Objectives

• Distinguish vectors from scalars

• Determine the Resultant vectors when vectors are added

BUREAU OF CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

Essential Question:

How should one

paddle across the
river to traverse the
least possible
distance?
Physical Definition / Description Example
Quantities
Scalars has only a magnitude (size). A person buys a tub of margarine which is labelled
with a mass of 500 g.

The mass of the tub of margarine is a scalar

quantity. It only needs one number to describe it,
in this case, 500 g.

Vectors have a magnitude and a For example, a car is travelling east along a
direction (tells us how freeway at 100 km/h.
much of something there
is and which direction it is What we have here is a vector called the velocity.
in) The car is moving at 100 km/h (this is the
magnitude) and we know where it is going – east
(this is the direction). These two quantities, the
speed and direction of the car, (a magnitude and a
direction) together form a vector we call velocity.
Notational Conventions for Vectors:
A vector is usually represented by either a letter with an
arrow above the letter:

𝐴Ԧ , 𝐵 , 𝑎Ԧ , 𝑏 etc or a bold-face A, B, a, b letter:

The magnitude of a vector is represented by either a lightface letter without an arrow on

top or the vector symbol with vertical bars on both sides

The magnitude of vector 𝐴Ԧ can be written as A or 𝐴Ԧ .

Magnitude is always positive, the magnitude of a vector is equal to the length of a vector.
Graphical / Geometric representation of vectors
Vectors are represented by arrows.

An arrow has both a magnitude (how long it is) and a direction (the direction
in which it points). The starting point of a vector is known as the tail and the
end point is known as the head.

The length of the arrow represents the magnitude of the vector.

For simplicity in representing the vectors, they are drawn in
the Cartesian coordinate starting from the origin. The
Cartesian coordinate is our reference frame, to show the
directions of the vector.
Drawing vectors
In order to draw a vector accurately we must represent its magnitude properly and
include a reference direction in the diagram. In representing vectors, a ruler is use, to
measure the magnitude and a protractor to measure the angle.

Scaling is an important factor to consider in representing vector, to shorten the quantity

to be drawn without changing its magnitude. A scale allows us to translate the length of
the arrow into the vector's magnitude. For instance, if one chooses a scale of 1 cm = 2
N (1 cm represents 2 N), a force of 20 N towards the East would be represented as an
arrow 10 cm long pointing towards the right.

Steps in drawing vectors:

1. Decide upon a scale and write it down.
2. Decide on a reference direction
3. Determine the length of the arrow representing the vector, by using the scale.
4. Draw the vector as an arrow. Make sure that you fill in the arrow head.
5. Fill in the magnitude of the vector.
Equal Vectors

Two vectors A and B are said to be equal if,

and only if, they have the same magnitude and
the same direction.

Vectors A′ and B′ have the same magnitude but

they are not equal because they have different
directions.
Multiplying or Dividing a Vector by a Scalar
 The result of the multiplication or division is a vector
 The magnitude of the vector is multiplied or divided by the
scalar
 If the scalar is positive, the direction of the result is the same
as of the original vector
 If the scalar is negative, the direction of the result is opposite
that of the original vector

 
A 3A

− 3A
Vector Addition

▪ Addition of vectors follow rules of vector algebra different from

the rules of ordinary algebra.

▪ Two or more vectors can be added resulting to a single vector

known as resultant.

▪ When adding vectors, their directions must be taken into

account and units must be the same
Addition of Vectors of the Same Directions

Example 3. An airplane flies eastward through still air with a velocity of 185 kph.
Suddenly, a tail wind blows with a velocity of 9 kph eastward. What is the resultant
velocity of the airplane?
Addition of Vectors in Opposite Directions
Addition of Perpendicular Vectors

𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑒 40 𝑘𝑚
𝜃 = 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 = = =
𝑎𝑑𝑗𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡 30 𝑘𝑚
Example 2.

