what is a vector? and how do you add vectors together?

Answer 1

A vector is a magnitude with a direction. For example, velocity is a vector. The magnitude would be the speed, say 5m/s. The direction would be either an angle relative to an axis or just something like 45 degrees north of east. To add vectors, it is best to break them down into their components. A vector with magnitude of 5 that is pointing 45 degrees north of east would have a component facing east and a component facing north. Make a right triangle with the original vector and these 2 components. Since the angle is 45 degrees, each component will have a magnitude of 5/Sqrt(2). You can now write this vector in terms of its x component(facing east) and y component(facing north. [x,y]=[5/sqrt(2), 5/sqrt(2)]. When you have done this to all of the vectors that you wish to add together, then the adding is easy. Simply add each x component together and each y component together to get a resulting vector. For example, [5,1] + [-3,7] = [2,8]. This can be done for any number of vectors

Answer 2

Those physical quantities which has numerical values, units as well as direction are called vectors.
Most important thing about vectors is that they obey the laws of vector alzebra. If a quantity has magnitude,direction,unit but does not obeys the laws of vector alzebra then it is not a vector. For example, electric current (even though has direction) is not considered a vector.
For adding two vectors, we have three laws:
1) Triangle Law of vector addition: If the tail of one vector is aligned on the head of another vector then their resultant is given by the third side of the triangle formed by joining the tail of former vector with the head of the latter and in the same direction.
2) Parallelogram law of vector addition: Here the diagonal of the parallelogram formed by two co-initial vectors gives the resultant.
3) Polygon Law of vector addition: It is generalization of triangle law.
Though vector addition, subtraction, and multiplication are well defined still there is no concrete defination of vector division.

Answer 3

vector is a mathematical device for describing a quantity that has a magnitude and a direction. That is, when we speak about velocity, we are not just talking about speed. Velocity is speed in a certain direction. So, the magnitude of the velocity vector might be 100 miles per hour and the direction of the velocity vector might be due south. In text books, vectors are usually shown as arrows.

For Vector Addition follow the link below
http://www.glenbrook.k12.il.us/gbssci/phys/Class/vectors/u3l1b.html

Answer 4

Or

you can draw the vectors to scale on a bit of paper with a line and arrow head representing each vector.
If you have two vectors, start the tail of the 2nd vector on the end of the 1st.

Join the tail of the first arrow to the head of the second and you will get the resultant. Can also be done with more than 2.

Answer 5

a vector is like a line segment that has a direction associated with it. It's useful in physics do describe motion: moving 4 miles east, for instance.

To add them, you basically form a triangle... take the "start" of the second vector and place it at the "end" of the first vector, and the sum of the vectors is the third side of the triangle, going from the "start" of the first to the "end" of the second.

Answer 6

Vector has magnitude and direction. You can add vectors together by finding the individual components of the each vector, most of the time just X and Y.

Answer 7

to characteristic the vectors (one million,2,3) and (4,5,6) at the same time, in basic terms upload their respective coordinates: (one million,2,3) + (4,5,6) = (one million+4, 2+5, 3+6) = (5,7,9) you're suitable that the third coordinate is often observed as the z-coordinate. you are able to think of the vector as a three dimensional vector. that's, if the x-axis is going up a sheet of paper, and the y- axis is going around the sheet of paper, then the z- axis would be popping out of the sheet of paper in direction of you. wish that helped.

Answer 8

A vector has both magnitude and direction. 30 mph is not a vector. 30 mph due north is.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spatial_vector
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/hph.html
Save the HyperPhysics site for future ref.

Answer 9

a vector has size units and direction
the units have to be the same like meters and meters not centimeters and meters and you have to asign a positive or negative value for dirrection. like north be positive and south be negative. then you can combine them