Which vector addition method is described as being followed by the parallelogram law?

Which vector addition method is described as being followed by the parallelogram law?

• A. Resolution of the vector
• B. Addition of the vector
• C. Equilibrium equation for a particle
• D. Particle

Answer: (B)

The parallelogram law is a geometric way to add two vectors. You place the two vectors with a common starting point so they form two sides of a parallelogram; the resultant vector is the diagonal of that parallelogram. This directly embodies the addition of vectors. Resolving a vector means breaking it into components, which is a different method, and equilibrium equations or the word “particle” don’t describe a method of combining vectors. So the best description is the addition of the vectors.

The parallelogram law is a geometric way to add two vectors. You place the two vectors with a common starting point so they form two sides of a parallelogram; the resultant vector is the diagonal of that parallelogram. This directly embodies the addition of vectors. Resolving a vector means breaking it into components, which is a different method, and equilibrium equations or the word “particle” don’t describe a method of combining vectors. So the best description is the addition of the vectors.