Rain is falling vertically with a

speed of 35 m s–1. Winds starts
blowing after sometime with a
speed of 12 m s–1 in east to west
direction. In which direction
should a boy waiting at a bus stop
hold his umbrella?
3. A boat moves at the rate of 2.5 kph in still
water. What will be the resultant velocity if it
heads directly across a stream which flows
at the rate of 1.5 kph?
Addition of Vectors using
Parallelogram Method

▪ Two vectors forming an angle between 0 degree and 180

degrees used this method.

▪ Once the given vectors are properly scaled, the vectors are
drawn in the Cartesian coordinate.
Polygon Method (or Head-to-Tail Method)
▪ This method can be use to determine the resultant of two or
more vectors. The resultant vector is the sum of all the drawn
vectors by connecting the endpoint to the starting point of the
next.
To do the polygon method, use the Cartesian coordinate:

1. Convert the vectors into their appropriate scale.

2. Choose any of the vectors and draw it as an arrow starting from the origin in the correct
direction and of the correct length – remember to put an arrowhead on the end to denote its
direction.

3. Take the next vector and draw it as an arrow starting from the arrowhead of the first vector
in the correct direction and of the correct length.

4. Continue until you have drawn each vector – each time starting from the head of the
previous vector. In this way, the vectors to be added are drawn one after the other head-to-
tail.

5. The resultant is then the vector drawn from the tail of the first vector to the head of the
last. Its magnitude can be determined from the length of its arrow using the scale. Its
direction too can be determined from the scale diagram.
Vector Subtraction 
B
 Special case of vector
addition
 Add the negative of 
the subtracted A 
vector   −B
( )
A − B = A + −B A− B

 Vectors of the same

magnitude but
opposite directions
are anti-parallel
vectors.
Vector Components
Vectors can be represented in terms of components of the
vectors and unit vectors
Determination of vector components

EXAMPLES: Given the following vectors, determine the value of

their x and y components.

1) a vector with magnitude 20.0 that is directed at a 30o angle as

measured counterclockwise from the positive x direction.
2)
3)
PRACTICE EXERCISES
Calculation of Resultant Vector using Component Method:

1) Determine the value of the x and y components of

each vector.

2) Determine the summation or add up all components

along the x-axis and y-axis. (Algebraic sum)

3) Apply Pythagorean theorem to solve the magnitude of

the resultant.

1) Determine the direction angle of the resultant using

tangent function.
Example 1:
❑ Vector A is described algebraically as (-3, 5), while
vector B is (4, -2). Find the value of magnitude and
direction of the sum (C) of the vectors A and B.
 
A : Ax = −3, Ay = +5 B : Bx = 4, By = −2
Cx = Ax + Bx = 1
C y = Ay + By = 3

C = (C x + C y )1/ 2 = (12 + 32 )1/ 2 = 3.16

2 2

Cy
 = tan −1
= tan −1 3 = 71.56
Cx
Example 2
Unit Vector
▪ the direction of a vector can be represented by a unit vector that is parallel to
that vector.

▪ a unit vector is written in bold face with a caret or a hat (^)

to distinguish them from other vectors.

▪ Unit vectors along the x-, and y- and z-axes of

a rectangular coordinate system are denoted
by 𝑖Ƹ and 𝑗Ƹ , respectively.

▪ These unit vectors are perpendicular to each other

Vector Components using Unit Vectors

▪ Vectors can be represented in terms of components of the vectors

and unit vectors

For example, a vector A with x and y components can be represented as

For vectors in three dimensions, we have

How to determine the Magnitude of a Vector expressed in Unit Vectors?
How to add the vectors in terms of unit vectors?
EXAMPLE:

1) Determine the magnitudes of A and B.

2) Find the sum of vectors A and B.

Adding Vectors expressed in unit vectors
Algebraically
 Consider two vectors

A = Ax iˆ + Ay ˆj

B = Bx iˆ + By ˆj
 Then  
A + B = ( Ax iˆ + Ay ˆj ) + ( Bx iˆ + B y ˆj )
= ( Ax + Bx )iˆ + ( Ay + B y ) ˆj
  
 If C = A + B = ( Ax + Bx )iˆ + ( Ay + By ) ˆj
 so Cx = AxA + B=x A xC+y =AAyy + By