Head-to-Tail Method

Definition

The head-to-tail method is a graphical technique used to add or subtract vectors. It involves placing the tail of one vector at the head of another vector and drawing a line from the tail of the first vector to the head of the second vector.

Analogy

Imagine you have two arrows, one pointing north and another pointing east. To find their resultant (combined) displacement, you place the tail of one arrow at the head of the other arrow and draw a line connecting them. The resulting line represents both magnitude and direction, just like in vector addition using the head-to-tail method.

Related terms

Vector Addition: The process of combining two or more vectors to obtain their resultant vector.

Resultant Vector: The single vector that represents the combined effect of multiple vectors.

Vector Components: The individual parts (usually horizontal and vertical) into which a vector can be broken down for easier analysis or calculation.