Parallelogram Method

Definition

The parallelogram method is a graphical technique used to find the resultant of two vectors. It involves drawing the vectors as adjacent sides of a parallelogram and then finding the diagonal that represents their resultant.

Analogy

Imagine you have two friends who want to pull a heavy box together. They each grab one side of the box and start pulling in different directions. The resulting force on the box can be found by using the parallelogram method, where you draw arrows representing their individual forces and then connect them with a diagonal arrow to find the overall force.

Related terms

Resultant Vector: The resultant vector is the sum or combination of two or more vectors.

Vector Addition: Vector addition is the process of combining multiple vectors into a single vector using mathematical operations.

Magnitude: In physics, magnitude refers to the size or quantity of something, such as the length or strength of a vector.