Peer Review

Visual Vector Addition

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Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: This applet shows two vectors, one red and one blue, as arrows. The user may
parallel transport either vector by dragging it from the middle or they may
rotate and change the size of the vector by dragging the arrowhead. If the two
vectors are properly placed in a head-to-tail configuration a green vector
appears which is the vector sum of the two vectors. Vector components are not
addressed in this applet.
Type of Material:: Java simulation.
Recommended Uses:: Lecture/Demo or as part of a tutorial or homework assignment.
Technical Requirements:: None noted
Identify Major Learning Goals:: The geometry of the graphical (head-to-tail) addition of vectors.
Target Student Population:: All lower levels, high school and introductory students of all types.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: Introductory vector analysis. Specifically, the notion of graphically
representing a vector as an arrow.

Rating:
Strengths:: The applet conveys graphical vector analysis interactively. It allows the user
to distinguish A+B from B+A, thus showing in a geometrical fashion the
commutivity of vector addition.
Concerns:: The applet is difficult enough to use that it affects the quality of content.

Rating:
Concerns:: The graphical method of adding vectors is a simple concept that may be
adequately illustrated with a static figure. Since this applet is a bit hard to
use, it may confuse more than it helps.

No quantitative exercises can be assigned using this applet.

Rating:
Concerns:: The applet is somewhat hard to use. The tolerances for deciding if the user has
placed the vectors in the correct head-to-tail configuration seem too strict.
It takes practice to learn how to position the second vector so that the
resultant is displayed. In fact, the placement window is so narrow that the
user may well conclude that the applet does not work. Dragging the vectors is
also not obvious - cursor placement must be in a fairly small window located in
the geometric center of the vector, and the cursor does not change shape when it
is over this window. The vector can be resized by dragging the tip (again, no
cursor shape change). Remarkably, the vector may resized well beyond the applet
window. If you do this (and it is very easy to do), your best bet is to
refresh the screen and start over. This can be very frustrating.

Other Issues and Comments:: This is a simple applet that clearly shows the geometrical addition of two
vectors. The reviewers found the features of concern to be frustrating.
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