What Are the Applications of Vectors?

What Are the Applications of Vectors?

Almost every branch of engineering today uses vectors as tools.
  • One of the most common uses of vectors is in solving navigation problems. These navigation problems use variables such as speed and direction to form the computational vector.
  • Some navigation problems require us to find the course of a ship that includes the combined forces of wind and current represented as vectors. By using vector addition to these different forces, it is possible to create an accurate estimate of the trajectory and distance traveled by the object.
  • Mechanical engineers who design using fluid dynamics concepts use vectors in their calculations to describe real-world forces, such as wind and water motion.
  • Electrical engineers also use them to describe the forces of magnetic and electric fields.
For these problems it is important to understand the resultant of the two forces and the force component.