Module 2—Motion in Two Dimensions

Lesson 1—Graphical Vector Addition in Two Dimensions

 

Get Focused

 

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While on a camping trip, you decide to explore the beach on the other side of a nearby river. You launch a canoe with a velocity directed straight across the river, toward point B on the diagram to the left. Given the velocity of the river, where do you think the canoe will land on the other side—point A, B, or C?

 

If you said point A, you understand that both the velocity of the canoe and the velocity of the river contribute to the observed velocity of the boat. Given that information, how would you point the boat so that it would end up at point B?

 

In this lesson you will learn how to use graphical vector addition to answer such questions.

 

Specifically, you will explore the following essential question in this lesson:

Module 2: Lesson 1 Assignments


Your teacher-marked Module 2: Lesson 1 Assignment requires you to submit a response to the following:

The other questions in this lesson are not marked by the teacher; however, you should still answer these questions. The Self-Check and Try This questions are placed in this lesson to help you review important information and build key concepts that may be applied in future lessons.

 

After a discussion with your teacher, you must decide what to do with the questions that are not part of your assignment. For example, you may decide to submit to your teacher the responses to Try This questions that are not marked. You should record the answers to all the questions in this lesson and place those answers in your course folder.