Relative Velocity and Vector Addition
Name________________________________ Period________ Group_________
Procedure: Open up the following link in your browser (it will be a bookmark in Firefox if your teacher is nice): http://higheredbcs.wiley.com/legacy/college/halliday/0471320005/simulations6e/index.htm?newwindow
=true
Scroll down to the bottom of the list of simulations and select “Relative Velocity”. A screen similar to that shown below should come up.
There are 3 inputs to this simulation. Boat Speed (V
B
- Red) is the speed of the boat relative to the water.
Boat Direction is the direction the boat relative to the water measured counter-clockwise from the +Y axis.
Since this is not the normal convention we will define angle  to be the direction of the boat relative to the water measured counter-clockwise from the
+X axis. This means  is the Boat Direction +
90 o . For example,  is +30 o in the example below. River Speed (V
R
- Blue) is the velocity of the water relative to the shore.
+Y
There are 3 outputs from this simulation. We will use them to check our predictions. They are the Boat Speed Relative to the Shore (V and the time to cross the river, t.
S
-
Green), the total distance the boat travels (R),
1. First we need to determine the width of the river, y. Set V
B
to 8 m/s,
Direction = 0 o ), and V
R
 to 90 o (or boat
to 0 m/s. Click “Play”.
The simulation will output the time to cross, t. Use that and V
B
to determine the width of the river. Check you answer by comparing it to the Distance travelled. They should be the same (or nearly so). Show all of your work below.
 +X
2. Predict the effect that the River Speed will have on the time to cross and the distance travelled. Will setting the River Speed to 6 m/s increase, decrease, or not change the time to cross? Will setting the River Speed to 6 m/s increase, decrease, or not change the distance travelled? AFTER you have made your predictions, change the River Speed to 6 m/s, keep the Boat speed and direction the same, and click Play to check your predictions. State the effect of River Speed on time to cross and distance travelled below.
3. As you found out, the River Speed does not affect the time to cross the river. The time depends only on the component of the Boat’s velocity relative to the shore in the Y direction and the width of the river. The River
Speed does affect the Distance travelled. This is because it will change how far the boat goes in the X

direction. We will now use vector addition to predict the time to cross, the distance travelled, and the boat speed relative to shore with these inputs: Boat Speed = 6 m/s,  = 60 o (or Boat Direction = -30 o ), and River
Speed = 3 m/s. We need to know the velocity of the boat relative to the shore, V the velocity of the boat relative to the water, V
B means that V
S
= V
B
+ V
R
S
. This is the vector sum of
, and the velocity of the water relative to the shore, V
R
. This
. To add 2 vectors we need the x and y components of each. Determine the x and y components of these 2 vectors and write them in the table. Show all of your work for each part.
The x component of the vector sum, V
Sx vector sum, V
Sy write them in the table.
is the sum of the x components of V
B
and V
R
is the sum of the y components of V
B
and V
R
. The y component of the
. Determine the x and y components of V
S
and
The time to cross is only affected by the y distance (width of river from #1) and the y velocity of the boat relative to the shore, V
Sy
. Calculate the time to cross, t, and enter it in the table.
The distance travelled up or down the shore, x, is only affected by the time to cross and the x velocity of the boat relative to the shore, V
Sx
. Calculate x and write it in the table above.
R is the total distance travelled and can be determined from y and x and the Pythagorean theorem. Calculate
R and write it in the table.
 V
S
 is the boat speed relative to the shore. It is the magnitude of V components of V
S
and the Pythagorean theorem. Determine  V
S
S
that can be determined from the x and y
 and write it in the table. Run the simulation and check all of your predictions. Correct your work if necessary.
V
Bx
V
By
V
Rx
V
Ry
V
Sx
V
Sy t x R  V
S

4. Complete the table below for these inputs: Boat Speed = 6 m/s,  = 150 o (or Boat Direction = 60 o ), and
River Speed = 3 m/s. Show all of your work below. Run the simulation and correct if necessary.
V
Bx
V
By
V
Rx
V
Ry
V
Sx
V
Sy t x R  V
S

5. With Boat Speed = 10 m/s and River Speed = 6 m/s, predict what  is needed so that the boat goes straight across the river resulting in an x distance of 0. Show your work below, then run the simulation to check. If you are right the Distance travelled will be the same (or very close) as the width of the river, y. This is hard to do but easy to calculate!