Proving the associative property of vector addition

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around proving the associative property of vector addition using vectors in Cartesian form. The original poster presents a specific example with vectors u, v, and w, and attempts to demonstrate the property through calculations.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Mathematical reasoning, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to compute both sides of the associative property equation but encounters discrepancies in their results. They express confusion about potential mistakes in their calculations or the choice of coordinates.

Discussion Status

Participants are actively engaging with the problem. One participant identifies an error in the original poster's calculations, which seems to have been a simple oversight. There is a sense of collaborative troubleshooting, but no final consensus has been reached yet.

Contextual Notes

The original poster mentions difficulty in formatting their work with vector notation, which may have contributed to their confusion. There is also a reference to a LaTeX primer for proper vector representation.

Specter
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Homework Statement


Give an example of the associative property of vector addition using vectors in Cartesion form.

Homework Equations


(u+v)+w=u+(v+w)

The Attempt at a Solution


I can't figure out how to get the arrow on top of my work so I wrote it without it.

I'm somewhat confused on why I am not getting the same answer for both like I should be. Did I make some stupid mistake in my work that I can't see, or does it have something to do with the coordinates that I chose to use?

u=(2,1), v=(3,2), w=(-2,1)

(u+v)+w=(2+3,1+3)+(-2,1)
=(5,4)+(-2,1)
=(5-2,4+1)
=(3,5)

u+(v+w)=(2,1)+(3-2,2+1)
=(2,1)+(1,3)
=(2+1,1+3)
=(3,4)
 
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Specter said:
u=(2,1), v=(3,2), w=(-2,1)

(u+v)+w=(2+3,1+3)+(-2,1)

That was not too hard to spot!
 
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PeroK said:
That was not too hard to spot!
Damn... I checked so many times too. Thank you!
 
Specter said:
I can't figure out how to get the arrow on top of my work so I wrote it without it.

Use \vec. It's explained in the LaTeX primer page, https://www.physicsforums.com/help/latexhelp/

##\vec u## will produce ##\vec u##.
 
Last edited:

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