VECTORS

AN INTRODUCTION TO VECTOR QUANTITIES

OBJECTIVES

Cape syllabus, unit 1: mechanics , section 1

Distinguish between scalar and vector quantities and state examples

Combine and resolve vectors

PHYSICAL QUANTITIES
All physical quantities are divided into vector or scalar quantities.

Scalar quantities are quantities that are fully described by a magnitude (numerical
value and unit) only.

Examples:

Time

Length

speed

A scalar changes when its magnitude changes

Vector quantities are quantities that are described by both a magnitude and a
direction.

Six vector quantities

Displacement velocity

Acceleration force

Impulse momentum

Vector quantities change when:

their magnitude changes

their direction changes

their magnitude and direction both change

DRAWING VECTORS
 Each vector is represented as a line with an arrow at its head. The length of the line
represents the magnitude of the vector while the direction of the vector is represented by
the arrow head.

Vector drawn in free space. Arrow

head (Tip) points in the direction
the vector will travel.

REPRESENTING A VECTOR BY
COMPONENTS

A vector can be represented as a sum of its horizontal and vertical components.

From trigonometry we know:

From the trigonometrical relationships above we can determine:

1. The size of the vector: |A|= ( A2x + A 2y )

2. The length of the vector in the x-direction: A x =|A|cos
3. The length of the vector in the y-direction: A y =|A|sin
Ay
4. The size of the angle with respect to the positive x-axis: tan =
Ax

PROPERTIES AND TYPES OF VECTORS

Null Vector: A zero or null vector is one in which the initial and terminal points are the
same. In other words, a null vector has a magnitude of 0.

Unit vector: A vector whose magnitude is unity (i.e., 1 unit) is called a unit vector.

A unit vector along the x-axis is denoted as i or i^

A unit vector along the y-axis is denoted as j or ^j

A unit vector along the z-axis is denoted as k or k^

Position vector: Consider a point P in space, having coordinates (x, y, z) with respect to
the origin O (0, 0, 0). Then, the vector having O and P as its initial and terminal points,
respectively, is called the position vector of the point P with respect to O.

Coinitial vectors: Two or more vectors having the same initial point are called coinitial
vectors.
 Collinear vectors: Two or more vectors are said to be collinear if they are parallel to the
same line, irrespective of their magnitudes and directions.

Examples of collinear vectors

Equal vectors: Two vectors and are said to be equal, if they have the same magnitude
and direction regardless of the positions of their initial points.

Negative of a vector: A vector whose magnitude is the same as that of a given vector but
direction is opposite to that of it, is called the negative of the given vector.
VECTOR MATHEMATICS

VECTOR ADDITION

Vectors can be added using two different methods:

Adding vectors geometrically

Triangle of forces

Parallelogram law

Sample problem 1:
The two forces act on a bolt at A. Determine their resultant

Solution:

Graphical solution - construct a parallelogram or triangle with sides in the same direction
as P and Q and lengths in proportion. Graphically evaluate the resultant which is
equivalent in direction and proportional in magnitude to the diagonal.

Graphical solution - A parallelogram

with sides equal to P and Q is drawn
to scale. The magnitude and
direction of the resultant or of the
diagonal to the parallelogram are
measured,

Figure 1.a using parallelogram law

Graphical solution - A triangle is drawn

with P and Q head-to-tail and to scale.
The magnitude and direction of the
resultant or of the third side of the
triangle are measured,
Figure 2 using triangle of forces

R 98 N 35
The answer obtained will be the same in both cases:

Adding vectors by components:

You may resolve a force vector into perpendicular components so that the resulting
parallelogram is a rectangle. Fx and Fy are referred to as rectangular vector components.
TRY TO DO THIS ON YOUR OWN
Sample problem 2:
Four forces act on bolt A as shown. Determine the resultant of the force on the bolt.

SOLUTION:
Resolve each force into rectangular components.

Determine the components of the resultant by adding the corresponding force components.

force mag x comp y comp

F1 150 129.9 75.0

F2 80 27.4 75.2

F3 110 0 110.0

F4 100 96.6 25.9
Rx 199.1 R y 14.3
 Calculate the magnitude and direction of the resultant.

14.3 N
tan
199.1 N

Final result: R= 199.6N and =4.1o

THE DOT PRODUCT

If a = axi+ayj and b = bx i+by j, then the dot product of a and b is the number a b given
by:

a b = axbx + ayby

The result is NOT a vector!

It is a real number, that is, a scalar.

The dot product is sometimes called the scalar product (or inner product).

If is the angle between the vectors a and b, then

a b = |a||b| cos

Sample problem 3:

v 3i 4 j

u i 2 j

Calculate the scalar product of the vectors v and u.

Solution:

v u 31 4 2
 3 8

5
Sample problem 4:

If the vectors a and b have lengths 4 and 6, and the angle between them is /3,

Find a b.

a b = |a||b| cos(/3)
=46
= 12

Significance of the dot product:

A dot product conceptually is the projection that one vector has over another. This is why
it is a scalar, it only tells the length of the projection.

Another way of thinking is that it tells one how 'parallel' the two vectors are to one
another.

The larger a dot product between two unit vectors, the smaller the angle is between them
in a given plane or more obtuse if the angle is greater than 90 degrees (the more parallel
they are).

http://www.edaboard.com/thread232308.html

Question: What are some real life implications of the dot product?
CROSS PRODUCT

A cross product results in a vector that has a

direction that is perpendicular to both vectors

magnitude that is equal to the parallelogram with side lengths equal to the
magnitudes of the two vectors

a skew equal to the angle between the vectors.

Another way of thinking is that it, conversely to the dot product, tells one how
'perpendicular' the two vectors are. The larger the magnitude of the cross product between
two unit vectors, the larger the angle between the vectors (up to 90 degrees) in a given
plane (the more perpendicular they are).
http://www.edaboard.com/thread232308.html

Question: what are some real life implications of the cross product?

References:

New Understanding Physics for advanced level; Jim Breithaupt, page 4

Additional Resources:

http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/1DKin/Lesson-1/Scalars-and-Vectors

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/one-dimensional-motion/displacement-velocity-
time/v/introduction-to-vectors-and-scalars

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/higher/physics/mech_matt/vectors/revision/3/

Simulations:

http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/lunar-lander

http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/vector-addition

Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ihNZlp7iUHE&feature=list_other&playnext=1&list=SPAD5B880806EBE0A4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmxKc5m7lUU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUrMI0DIh40

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4gbA9qC-UU