This is another question I had too and didn't understand as well.
Vector Addition: Use the head to tail method to determine the resultant vector of the following velocity vectors.
V1= 540m/s @66 degrees
V2= 12m/s @182 degrees
V3= 96m/s @312 degrees
V4= 332m/s @261 degrees
see other post.
To determine the resultant vector using the head to tail method, follow these steps:
1. Draw the first vector, V1, as an arrow starting from the origin. The length of the arrow represents the magnitude of the vector, and the direction of the arrow represents the direction of the vector. In this case, V1 is 540 m/s at an angle of 66 degrees from the positive x-axis.
2. Next, draw the second vector, V2, starting from the head of V1. The magnitude and direction of V2 are given as 12 m/s at an angle of 182 degrees.
3. Repeat this process for the remaining vectors, drawing them head to tail. Draw V3 starting from the head of V2 and V4 starting from the head of V3. V3 is 96 m/s at an angle of 312 degrees, and V4 is 332 m/s at an angle of 261 degrees.
4. Once you have drawn all the vectors head to tail, the resultant vector is the vector that starts at the origin and ends at the head of the last vector (V4). This resultant vector represents the sum of all the given velocity vectors.
5. To determine the magnitude and direction of the resultant vector, measure the length of the resultant vector and the angle it makes with the positive x-axis.
Alternatively, you can also use trigonometry to find the components of each vector in the x and y directions. Then, add the components separately to find the resultant vector's components. Finally, use the components to calculate the magnitude and direction of the resultant vector.