Vector Notes: Modulus of A Vector
Vector Notes: Modulus of A Vector
Vector Notes: Modulus of A Vector
VECTORS
AC ≡ AB + BC
There are many other quantities which behave in the same way as these displacements
and they can all be represented by vectors.
A vector is defined as a quantity is one that has a magnitude and is also related to a
definite direction in space.
Scalars
A Scalar is defined as a quantity that has a magnitude but no direction.
As a result a scalar can be represented completely by a real number.
Scalar quantities can be be compounded using the familiar laws of algebra and in this
case two and two do make four.
Modulus of a Vector
The modulus of a vector a is the magnitude of a, i.e. the length of line representing a.
The modulus of a is written | a | or a.
Equal Vectors
Two vectors are equal if they have the same magnitude and direction.
Vector Notes
It follows from this that a vector may be represented by any line of the right length and
direction, i.e. the location of the line in space does not matter.
Addition of Vectors
If the sides AB and BC of triangle ABC represents the vector sum, or resultant, of a and
b and is denoted by a + b.
B b C
a a
A b D
Cartesian Components
Calculations are greatly simplified when the base vectors for a plane are perpendicular
and both have a magnitude of unity.
j
x
O i
Thus if A is the position with coordinates (3, 2)
ON = 3, so ON = 3i
NA = 2, so NA = 3j
.
. . OA = ON + NA = 3i + 2j
A (3,2)
y
r =3i + 2j
2j
x
O 3i N
SCALAR PRODUCT
Geometric analysis often involves the use of expressions containing the sine, cosine, of
an angle ( for example in the solution of triangles).
Now we’ll examine a vector operation between two vectors a and b which among other
things givre rise to cos θ where θ is the angle between a and b.
Vector Notes
There is also another vector operation which involves sin θ. These two operations are
both called products.
(Being vector operations, they are in NO WAY related to the product of real numbers).
The 1st of these operation is known as the Scalar product of two vectors and results in a
scalar quantity.
The 2nd of these operations is known as the Vector product of two vectors and results in a
vector quantity.
The Scalar product of two vectors a and b is denoted by a.b and is defined as |a | |b| cos θ
where θ is the angle between a and b.
a a
or
2) Perpendicular Vectors.
a . b = ab cos π =0
2
i.e. a.b = 0
NB – In the special case of the Cartesian unit vectors these results give
i.e. a . (b + c) = a . b + a . c