Created By: Elizabeth Fiedler

Vector Activity
Use the activity found at this link http://www.nctm.org/standards/content.aspx?id=26778 to answer the following questions.

Part 1: Compare the vector to the movement of the car.

Use the blue vector to drive the car around the screen. You can adjust the vector by moving either endpoint or the black dot in the middle. The Start Car button will make the car start moving. 1a) How can you change the direction the car is moving? How can you change the speed the car is moving? (Can you make the car stop?)

1b) What happens when you move the vector into a new position using the black midpoint?

Part 2: Compare the Direction and Magnitude to the Vector

Click the Stop Car button. Adjust the sliders below the screen to change the magnitude and direction. 2a) How do the numbers for direction and magnitude relate to the appearance of the vector?

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Part 3: Compare the Direction and Magnitude to the movement of the car.
Now, start the car again, and use the sliders to drive the car. 3a) How do the magnitude and direction numbers relate to the movement of the car? How can you change the direction the car is moving? How can you change the speed the car is moving?

3b) This is one example of how vectors can represent the motion of a real-world object. Vectors can also be used to represent a force, such as gravity. Can you think of anything else that we could represent with a vector? (It must have magnitude and direction.) Below, list two more examples of objects-in-motion or forces and what their magnitude and direction are. Use the car example as a model. Example: Driving car Magnitude: How fast the car is driving Direction: Which direction the car is driving

Example: Magnitude: Direction:

Example: Magnitude: Direction:

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Part 4: Representing a vector on a coordinate plane.

Note #1: The notation for a vector is either a bold v or a v with a half-arrow on top: v or . Note #2: The notation for the magnitude of a vector is |v| or ||v||. Note #3: Vectors are written using carrot brackets: < > and the vertical and horizontal distances. For the example to the left: v = <3, 5> because you go to the right 3 units and up 5 units. 4a) Draw a vector (different than the one above) on the coordinate plane.

4b) How would you write this vector with correct notation?

4c) If we know that the magnitude is the length of the vector, what is the magnitude of this vector? Explain how you found your answer.

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Part 5: A vector as a combination of two forces. The captain of a motorboat is steering his boat straight across a river from west to east. There is a wind that is blowing the boat off course. The actual movement of the boat can be represented by the vector v = <5, 5>. Draw the vector v below.

Determine the approximate direction the motor is moving the boat.

If the boat is moving from west to east, which way is the wind blowing?

The two forces acting on the boat are the motor and the wind. Which force is stronger? Explain how you know.

With the motor and wind forces combined, what is the actual speed of the boat?