Yes i know how to add vectors... I'm pretty sure i wouldn't get a question like this for homework if i didn't
:)
In which case you also know how to subtract vectors.
I'm having trouble understanding the addition part
So the main issue is actually geometry?
This is what I was trying to get you to talk about before. I would have liked to see your attempt to subtract vectors before continuing.
Some people find that they work better if they change compass directions into x-y directions - and put all angles anticlockwise from the x axis. That way you just remember that the x component is the cosine and the y component is the sine.
However - it is more powerful to be able to just look at the diagram and choose the angles you want to use. Here's an example:
If a force X is magnitude a, angle A south of due west, then there is a component pointing to the west which has magnitude acos(A) and a component pointing south which has magnitude asin(A).
If another force Y is magnitude b, angle B west of due south, then force (-Y) has the same magnitude pointing in the opposite direction - east of due north. That gives (-Y) a component bcos(B) to the north and bsin(B) to the east.
X-Y= X+(-Y) = [acos(A)-bsin(B)]W + [bcos(B)-asin(A)]N
It is confusing unless you clearly sketch the diagram.
Once you have the triangle of the vectors you are adding - the rest should be a matter of choosing the method. There are many ways: you don't
have to resolve into components. You could use the cosine rule to get the magnitude, for eg, and the sine rule to get the angle.