F.W. BELL 8000 Series Gauss/Tesla Meter Instruction Manual
Appendix B – Vector Summation Tutorial
B-1
APPENDIX B Vector Summation Tutorial
The Model 8030 gauss/tesla meter is an extremely useful tool for acquiring simultaneous
magnetic field measurements from two or three individual probes or from a 3-axis probe. The
instrument presents vector summation results directly to the user, eliminating the need to
perform manual calculations.
The classical approach to defining the location of a point in a two-dimensional plane involves
the use of the Cartesian coordinate system, shown in Figure B-1. In this system a point can be
defined by its combined horizontal (x) and vertical (y) distance from the origin of the graph (the
point where the x-axis and y-axis intersect). In the example shown, the point has coordinates of
x = +3 and y = +5. To calculate the actual distance from the origin to the point r, use
Pythagorean’s theorem:
This distance is the vector sum of the individual x and y vectors.
Figure B-1 Two Dimensional Coordinate System
