Vector Operations
Student Guide
Assignment Summary
For this assignment, you will use vector operations to solve mathematical and real-world problems.
Background Information
Vector operations are an extension of the algebraic operations of addition, subtraction, and multiplication,
which are applied when solving problems involving vectors. Vectors represent physical quantities, such
as magnitude and direction, in a real-world setting.
Assignment Instructions
For this project, you are expected to submit the assignment.
Step 1: Prepare for the performance task.
a) Read through the guide before you begin so you know the expectations for this assignment.
b) If there is anything that is not clear to you, be sure to ask your teacher.
c) If your word-processing program has an equation editor, you can insert your equations here.
Otherwise, print this activity sheet and write your answers by hand.
Step 2: Complete Parts 1, 2, and 3 in the Assignment section of this document.
a) Read all directions carefully.
b) Complete each task.
c) Insert images or screenshots of graphs when needed. Be sure that all graphs or screenshots
include appropriate information such as titles, labeled axes, etc.
d) Be sure to show all your work. You will be given partial credit based on the work you show and
the completeness and accuracy of your explanations.
e) Consider underlining and circling important components in the problems.
Step 3: Evaluate your project using this checklist.
If you can check each box below, you are ready to submit your project.
Have you answered all questions in Parts 1, 2, and 3?
Have you shown your work?
Did you include an image or screenshot of a graph when requested?
Are all your equations correct? Be sure to check your formatting carefully.
Step 4: Revise and submit your project.
a) If you were unable to check off all of the requirements on the checklist, go back and make
sure that your project is complete. Save your project before submitting it.
b) Your teacher will give you further directions about how to submit your work. You may be
asked to submit your responses through the Virtual Classroom, email it to your teacher, or
print it and hand in a hard copy.
c) Congratulations! You have completed your project.
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Student Guide (continued)
Assignment
Part 1: Complete the operations geometrically.
Use vector operations to draw the resultant vector.
a) Draw 2u + 4v. (3 points)
u=<-1,2>, v=<1,2> --> 2u=<-2,4> ,
4v=<4,8>. Adding these we get
<2,12>
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Student Guide (continued)
1
b) Draw 2u – v. (4 points)
3
2u=<2,-4>. 1/3v=<-2,-
2>.Subtracting causes
signs of 1/3v to flip,
resulting in <4,-2>
c) Draw u + v + w. (4 points)
Adding v and w to u is.
<1+-3+4, 5+1+-3>,
resulting in <2,3>
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Student Guide (continued)
d) Draw u – v + w. (4 points)
u-v=<-3+4,-4+1> --> <1,-3>.
Adding w gets you <4,0>
1
e) Draw u + 3v – w. (4 points)
2
u +3v is <5+-6,0+-3> --> <-
1,-3>. Subtracting 1/2w
gets <-1+3,-3-3> ---> <-2,-
6>
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Student Guide (continued)
Part 2: Determine an expression that produces a given resultant vector.
Write an expression that produces a given resultant vector.
a) Write an expression that can be used to produce vector b from vector a, and explain how you
determined that expression. (4 points)
An expression that can be used
to produce vector b from a is
3a=b. I found this by finding the
components of a and b, and
seeing that the components of b
are 3 times the components of a.
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Student Guide (continued)
b) Write an expression that can be used to produce vector d from vector c, and explain how you
determined that expression. (4 points)
An expression that can be used
to produce vector d from vector c
is -1/2c=d. I knew the scalar
factor had to be negative since
the signs of the components
flipped, and the length of d is 1/2
the length of c.
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Student Guide (continued)
c) Write an expression that can be used to produce vector g from vectors e and f. Explain how you
determined that expression. (4 points)
The expression that can be used
to produce vector g from vectors
e and f is e+f=g. I used the head
to tail method, and found that by
placing the tail of f onto the head
of e, vector g is produced.
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Student Guide (continued)
d) Write an expression that can be used to produce vector r from vectors p and q. Explain how you
determined that expression. (4 points)
An expression that can be used
to produce vector r from vectors
p and q is p-q=r. I found this by
using the head to tail method, but
changed the signs of q. This
produces vector r.
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Student Guide (continued)
Part 3: Solve problems using vectors.
Draw vector diagrams based on the given scenarios, and solve the problems involving vectors.
a) From her home, Karina travels 5 miles at a bearing of 30° east of north to get to the supermarket. She
then travels 10 miles 15° south of east to go to Anissa’s house. How far away and in what direction is
Karina’s house from Anissa’s house? Draw a diagram and show your work to justify your answer.
Round the distance to the nearest hundredth and the direction to the nearest degree. (5 points)
We can solve the distance of x by
using law of cosines through
SAS. We get that x^2=5^2+10^2-
2(5)(10)cos(105 degrees)= about
12.28 miles. Now we can use law
of sines to find the angle theta.
sin(theta)=10sin(105
degrees)/12.28 = about 52
degrees. This makes sense in our
triangle, as the largest side length
x has the largest angle, and the
angle opposite of theta is the
second largest, therefore the
angle must be large enough so
that the angle opposite of side
length 5 is smaller. So the
direction of their houses are 82
degrees east of north, or 8
degrees north of east.
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Student Guide (continued)
b) An airplane is flying at a constant speed of 500 mph at a bearing of 45° north of west. A 40 mph wind
is blowing due south. What are the plane's actual speed and direction? Draw a diagram and show
your work to justify your answer. Round the speed to the nearest tenth and the direction to the
nearest degree. (5 points)
(I drew another model because it was a bit messy). y is the actual speed
of the plane. We can find it by using the law of cosines SAS.
y^2=(40)^2+(500)^2-2(500)(40)cos(45 degrees)= about 472.6 miles per
hour. Now we can find the direction the plane was flying using SSS.
40^2=500^2+472.6^2-2(472.6)(500)cosx= about 3 degrees. This makes
sense in our problem, as 40 mph is the smallest side length compared to
500 and 472.6, and so the opposite angle must also be small. So the
plane is traveling 3 degrees less than 45 degrees north of west do to the
south blowing winds, and is therefore traveling 42 degrees north of west,
or 48 degrees west of north.
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Student Guide (continued)
c) A canoe team leaves the dock at a bearing of 25° south of east and paddles at a constant speed of
10 mph. There is a 2 mph current moving 80° west of south. What is the canoe’s actual speed and
direction? Draw a diagram and show your work to justify your answer. Round the distance to the
nearest hundredth and the direction to the nearest degree. (5 points)
We can find x by using the law of
cosines. x^2=10^2+2^2-
2(2)(10)cos(35 degrees) = about
8.44 mph, meaning the canoe
team is actually traveling 8.44
miles per hour. What I will do now
is calculate the angle opposite of
side length 2 using law of sines.
y=arcsin((2sin35 degrees)/8.44)
which equals about 7.8 degrees.
This makes sense because 2 is
our smallest side length, and
therefore it would correspond
with a small angle. I will add this
to the 25 degrees, getting me
about 33 degrees. Therefore the
canoe team is in the direction 33
degrees south of east or 57
degrees east of south.
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