Vectors for Physics

Overview of Vectors In Physics

This specially-formulated video gives you an overview of vectors in a way genetically engineered to not freak you out if you're prone to vector anxiety.

Scalar vs Vector Quantities (Speed vs Velocity)

This video explains the difference between scalar vector quantities, including some examples and explanations that will help you on your next quiz!

Calculating The Magnitude of Vectors

The magnitude of a vector is its "length" (in quotes because often vectors represent things that don't have physical length, like forces, velocity and acceleration). This video explains how to calculate the magnitude of a vector from its coordinates or components.

Displacement Vectors vs Position Vectors

Just a quick video to explain what displacement and position vectors are, and explain the subtle differences between them.

Breaking Vectors Into X & Y Components

Something you have to do to vectors all the time is break them into their components. This video explains how to do that the easiest way possible, including some handy-dandy formulas in case you're not a super-fan of trig or SohCahToa.

Combining X & Y Components Into Resultant Vector

This video explains how to solve for the magnitude and direction (ϴ) of a vector from its components. A very important part of most kinematics problems, and force problems too!

How To Combine Two Or More Vectors Using Components

These are some long, juicy problems. They give you two or three vectors, such as forces, each of which you must break into its X & Y components so that you can then sum up the X's and the Y's before recombining everything into the final resultant vector which is your answer. It's a mouthful.

Angle of Elevation Problems

These are word problems which are designed to be confusing but are in fact just SohCahToa problems in disguise. They always involve someone looking at a distant object, noting the angle that they have to look up or down to see it, then using that angle to estimate either its height or its distance.