Note 4

### Notes on Vectors
**Definition**:
A **vector** is a mathematical quantity that has both **magnitude** (size) and **direction**. It is
used to represent physical quantities like displacement, velocity, force, and acceleration, among
others. Vectors can be represented graphically, algebraically, and in component form.
---
### 1. **Types of Vectors**:
#### **1.1 Free Vector**:
- A vector that is not fixed at a particular point in space, meaning its position can be changed without
altering its magnitude or direction.
#### **1.2 Position Vector**:
- A vector that represents the position of a point relative to the origin of a coordinate system.
- Example: The position vector \( \mathbf{r} \) of a point \( P(x, y, z) \) in 3D space is written as:
\[
\mathbf{r} = x\hat{i} + y\hat{j} + z\hat{k}
\]
where \( \hat{i}, \hat{j}, \hat{k} \) are the unit vectors along the x, y, and z axes, respectively.
#### **1.3 Zero Vector**:
- A vector with zero magnitude and no specific direction. It is written as \( \mathbf{0} \).
#### **1.4 Unit Vector**:
- A vector with a magnitude of 1. Unit vectors are often used to represent directions in space.
- Common unit vectors in 3D space:
\( \hat{i}, \hat{j}, \hat{k} \), representing the directions along the x, y, and z axes, respectively.
#### **1.5 Collinear Vectors**:

- Vectors that lie along the same line or are parallel to each other.
#### **1.6 Coplanar Vectors**:
- Vectors that lie in the same plane.
#### **1.7 Equal Vectors**:
- Two vectors are equal if they have the same magnitude and direction, regardless of their initial
points.
---
### 2. **Vector Representation**:
Vectors can be represented in different ways:
#### **2.1 Graphical Representation**:
- A vector is typically represented as an arrow, where:
- The **length** of the arrow represents the **magnitude** of the vector.
- The **direction** of the arrow indicates the direction of the vector.
- The **tail** of the arrow indicates the initial point, and the **head** represents the terminal
point.
#### **2.2 Algebraic Representation**:
- In 2D space, a vector \( \mathbf{v} \) can be written in component form as:
\[
\mathbf{v} = v_x \hat{i} + v_y \hat{j}
\]
where \( v_x \) and \( v_y \) are the components of the vector in the x and y directions,
respectively.
- In 3D space, a vector \( \mathbf{v} \) is written as:
\[
\mathbf{v} = v_x \hat{i} + v_y \hat{j} + v_z \hat{k}
\]
#### **2.3 Polar and Cartesian Coordinates**:
- Vectors can also be represented in polar (magnitude and direction) or Cartesian (x, y, z
components) coordinates, depending on the context of the problem.
---
### 3. **Operations on Vectors**:
#### **3.1 Addition of Vectors**:
- Vectors are added by adding their corresponding components.
- For two vectors \( \mathbf{a} = a_x \hat{i} + a_y \hat{j} \) and \( \mathbf{b} = b_x \hat{i} + b_y \
hat{j} \), the sum is:
\[
\mathbf{a} + \mathbf{b} = (a_x + b_x)\hat{i} + (a_y + b_y)\hat{j}
\]
- **Graphical Method (Tip-to-Tail Rule)**:
The sum of two vectors can also be represented by placing the tail of the second vector at the tip of
the first. The resulting vector is the vector drawn from the tail of the first vector to the tip of the
second.
#### **3.2 Subtraction of Vectors**:
- To subtract vector \( \mathbf{b} \) from vector \( \mathbf{a} \), you add the negative of \( \
mathbf{b} \) to \( \mathbf{a} \):
\[
\mathbf{a} - \mathbf{b} = \mathbf{a} + (-\mathbf{b})
\]
- Alternatively, subtract the components directly:
\[
\mathbf{a} - \mathbf{b} = (a_x - b_x)\hat{i} + (a_y - b_y)\hat{j}
\]
#### **3.3 Scalar Multiplication**:
- A vector can be multiplied by a scalar (a real number). The result is a vector whose magnitude is
scaled by the scalar:
\[
k\mathbf{a} = k(a_x \hat{i} + a_y \hat{j}) = (k a_x) \hat{i} + (k a_y) \hat{j}
\]
where \( k \) is a scalar.
#### **3.4 Dot Product (Scalar Product)**:
- The dot product of two vectors \( \mathbf{a} \) and \( \mathbf{b} \) is a scalar quantity defined as:
\[
\mathbf{a} \cdot \mathbf{b} = a_x b_x + a_y b_y
\]
- The dot product gives information about the **angle** between the two vectors:
\[
\mathbf{a} \cdot \mathbf{b} = |\mathbf{a}| |\mathbf{b}| \cos \theta
\]
- If \( \mathbf{a} \cdot \mathbf{b} = 0 \), the vectors are **perpendicular**.
#### **3.5 Cross Product (Vector Product)**:
- The cross product of two vectors \( \mathbf{a} \) and \( \mathbf{b} \) results in a vector that is
perpendicular to both \( \mathbf{a} \) and \( \mathbf{b} \), with magnitude given by:
\[
|\mathbf{a} \times \mathbf{b}| = |\mathbf{a}| |\mathbf{b}| \sin \theta
\]
where \( \theta \) is the angle between the vectors.
- The direction of the resulting vector follows the **right-hand rule**.

