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Vector Addition and Subtraction in Three Dimensions
Mathematics · JC 1 · Vectors in Three Dimensions · Semester 2

Vector Addition and Subtraction in Three Dimensions

Students will perform addition and subtraction of 2D vectors graphically (triangle/parallelogram rule) and algebraically.

MOE Syllabus OutcomesMOE: Vectors - Secondary 4 (Additional Mathematics)

About This Topic

Students will perform addition and subtraction of 2D vectors graphically (triangle/parallelogram rule) and algebraically.

Key Questions

  1. How are vector addition and subtraction carried out using column vectors in three dimensions, and what geometric interpretations, via the triangle and parallelogram laws, do these operations carry in 3D space?
  2. Explain how the displacement between two points in three-dimensional space is expressed as a vector, and apply this to calculate distances and midpoints.
  3. Analyse a problem involving multiple forces or displacements in 3D, construct the resultant vector using component addition, and interpret the result geometrically.

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Edited by Adriana Perusin, Editor-in-Chief, Flip Education
Synthesized by Flip Education from Lyman's Think-Pair-Share collaborative-discussion routine (1981)