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Vectors - Math 111

Vectors have both magnitude and direction, represented by arrows. Scalars only have magnitude. Vectors can be added by combining their components in the parallelogram rule or subtracted by reversing one vector's direction. Multiplying a vector scales its magnitude. Vectors in a plane are placed using components, and operations are done by manipulating components. Vectors can also be multiplied using the dot product, yielding a scalar, or cross product, yielding a vector.

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425 views

Vectors - Math 111

Vectors have both magnitude and direction, represented by arrows. Scalars only have magnitude. Vectors can be added by combining their components in the parallelogram rule or subtracted by reversing one vector's direction. Multiplying a vector scales its magnitude. Vectors in a plane are placed using components, and operations are done by manipulating components. Vectors can also be multiplied using the dot product, yielding a scalar, or cross product, yielding a vector.

Uploaded by

belma
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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VECTORS

INTRODUCTION TO VECTORS
IN PHYSICS AND OTHER SCIENCES 2 DIFFERENT QUANTITIES CAN BE FOUND:

- SCALARS AND VECTORS.


A SCALAR IS ANY QUANTITY IN PHYSICS THAT HAS MAGNITUDE, BUT NOT A
DIRECTION ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
MAGNITUDE A NUMERICAL VALUE WITH UNITS.

Scalar Example
Speed
Distance
Age

Magnitude
20 m/s
10 m
15 years

A VECTOR IS ANY QUANTITY IN PHYSICS THAT HAS BOTH MAGNITUDE AND


DIRECTION. WE USUALLY REPRESENT A VECTOR WITH AN ARROW:

THE DIRECTION OF THE ARROW IS THE DIRECTION OF THE VECTOR, THE


LENGTH IS THE MAGNITUDE. VECTORS ARE TYPICALLY ILLUSTRATED BY
DRAWING AN ARROW ABOVE THE SYMBOL. THE ARROW IS USED TO CONVEY
DIRECTION AND MAGNITUDE.


v , x, a, F

Vector
Velocity
Acceleration
Force

Magnitude & Direction


20 m/s, N
10 m/s/s, E
5 N, West

OPERATIONS WITH VECTORS


( GEOMETRIC INTEPRETATION )

1. MULTIPLES OF VECTORS - GIVEN A REAL NUMBER C, WE


CAN MULTIPLY A VECTOR BY C BY MULTIPLYING ITS
MAGNITUDE BY C:

2v
v

-2v

Notice that multiplying a vector by a negative


real number reverses the direction.

2. ADDITION: WHEN TWO VECTORS POINT IN THE SAME DIRECTION, SIMPLY ADD
THEM
TOGETHER.
EXAMPLE: A man walks 46.5 m east, then another 20 m east. Calculate his displacement
relative to where he started.
46.5 m, E

20 m, E

66.5 m, E

TWO VECTORS CAN BE ADDED USING THE PARALLELOGRAM LAW

u+v
v

3. SUBTRACTION: When two vectors point in the OPPOSITE direction,


simply subtract them.
EXAMPLE: A man walks 46.5 m east, then another 20 m west. Calculate his
displacement relative to where he started.
46.5 m, E

20 m, W
26.5 m, E

WE CAN SUBTRACT 2 VECTORS USING THE


PARALELOGRAM RULE:

u-v
u
v

VECTORS IN PLANE
TO DO COMPUTATIONS WITH VECTORS, WE PLACE THEM IN THE PLANE AND FIND
THEIR COMPONENTS.

The initial point is the tail, the head is the terminal


point. The components are obtained by
subtracting coordinates of the initial point from
those of the terminal point.

v
(2,2)

(5,6)

The first component of v is 5


-2 = 3.
The second is 6 -2 = 4.
We write v = <3,4>
The magnitude of the vector is the
length of the segment, it is written
||v||.
|v| = ( v12 + v22 )

ONCE WE HAVE A VECTOR IN COMPONENT FORM, THE ARITHMETIC


OPERATIONS ARE EASY.
1. To multiply a vector by a real number, simply multiply each component by that number.
Example: If v = <3,4>, -2v = <-6,-8>

2. TO ADD VECTORS, SIMPLY ADD THEIR COMPONENTS.


FOR EXAMPLE, IF V = <3,4> AND W = <-2,5>,
THEN V + W = <1,9>.

We considered vectors in THE RECTANGULAR (CARTESIAN) PLANE.


They have been 2 dimensional, but vectors work perfectly well in 3 or more dimensions:

Examples:
1. Add the vectors a = (3,7,4) and b = (2,9,11)
c=a+b
c = (3,7,4) + (2,9,11) = (3+2,7+9,4+11) =
(5,16,15)
2. What is the magnitude of the vector w = (1,-2,3)
?
|w| = ( 12 + (-2)2 + 32 ) = ( 1+4+9 ) = 14

Multiplying a Vector by a Vector (Dot Product and Cross Product)

HOW DO YOU MULTIPLY TWO VECTORS TOGETHER?


THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY!
1. THE SCALAR OR DOT PRODUCT (THE RESULT IS A SCALAR).
2. THE VECTOR OR CROSS PRODUCT (THE RESULT IS A VECTOR).

1. DOT PRODUCT OF VECTORS a AND b:


YOU CAN CALCULATE THE DOT PRODUCT OF TWO VECTORS THIS WAY:
a b = |a| |b| cos()
OR YOU CAN CALCULATE IT THIS WAY:
IN 2 DIMENSIONS:
a b = a x b x + a y by

IN 3 DIMENSIONS:

a b = ax bx + ay by + az bz

THE DOT PRODUCT GIVES A SCALAR (ORDINARY NUMBER) ANSWER, AND IS


SOMETIMES CALLED THE "SCALAR PRODUCT"

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