---
### 4. **Magnitude and Direction**:
#### **4.1 Magnitude of a Vector**:
- The magnitude (or length) of a vector \( \mathbf{v} = v_x \hat{i} + v_y \hat{j} \) in 2D space is given
by:
\[
|\mathbf{v}| = \sqrt{v_x^2 + v_y^2}
\]
In 3D, for \( \mathbf{v} = v_x \hat{i} + v_y \hat{j} + v_z \hat{k} \), the magnitude is:
\[
|\mathbf{v}| = \sqrt{v_x^2 + v_y^2 + v_z^2}
\]
#### **4.2 Direction of a Vector**:
- The direction of a vector is given by the angle it makes with the coordinate axes. For a 2D vector \
( \mathbf{v} = v_x \hat{i} + v_y \hat{j} \), the angle \( \theta \) with the x-axis is:
\[
\theta = \tan^{-1}\left( \frac{v_y}{v_x} \right)
\]
In 3D space, the direction can be given by angles with each of the axes, or using a direction cosines
approach.
---
### 5. **Applications of Vectors**:
#### **5.1 Physics**:
- Vectors are used extensively in physics to represent quantities such as **displacement**,

**velocity**, **acceleration**, and **force**, all of which have both magnitude and direction.
#### **5.2 Engineering**:
- Vectors are used in the analysis of forces in mechanical systems, fluid dynamics, and electrical
engineering (e.g., in electromagnetism, where fields are vector quantities).
#### **5.3 Computer Graphics**:
- In computer graphics, vectors are used to represent points, directions, and movements in 2D and
3D space.
#### **5.4 Navigation**:
- Vectors are used in navigation and mapping to represent directions and distances between points.
---
### 6. **Conclusion**:
Vectors are fundamental tools in mathematics and science. Their ability to represent quantities with
both magnitude and direction makes them essential for solving problems in physics, engineering,
computer science, and many other fields. Understanding vector operations such as addition, scalar
multiplication, dot product, and cross product is crucial for working with physical systems, analyzing
forces, and solving geometric problems.

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### Notes on Vectors

### 1. **Types of Vectors**:

#### **1.1 Free Vector**:

#### **1.2 Position Vector**:

\mathbf{r} = x\hat{i} + y\hat{j} + z\hat{k}

#### **1.3 Zero Vector**:

#### **1.4 Unit Vector**:

- Common unit vectors in 3D space:

#### **1.5 Collinear Vectors**:

#### **1.6 Coplanar Vectors**:

- Vectors that lie in the same plane.

