What are common mistakes students make with 2-D vectors?

1 Answer

See explanation below

Explanation:

Common mistakes are not actually very common. This depends on a particular student. However here are a few probable mistakes which a student can make with 2-D vectors

1.) Misunderstand the direction of a vector.

Example: #vec{AB}# represents the vector of length #AB# which is directed from point #A# to point #B# i.e. point #A# is tail & point #B# is head of #\vec{AB}#

2.) Misunderstand the direction of a position vector

Position vector of any point say #A# always has the tail point at the origin #O# & head at the given point #A#

3.) Misunderstand the direction of vector product #\vec A\times \vec B#

Example: The direction of #\vec A\times \vec B# is given by right hand screw rule. Before applying right hand screw rule, the point to be noted is that both the vectors #\vec A# & #\vec B# must converging or diverging at the point of intersection.

Note: Two non parallel vectors can be made intersecting by shifting them in their respective parallel directions

There may be other common mistakes as well but above are few of them .