Math Is Fun Forum

Abbas0000

Member

Registered: 2017-03-18

Posts: 29

adding vectors to each other

I red somewhere about adding vectors would result in zero or nothing if they have these rules applied on them :
if there's a collection of vectors that all of them have the same length and any vector have equivalent degree between it-self and its adjacent one and sum of all degrees are 360 degrees then resultant vector would zero .
how's that possible ? please if anyone knows a proof write it below. thank you

Bob

Administrator

Registered: 2010-06-20

Posts: 10,621

Re: adding vectors to each other

hi Abbas0000

Think of a vector as being a 'journey' ** from A to B.  If you go A to B; then B to C; then C to A;  then you end up where you started so your vector for the three journeys is zero.

Here's an example ( I'll use horizontal rather than the usual vertical to save time) :

(1,0) + (0,1) + (-1,0) + (0,-1) take you round the sides of a square and these add to (0,0).

What you describe in your post is a journey around the perimeter of a regular polygon.  Once you've gone all the way round, you are back to the start.

http://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/vectors.html

Bob

** vectors are used for other things than 'journeys', but it's a good place to start.

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Children are not defined by school ...........The Fonz
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Sometimes I deliberately make mistakes, just to test you!  …………….Bob