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 .