Alice Pittard, Maeve!

Marchand, Greer McPhie, Leah Bleimehl

Mr. Keller
Epsilon
September 28

Title

HINT: Use these lab report notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1odffGVgxcQ3va-Jboz0WsfVIan_W0G2kQb4sf4Fq1AE/edit?usp=sharing

Introduction
course domains

For this lab, we added vectors using both the Tip-to-tail and analytical methods. When
measuring analytically, we used equations to first find the component form, then added the x
and y components, then found the polar form for our final vector. One of the course domains we
met was developing and using models. For this, we used the tip-to-tail method to model adding
vectors, and we also modeled adding vectors outside in the first part of the lab. Another course
domain we met was using mathematics and computational thinking. While we were measuring
our vectors analytically, we used multiple equations to find them, especially trigonometric
equations.

Variables

The independent variable was how long we had to measure.

The dependent variable was where we placed the stick and where we moved the stick to.
Two constants are the vectors and the length of the meter sticks.

Research Objective
{Hint: this should relate to the lab question. Be sure to explain WHY you think this.}

Use the five provided vectors to accurately travel to the final position.

Materials
● 2 meter sticks
● One piece of red yarn, over 10 meters long
● Compass app on iphone
● Clear protractor
● Baseball diamond
● Pencil
● Paper
● Desmos.com/scientific
Procedure
Procedure for measuring given vectors:
1. Lay the phone down and use the compass app to turn it until you are facing the given
direction.
2. Lay meterstick out along the phone from the end of the last vector (or the start), add the
other meterstick to the end to continue measuring, then move the first meterstick to the
end.
3. Repeat until you’ve gone the correct distance for that vector, using the compass app to
check the angle along the way- adjusting the meterstick if the angle is wrong.
4. Use string to mark the end of the vector- the point the next vector will start from.
5. Repeat 1-4 until done measuring all of the given vectors.

Procedure for measuring our final vector from start to where we ended:
1. Lay out the string from where we started to where we ended, and pull it taut.
2. Measure string with meter stick.
3. Facing away from where we started/towards where we ended, place the phone along the
string with the compass app open, and measure the angle.
4. The measured angle and length become the vector.

Figure 1: Compass Work.

Leah checks that the angle is correct, using the compass app on her phone.

Data and Analysis

{All data tables, graphs, observations, etc. go here}
The vectors given to us:
● 3m@110
● 5m@0
● 4m@300
● 7m@270
● 11m@210

Our data for our final vector was: 14 meters and 35 centimeters @ 255 degrees.

Using the Tip-to-Tail Method we got: 13.5 m @ 248 degrees

Using the analytical method we got: 13.61 m @ 254.84 degrees

Figure 2: Tip-to-Tail.
We measured our first vector, starting from the origin, with a protractor. We then measured all of
our given vectors, starting the next one at the end of the last one. Next, we measured from the
end of our last given vector all the way back to the origin to find our final vector length, and then
measured the final vector’s angle with a protractor.

Figure 3: Analytical Method.

We converted our given vectors to component form, added our x and y components so we had
the component form of the final vector, used the Pythagorean theorem to find final vector length,
used inverse tangent to find the angle, and then took the vector length and angle and put our
final vector into polar form. This was the most reliable method, and so we got the most accurate
answer.

Error Analysis
{What errors existed in the lab, how did you minimize that error, do you trust your data}

Outdoor lab:

One of the more obvious errors was in our physical/ outdoor lab part. Many things could
have gone slightly wrong in this procedure including imprecise measurements, made by gaps
between the meter sticks, and inaccurate angles by unsteadiness of the hand. Rough terrain
(aka the bad fields patch grass, rocks, trash, ect.) could have also been made for inaccurate
measurements, because you may have not been able to place the meter stick on a rock without
it tipping or a patch of grass getting between lining up the compass with the stick. We attempted
to minimize these errors by having everyone make sure the meter stick looked at the same
angle and touched the other stick and we attempted to move any obstacles out of the way
before using the compass. Our data from the outdoor lab was very rough seeing as many
groups got very different results, and I don't trust it.

Tip-to-tail:

There were less errors in this experiment than the one prior, but there were still some.
Our errors included, not knowing exactly how to use a protractor and not making our x and y
axis straight enough (at least in my case). Messing up the angles was something that commonly
happened before being shown the proper way to use it, which led to the angle and length of our
final vector being off a bit. halfway through I realized that it would have been easier to make
sure that my lines, especially ones that pointed exactly exactly north and south, were straight if I
had made my x and y axis straight. I corrected my errors through the process but it still left some
of the vectors inaccurate which threw the whole process off and made my final vector different
from others in my group. I trust my data more than what I had before but it still wasn't as
accurate as it could be.

Analytic:

There were very little errors in this procedure seeing as the whole class got almost the
exact same final vector. One thing that I would have done differently is to make the vector
magnitude more precise. I rounded the length a little early while some of my other classmates
got a more accurate final vector by allowing more parts of the decimal instead of rounding it
short. I wouldn't say I really did minimize this error seeing as I was content enough that I had
gotten similar results to others, even if they were not as precise. I would say I trusted this
method the most, seeing that at the end all the groups wrote their angle and magnitude for their
final vector on the board and everyones was the same.

Conclusion
{Hint: Check the lab report notes for the FIVE parts of a good conclusion}

Our research objective was to use the given vectors to accurately find the final position. We
made sure the final position was accurate by measuring the distance between it and the origin.
To find this we used three different methods and procedures, physical/outdoor measurements,
tip-to-tail method, and analytic method. We got decently similar results through the three but
they seemed to get more accurate method to method. Our final and most accurate results was
13.61 m @ 254.84 degrees which was found using our final method, the analytic approach. The
analytic method used mainly trigimonity to find the final placement ( cos, sin, and inverse tan),
and the pathromen theorem to find the magnitude of the final vector. This was also quickest
method, we plugged the mesments of each vector into the equations X=Vxcos(angle) and
Y=Vxsin(angle) this would give us the vectors in there comments from, we would then add all of
the points and convert the final points into polar using pythagorean and inverse tan.