Vector Addition Calculator

Below you can find the vector addition calculator. It calculates the vector sum every time you add an entry into the vectors table and displays results graphically. I've tried to make it as universal as possible; thus, you can add vectors using two alternative notations - cartesian coordinates (see Cartesian coordinate system) and polar coordinates (see Polar coordinate system). If you choose cartesian, you need to enter the x and y components (or coordinates) of a vector. If you choose polar, you need to enter radial (often called the magnitude) and angular (often called the polar angle) components (or coordinates) of a vector. Note that angular coordinates can be entered either as degrees or as radians. Additional details regarding how addition is performed and how to perform a subtraction can be found below the calculator

Vector addition

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Vectors

	Coordinate system	X coordinate	Y coordinate	Radial coordinate	Angular coordinate	Units
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Calculation precision

Digits after the decimal point: 2

Calculate

Vector sum

X coordinate

 

Y coordinate

 

Radial coordinate

 

Angular coordinate (degrees)

 

Angular coordinate (radians)

 

 Link  Save  Widget

Internally, the calculator converts all entered vectors into cartesian form. It calculates their x and y coordinates using the following conversion formulas:

Then it performs the vector addition, which is very simple and where the vector sum can be expressed as follows:

For vectors and the vector sum is

All entered vectors and their sum are also plotted on the graph below the results, so you can see the graphical result of the operation, where the vector sum is shown in red. The vector sum is plotted by placing vectors head to tail and drawing the vector from the free tail to the free head (so-called Parallelogram law).

And of course, you can use this calculator to calculate vector difference as well, that is, the result of subtracting one vector from another. This is because the vector difference is a vector sum with the second vector reversed, according to:

To get reversed or opposite vector in cartesian form, you simply negate the coordinates. In the polar form, you can either add 180 degrees to the angular coordinate or negate the radial coordinate (either method should work).