Adding and subtracting vectors in rectangular form

The  exercise appears under the Precalculus Math Mission. This exercise introduces the operations of addition and subtraction of vectors written in their rectangular form.

Types of Problems
There is one type of problem in this exercise:


 * 1) Add or subtract the vectors: This problem has a coordinate plane with two vectors. The student is asked to either add or subtract the vectors in rectangular form and provide the resulting components in the space provided.Aasvirf1.png

Strategies
Knowledge of arithmetic operations on vectors and the rectangular form of a vector are encouraged to ensure success on this exercise.
 * 1) To find the result, add or subtract the x's and y's component-wise. The subtracting of a negative can cause problems so it is important to be careful.
 * 2) The coordinate plane is not necessary to answer the questions on this exercise. However, it is useful tool to visualize the result.

Real-life Applications

 * 1) Vectors are used to represent quantities that have size and direction.
 * 2) Forces, such as gravity, are vector quantities and are found often in physics.
 * 3) Vectors can be used to model motion of airplanes and ships that are affected by winds and tides.