The applet will add an arbitrary number of vectors, show the addition by the tip-to-tail method, and display the resultant both graphically and numerically.

Each vector can be specified in one of four numerical formats, and the resultant too can be displayed in any of these formats.

Choose the format for entering the first vector by clicking the toggle button for the vector at the left of the control panel. Clicking repeatedly will take you through the four formats:

1. magnitude and angle between 0 and 360 deg
2. magnitude and angle between -180 and 180 deg
3. magnitude and navigational direction indication in the form of, e.g., degrees north of east; a pulldown menu allows a choice of eight navigational direction formats
4. Cartesian x,y scalar components
   note: magnitudes and components are entered in pixels; thus, if you wish to enter vectors of magnitudes of the order of 1, they would be represented by tiny arrows hard to distinguish; in such a case, multiply your magnitudes or coordinates by an appropriate factor, say, 10, when entering them and then divide the result by 10 at the end

After entering the two values necessary to specify a vector, click ENTER. The vector will be drawn. By clicking somewhere near the middle of the vector, the vector can be dragged to a new location. By clicking at the tip, the vector can be changed and its coordinates in the data field will be updated. By clicking the format toggle button repeatedly, you can see the vector's coordinates in the different formats.

A second data entry field is opened up automatically as soon as the first vector has been drawn. Enter the coordinates of the second vector as before; then click ENTER. The second vector will be added to the first vector tip-to-tail and the Show Resultant radio button is made active. Clicking this button will cause the resultant to be shown in green and its coordinates to be displayed in the Resultant data field.

Additional vectors can be added and their resultant displayed as before.

A RESET button allows the vectors to be cleared so that the process can be repeated.