Learning Outcomes
i. Students will be able to express vectors in terms of their horizontal and vertical components.
ii. Students will be able to add the horizontal and vertical components of vectors separately.
iii. Students will be able to apply the method of vector addition using perpendicular components to solve problems in two-dimensional space.
Introduction
In the previous lesson, we explored the concept of resolving vectors into perpendicular components. This lesson builds upon that knowledge by introducing the method of vector addition using perpendicular components. This method involves expressing vectors in terms of their horizontal and vertical components and then adding these components separately.
i. Expressing Vectors in Terms of Horizontal and Vertical Components
Recall that a vector can be resolved into its horizontal and vertical components using trigonometry. The horizontal component represents the component of the vector that is parallel to the horizontal axis, while the vertical component represents the component of the vector that is parallel to the vertical axis.
To express a vector V in terms of its horizontal and vertical components, we can use the following formulas:
Horizontal component (V) = V * cos(θ)
Vertical component (V) = V * sin(θ)
where V is the magnitude of the vector and θ is the angle it makes with the horizontal axis.
ii. Adding Vectors Using Perpendicular Components
To add two vectors using perpendicular components, we follow these steps:
Example:
Consider two vectors, A and B, with magnitudes 5 units and 3 units, respectively. The angle made by vector A with the horizontal axis is 30 degrees, and the angle made by vector B with the horizontal axis is 60 degrees. Find the resultant vector of A and B.
Therefore, the resultant vector has a magnitude of 7.47 units and makes an angle of 46.2 degrees with the horizontal axis.
Vector addition using perpendicular components is a powerful tool for solving problems involving the addition of vectors in two-dimensional space. By understanding how to express vectors in terms of their horizontal and vertical components and how to add these components separately, students can tackle a wide range of physics and engineering problems.