Scalar Product Activity

This activity can brighten up the introduction of the scalar product formula:

…using pattern spotting and allowing every student to make a contribution.

I have used this activity over several years and spent time refining it to get it right. You can save yourself all this time for less than the price of a pint of beer or a cup of coffee. I promise I won’t spend the money on coffee.

The full details of the lesson can be found here.

I have improved my resources since the blog post was written:

• There are more vectors on the accurate graph and more vector-pair cards.

• I have used proper vector notation on the diagram and labelled the axes.

• If you need busy-work for fast finishers, they can work out the scalar products of more vector pairs involving the (sqrt(5), 2sqrt(5)) with all of the other vector pairs*. Ask them to find the answers to 3 sig fig.**

(* The only vector I have paired it with so far is (5,12). )

(** If they finish that they can work out the angles if the (sqrt(5), 2sqrt(5)) is reflected in the x&y-axes, the line y=x etc… If they finish that ask them how they know that they have finished. There must be a permutations question in that somewhere…)