The vector projection calculator works out projection factor, x and y from x, y, z, x, y and z. Enter what you have and the relationship is applied straight away, so you get the answer without working through the algebra yourself.
What Is the Vector Projection Calculator?
The vector projection calculator works through x, y, z, x, y and z to give you projection factor, x and y.
It is aimed at the case where you know the method but not the arithmetic: schoolwork, a quick check on a worked example, or a figure that needs to be right first time.
How the Vector Projection Works
Each step is applied in order and depends only on the values before it, which makes it possible to follow the calculation rather than take it on trust.
If you are working through the same problem by hand afterwards, compare the intermediate values. That is where a mistake usually shows itself.
Checking Your Own Working
Round sensibly as you go and keep the full precision in the calculator. Rounding too early is the most common way of getting a right method to give a wrong answer.
Where a result should be a whole number, such as a count, check it against the constraint that produced it. A fraction of a person is a sign that something upstream needs revisiting.
A Worked Example
Working through an example, with x set to 10, y set to 5, z set to 2, the calculator returns projection factor of 0.10469, and x of 10.46914, and y of 1.04691. Substitute your own figures and the same steps produce the same kind of answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to work out projection factor?
Enter x, y, z, x, y and z. The calculator then works through the relationship and reports projection factor, x and y.
What does the vector projection actually calculate?
It takes x, y, z, x, y and z and converts them into projection factor, x and y using the standard relationship for this problem. Each step is applied in turn, so every output is traceable back to the numbers you typed in.
How should I enter x?
Use the value you actually have, in the unit shown next to the field. Enter every value in the same unit system. The calculator assumes the figures you supply are consistent, so it cannot correct a mistake that happens before the calculation starts.
Does anything you type get stored?
No. The whole calculation runs inside your browser, and nothing you enter is uploaded, logged or sent anywhere.
Do I have to fill in every field?
Only the fields a particular result depends on. If you leave one blank, the results that need it simply show a note instead of a number, and everything else still works.