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Index Entry
Vectors had first been developed to important extent in electrical engineering (though Galileo used them tentatively an erroneously in developing his parallelogram of forces). According to Galileo we could make a vectorial pattern of a ship A of such and such a weight, going in such and such a direction at such and such a velocity. You multiplied the velocity times the weight, and that gave you a vector:X. You then made a vectorial line AC on your diagram that was x units long, that was shown going in the compass direction that the ship was going-- let us say, ‘due east.’ Ship A collided with another ship B at point C. Ship B weighed such and such an amount. You multiplied ship B’s weight by its speed (velocity) and it gave you the length, y, of a vector line BC. BC had a compass direction, too-- let us say, ‘northeast,’ reading from B to C. Galileo then constructed a parallelogram ACBD with BD parallel to AC, running west from B to D, then DA constructed parallel to BC, running northeast from D to A. Galileo then drew a vectorial line diagonally from D to C, the point of collision of ships A and B, and then Galileo extended the line DC outward of the parallelogram to E with CE = DC, and with the angle DCE = 180°, i.e., a ‘straight’ line. Galileo called