#### **1.7 Equal Vectors**:

### 2. **Vector Representation**:

Vectors can be represented in different ways:

#### **2.1 Graphical Representation**:

- A vector is typically represented as an arrow, where:

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

- The **direction** of the arrow indicates the direction of the vector.

#### **2.2 Algebraic Representation**:

- In 2D space, a vector \( \mathbf{v} \) can be written in component form as:

\mathbf{v} = v_x \hat{i} + v_y \hat{j}

- In 3D space, a vector \( \mathbf{v} \) is written as:

#### **2.3 Polar and Cartesian Coordinates**:

### 3. **Operations on Vectors**:

#### **3.1 Addition of Vectors**:

- Vectors are added by adding their corresponding components.

\mathbf{a} + \mathbf{b} = (a_x + b_x)\hat{i} + (a_y + b_y)\hat{j}

- **Graphical Method (Tip-to-Tail Rule)**:

#### **3.2 Subtraction of Vectors**:

\mathbf{a} - \mathbf{b} = \mathbf{a} + (-\mathbf{b})

- Alternatively, subtract the components directly:

#### **3.3 Scalar Multiplication**:

k\mathbf{a} = k(a_x \hat{i} + a_y \hat{j}) = (k a_x) \hat{i} + (k a_y) \hat{j}

#### **3.4 Dot Product (Scalar Product)**:

\mathbf{a} \cdot \mathbf{b} = a_x b_x + a_y b_y

\mathbf{a} \cdot \mathbf{b} = |\mathbf{a}| |\mathbf{b}| \cos \theta

- If \( \mathbf{a} \cdot \mathbf{b} = 0 \), the vectors are **perpendicular**.

#### **3.5 Cross Product (Vector Product)**:

|\mathbf{a} \times \mathbf{b}| = |\mathbf{a}| |\mathbf{b}| \sin \theta

where \( \theta \) is the angle between the vectors.

- The direction of the resulting vector follows the **right-hand rule**.

### 4. **Magnitude and Direction**:

#### **4.1 Magnitude of a Vector**:

|\mathbf{v}| = \sqrt{v_x^2 + v_y^2}

|\mathbf{v}| = \sqrt{v_x^2 + v_y^2 + v_z^2}

#### **4.2 Direction of a Vector**:

\theta = \tan^{-1}\left( \frac{v_y}{v_x} \right)

### 5. **Applications of Vectors**:

#### **5.1 Physics**:

- Vectors are used extensively in physics to represent quantities such as **displacement**,

#### **5.3 Computer Graphics**:

#### **5.4 Navigation**:

You might also like

### 1. Types of Vectors:

#### 1.1 Free Vector:

#### 1.2 Position Vector:

#### 1.3 Zero Vector:

#### 1.4 Unit Vector:

#### 1.5 Collinear Vectors:

#### 1.6 Coplanar Vectors:

#### 1.7 Equal Vectors:

### 2. Vector Representation:

#### 2.1 Graphical Representation:

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

- The direction of the arrow indicates the direction of the vector.

#### 2.2 Algebraic Representation:

#### 2.3 Polar and Cartesian Coordinates:

### 3. Operations on Vectors:

#### 3.1 Addition of Vectors:

- Graphical Method (Tip-to-Tail Rule):

#### 3.2 Subtraction of Vectors:

#### 3.3 Scalar Multiplication:

#### 3.4 Dot Product (Scalar Product):

- If \( \mathbf{a} \cdot \mathbf{b} = 0 \), the vectors are perpendicular.

#### 3.5 Cross Product (Vector Product):

- The direction of the resulting vector follows the right-hand rule.

### 4. Magnitude and Direction:

#### 4.1 Magnitude of a Vector:

#### 4.2 Direction of a Vector:

### 5. Applications of Vectors:

#### 5.1 Physics:

- Vectors are used extensively in physics to represent quantities such as displacement,

#### 5.3 Computer Graphics:

#### 5.4 Navigation: