Name_______________________
Date__________________________
Vectors Webquest
Go to the website: http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/vector-addition/vector-addition_en.html.
Grab a vector out of the bucket. Give it a magnitude and direction of your choice.
1. What are the values of |𝑅|, 𝑅𝑥 , 𝑅𝑦 , and 𝜃 for your vector? What do each of these variables
represent?
2. If you were just given the values of 𝑅𝑥 and 𝑅𝑦 , could you find the values of |𝑅| and 𝜃? And
vice versa, if you were just given the values of |𝑅| and 𝜃, could you find the values of 𝑅𝑥 and
𝑅𝑦 ? How would you do it? (Hint: use right triangle geometry.)
In this simulation, 𝑅𝑥 is equivalent to 𝑎 and 𝑅𝑦 is equivalent to 𝑏, in terms of the equation 𝑣 =
𝑎𝑖 + 𝑏𝑗. For the rest of this activity, we will refer to vectors in the form 𝑣 = 𝑎𝑖 + 𝑏𝑗 so that we
can become more familiar with the notation. In order to see the horizontal and vertical
components of the vectors, check the bubble next to “Style 2.”
Clear all the vectors from your screen and create two new vectors: make one of the vectors 𝑣1 =
13𝑖 + 20𝑗 and the other one 𝑣2 = −13𝑖 − 20𝑗.
3. What do you predict will be the resultant vector of adding 𝑣1 and 𝑣2 ? In other words
𝑣1 + 𝑣2 = ___?
4. Check the box next to “Show Sum.” Sketch the vectors 𝑣1 , 𝑣2 , and the resultant vector
below. What is the resultant vector in the form 𝑣 = 𝑎𝑖 + 𝑏𝑗? Was your prediction correct?
Clear all the vectors from your screen and create two new vectors: make one of the vectors 𝑤1 =
23𝑖 + 10𝑗 and 𝑤2 = −8𝑖 + 17𝑗. Connect the two vectors tail to tip.
5. Predict what the resultant vector will be.
6. Check the box that says “Show Sum.” Were you correct?
7. Can you come up with a rule for adding two vectors together? In other words, if
𝑣1 = 𝑎1 𝑖 + 𝑏1 𝑗 and 𝑣2 = 𝑎2 𝑖 + 𝑏2 𝑗, then 𝑣1 + 𝑣2 = ____?
Go to the website: http://illuminations.nctm.org/ActivityDetail.aspx?ID=42.
8. In this case, we have two vectors added together. What do each of these vectors represent?
9. Does the boat go in the direction of boat velocity vector? Why or why not?
10. Use the web to find out some more information about vectors. What is an example of a realworld situation that uses vectors? What jobs use vectors on a regular basis? Why are vectors
important?