Students explore vectors — quantities that carry both magnitude and direction — learning to break them into components, add them, and see why they are indispensable in physics, navigation, and engineering.
Students will be able to…
“60 miles per hour” tells you speed — but not which way. How does adding direction turn a number into a vector, and why does that matter everywhere from flight paths to video games?
Project this and tap each idea. Have students learn what a vector is, how to break it into components, and how to add vectors.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
“60 mph” vs. “60 mph north” — what’s the difference?
Teacher models.
Class uses the Vectors Explorer.
Students work with vectors.
One vector problem.
Aligned to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (High School: Precalculus).
Recognize vectors as quantities with magnitude and direction.
Find the components of a vector.
Add and subtract vectors.
Solve problems involving velocities and other vector quantities.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students add vectors by breaking them into x- and y-components, summing each, and finding the resultant’s magnitude and direction. A printable vectors sheet is in the Math library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.