Vector Addition Interactive Lab

This lab offers a fun and interactive alternative to traditional vector addition introduction and practice. Students will have the opportunity to add vectors using the components method, on a large scale, by measuring larger magnitudes outside of the classroom.

Students will work in groups to determine the resultant vector from a predetermined origin to a terminal point, by adding the horizontal and vertical components of several measured vectors (both magnitude and direction) using the Pythagorean Theorem.

Students will compare this value to the measured, straight-line distance, between the origin and terminal point, to calculate percent error.

Math and science teachers will have the opportunity to expand this activity to encompass mapping skills, scaling, the head-to-tail method of vector addition, higher order trigonometry functions, scalar versus vector comparisons and more!