What is a vector diagram?

Answer 1

A vector diagram is a good way to visualize the motions of objects in a problem. It can be used to formulate solutions and simplify calculations. Too often overlooked as a useless tool, but it will help point out bad assumptions when properly used.

Answer 2

A vector diagram is used to represent a quantity that has both magnitude and direction. For example, if the speed of a car is 60 mph, you do not necessarily know in what direction it is going. If the car is going 60 mph due north, that is a velocity which has both speed and direction and can be diagramed on a piece of paper as an arrow 60 units long with the arrow head pointing north (relative to a compass?) on the diagram. Forces, Velocities and accelerations are quantities often represented as vectors to solve technical problems.

Answer 3

Vector diagrams are diagrams which depict the direction and relative magnitude of a vector quantity by a vector arrow. Vector diagrams can be used to describe the velocity of a moving object during its motion. For example, the velocity of a car moving down the road could be represented by a vector diagram.

v v v v
------->> ------->> ------->> ------->>


In a vector diagram, the magnitude of a vector is represented by the size of the vector arrow. If the size of the arrow in each consecutive frame of the vector diagram is the same, then the magnitude of that vector is constant. The diagrams below depict the velocity of a car during its motion. In the top diagram, the size of the velocity vector is constant, so the diagram is depicting a motion of constant velocity. In the bottom diagram, the size of the velocity vector is increasing, so the diagram is depicting a motion with increasing velocity - i.e.,


v v v v
---->> --------->> ------------->> ---------------------->>

Vector diagrams can be used to represent any vector quantity. In future studies, vector diagrams will be used to represent a variety of physical quantities such as acceleration, force, and momentum. Be familiar with the concept of using a vector arrow to represent the direction and relative size of a quantity. It will become a very important representation of an object's motion as we proceed further in our studies of the physics of motion.

Answer 4

boring and pointless