Vectors Tutor Help
A one-page recap of the vector toolkit and the mistakes to avoid, plus a way to ask a tutor for a worked explanation.
1 Quick recap
The essentials on one page before you ask for help.
Vector toolkit
|v| = √(x² + y²), θ = atan2(y, x)
u + v = ⟨u₁ + v₁, u₂ + v₂⟩ · c·v = ⟨cv₁, cv₂⟩ · u·v = u₁v₁ + u₂v₂
u + v = ⟨u₁ + v₁, u₂ + v₂⟩ · c·v = ⟨cv₁, cv₂⟩ · u·v = u₁v₁ + u₂v₂
The vector A → B is “head minus tail”: B − A. Bearings rotate clockwise from north: N30°E = ⟨sin 30°, cos 30°⟩.
Stuck? Check these first
- Add components, not magnitudes: compute u + v first, then take |u + v|.
- The dot product is a number; 0 means perpendicular.
- A negative scalar flips the direction: −2⟨3, 4⟩ = ⟨−6, −8⟩.
- Bearings start at north, going clockwise — not at the x-axis.
2 Ask a tutor
Tell us what you are stuck on. A tutor will follow up with a worked explanation.
3 Keep going
While you wait, review the lesson or drill practice problems.