• is called the X-component of the vector. This is the length of the vector in X-
direction only.
• is called the Y-component of the vector. This is the length of the vector in the
Y-direction only.

6. For the first vector you dragged out, fill in the chart at the below:

|a| θ a_x a_y

20.0 0.0 20.0 0.0

7. Now drag out the second vector b and place its tail at the head of the first, as shown
 at right. Adjust this second vector until it points vertically upward and has a length of
10 .
10. Fill in the table for this vector vector here:

|b| θ b_x b_y

10.0 90.0 0.0 14.0

8. Your DISPLACEMENT is the hypotenuse, and your current displacement is 22.4 units
away from the origin. You can show this by clicking the button that says Sum. A blue
vector should pop up. This represents the vector sum, or resultant, of the first two
arrows.

9. Drag this vector over so that the tail is at the origin, and use it to form the hypotenuse
of a right triangle. Notice that the head of this vector ends exactly where the second
vector ends. Click on the blue vector and fill in the chart for this vector here:

|s| θ s_x s_y

22.4 26.6 20.0 10.0

10. Compare the s_x and s_y values for the blue vector to the |a| and |b| values from the
first two vectors. What do you notice about these values?

Ans: |s| is the sum of |a| and |b| . |a| is horizontal . So the value of a_x and a_y
shows the length of |a| in x axis . |b| is vertical. so the value of b_x and b_y
shows the length of |b| in y axis. but s_x and s_y shows the sum of the vector in x
axis and y axis. thats why the value of s_x is 20 and s_y is 10.
Part B: Single Vector, Magnitude 22.4

11. Hit the Erase button to erase the screen. Next, create a vector |a| with
an a_x of 20 and a_y of 10. Fill in the chart for this vector here:

|a| θ a_x a_y

22.4 26.6 20 10

12. Compare the chart values of this vector to those of the blue resultant vector (|s|)
from #9. How do these values compare?

Ans:the magnitude of vector |a| is 22.4 .if we suppose that vector |s| from #9 is a
single vector and the magnitude of |s| is 22.4 .both vector |a| and vector |s| will
be single vector. so for vector |a| the magnitude is 22.4 , direction of arrow points
is 26.6 , length in x axis is 20 and y is 10. for vector |s| magnitude is 22.4,
direction of arrow points is 26.6 , lenght in x axis is 20 and length in y axis is 10
also.

13. Next, click the style 2 button on the “Component Display”

menu. This is a way to visualize any vectors as a sum of horizontal and vertical components.

14. Adjust this |a| vector until it has an a_x value of 10 and a_y value of 8
20. Fill in the chart for this vector:

|a| θ a_x a_y

12.8 38.7 10 8
15. Has the magnitude (that is, |a| ) of this vector changed, compared #11? If so, how?

Ans:if we compare the magnitude of this |a| vector to #11 |a| vector we can easily
say that the magnitude is changed. in #11 , the value of a_x is 20 and a_y is 10.
magnitude means the distance between a_x and a_y. this value of #11 is bigger
than our |a| vectors a_x and a_y. thats why the magnitude is changed.

16. Has the direction (that is, θ) of this vector changed, compared to #11? If so, how?

Ans:yes the direction of this vector is changed. θ means the direction of arrow
points. on #11 the direction of arrow points is 26.6 . in this vector the direction of
arrow points is 38.7. because on #11 the length of x axis and y axis is different
from this vector. the value of direction of the arrow points depends of the length of
x axis and y axis. thats why it is changed.

17. Looking at this vector (|a|) , it is easy to imagine a right triangle, made form , and |a|.
In this case, |a| would be hypotenuse, and & , would be the legs.

• Show, using the Pythagorean Theorem, that (You will get a very close value, not
an exact value !! The result does not have to be exact. Approximations are
acceptable)

Ans:we know that vectors oriented at right angles to one another can be added
together using the Pythagorean theorem. For instance, two displacement vectors
with magnitude and direction of 11 km, North and 11 km, East can be added
together to produce a resultant vector that is directed both north and east. When
the two vectors are added head-to-tail as shown below, the resultant is the
hypotenuse of a right triangle. The sides of the right triangle have lengths of 11
km and 11 km. The resultant can be determined using the Pythagorean theorem;
it has a magnitude of 15.6 km. The solution is shown below the diagram.

• Show, using SOHCAHTOA, that the component = . (You will get a very close
value, not an exact value !! The result does not have to be exact. Approximations
are acceptable)
•
 Ans:"SOHCAHTOA" is a helpful mnemonic for remembering the definitions of the
trigonometric functions sine, cosine, and tangent i.e., sine equals opposite over
hypotenuse, cosine equals adjacent over hypotenuse, and tangent equals
opposite over adjacent,

sintheta = (opposite)/(hypotenuse)
(1)
costheta = (adjacent)/(hypotenuse)
(2)
tantheta = (opposite)/(adjacent).
(3)

Part C : Several Vectors

18. Click on the home tab at the bottom center of the screen.

19. Click on the Lab tab, , to open lab simulation.

20. Add a blue vector onto the graph by clicking and dragging a blue vector form the
right lower panel. .

21. Create 4 vectors, as shown in below. The length of each horizontal vectors should be
10 , and the length of the vertical vectors should be 5.

22. Click on the Sum button (blue arrow) . Fill in the chart for this
resultant.

|s| θ s_x s_y

44.7 26.6 40.0 20.0

23. How do the |s| compare to the |s| value from the question#9?

Ans:on #9 the value of |s| is hypotenuse . and on #9 the value of |s| is thg sum of
2 vectors. but in this it is alos the sum of 4 vectors. but in this it is straigth line . on
#9 the two value one on x axis and one in y axis. and the sum line make a
 triangle with x axis line and y axis line. but on this vector there is no triangle. the 4
vectors are straigth lines.

24. Clear all . Construct the following 4 vectors representing someone on four
hikes:
• |v| = 30, θ = 36.9
• |v| = 10, θ = 36.9
• |v| = 10, θ = 36.9
• |v| = 10, θ = 36.9

25. What is the sum(or resultant) of these vectors?

|s| θ s_x s_y

60.0 36.9 48.0 36.0

26. So what is the displacement walked?____60_____ What is the distance walked?

__60____.

***