i dont understand vectors and vector addition can you help me out?

Question

keep in mind that i know nothing about tangent cosine or sine

Answer 1

To begin with, think about drawing lines on graph paper for the (x,y) numbers of the first vector, starting at (0,0) and going to (x,y), OK?

Next, to add the vector (w,z) to the vector (x,y), start at the point (x,y), then count off w to the left or right and z up or down and put the "arrowhead" of the (w,z) vector. You should note the the arrowhead lands at the point (w+x,y+z), and the vector representing the sum of (x,y)+(w,z) starts at (0,) and ends at (w+x,y+z).

Does that help at all? If all you're talking about is vector addition, you don't need to know anything about trig functions such as sin, cos or tan.

Answer 2

first of all you kind of should know how to use tangent cosine and sine to understand vector addition or at least it makes it a whole lot easier.

but to answer your question... if you start from some origin you can draw one vector then at the tip of that vector draw the second vector beginning with the tail... then the resulting vector from your vector addition will be from the origin to the tip of the second vector

this is hard to explain... learn trig, haha

Answer 3

Vectors are lines, measured from a point on a grapht, not necessarily the origin, measured in i and j instead of x and y.
E.g. A vector going from (2,3) to (3,4) would be 1i +1j = i + j
from (5,6) to (6,7) would also = i + j
from (5,2) to (-2,7) would be -7i +5j or 5j - 7i

To add vectors, just add the i and j components together.
E.g. (3i - j) + (2i + j) = 3i - j + 2i + j = 5i
(2j - 2i) - (5j - 4i) = 2j - 2i - 5j - (-4i)
= 2j - 2i -5j +4i
= 2i - 3j

Hope this is what you wanted xx