Vectors part of our lives, Hendricken students told

John Howell
Posted 10/9/14

Tim Garrold got a room full of blank stares when he asked a classroom of Hendricken students Tuesday if they knew what “crossing the T” means.

The students could guess that it had something to …

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Vectors part of our lives, Hendricken students told

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Tim Garrold got a room full of blank stares when he asked a classroom of Hendricken students Tuesday if they knew what “crossing the T” means.

The students could guess that it had something to do with vectors, since that’s what Garrold, associate professor of Joint Maritime Operations at the U. S. Naval War College in Newport, was talking about. Garrold already spoke about the development of radar and how that helped the British warn civilians of bombing attacks during World War II. And using a maneuvering board with contacts established by radar at different times, he illustrated how the direction and speed of a vessel can be determined, and whether two vessels are on a collision course. It’s a matter of establishing vectors.

But then, what was this matter of “crossing the T?”

Garrold, who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a BS in Physical Science in 1981, went to the blackboard, where he drew a T and the outlines of sailing warships. The ships had cannons sprouting from their sides and smaller guns fore and aft. In a battle, he explained, the ideal situation is to be sailing the cross section of the T, as the vessel’s heavy armament can rake the ships sailing the upright of the T with virtual impunity.

The point was well made … But why should vectors be important today?

Garrold went from warships to football, followed by driving.

To be successful, a quarterback needs to “lead” the receiver when throwing a pass. That vector is also important to the defense looking to intercept or deflect the pass. Those calculations must be made in microseconds.

“You have an absolutely amazing computer there in your head,” he said.

Similarly, he pointed out that, while driving, there’s a constant process of calculating speed and distance to avoid collisions.

“It’s nothing more than simple vector analysis,” he finally said.

Garrold said it becomes more complicated when wind and currents are integrated into the process for ships, and even more complicated when a third dimension is added, as in the case of airplanes and submarines.

“We live with physics all the time,” he said.

For science teacher Michael Gray, Garrold’s visit, and the paper maneuvering boards he distributed to the classes, was an example of how to solve a problem, even if mathematics is not your strong point.

“When you go out in the real world, everyone has to do the job,” he said. “There are solutions to make everything work.”

 

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