Vector Analysis

PREPARED BY: ENGR. MARIBELLE BANATAO MANALANSAN

What is electromagnetism?

 Electromagnetism is a branch of Physics, that deals with

the electromagnetic force that occurs between electrically charged
particles.
 It deals with electromagnetic radiation. Or we can say that it is the
phenomenon of the interaction of electric currents or fields and magnetic
fields.
Scalars and Vectors

Scalar - refers to a quantity whose value may be represented

by a single (positive or negative) real number.
- when representing scalar quantities, variables should be in
italic type (e.g x ,y ,z, A)

Examples of Scalars:
distance, temperature, mass, density, pressure (but not
force), volume, volume resistivity, and voltage.
Vector – refers to a quantity that has both a magnitude and a
direction in space.
- when representing vector quantities, variables should be in
boldface type (e.g A, B, C), When writing longhand, it is customary
to draw a line or an arrow over a vector quantity to show its vector
character.
Some Examples are:
force, acceleration, velocity
Fields - A field (scalar or vector) may be defined mathematically
as some function that connects an arbitrary origin to a general point
in space.
Example of Scalar fields:
 the temperature throughout the bowl of soup.
 the density at any point in the earth.
Example of Vector fields:
 The gravitational and magnetic fields of the earth.
 The voltage gradient in a cable.
 The temperature gradient in a soldering-iron tip.
Vector Algebra
Addition of vectors:

Figure 1 shows two vectors A and B, these two vectors are coplanar vectors
(Coplanar vectors are vectors lying in a common plane) . We can add these 2
vectors drawing both vectors from a common origin and completing the
parallelogram (parallelogram method) or by beginning the second vector
from the head of the first and completing the triangle (triangle method)

Figure
1
 Vector addition also follows the commutative law and associative
law
A+B=B+A
A + (B + C) = (A + B) + C
The rule for the subtraction of vectors follows easily from that for addition, for
we may always express A−B as A+(−B); the sign, or direction, of the second
vector is reversed, and this vector is then added to the first by the rule for
vector addition.
Vectors multiplied by Scalars
vectors x (+scalar) = change in magnitude, no change in direction
vectors x (-scalar) = change in magnitude, direction reverses

- It also obeys the distributive and associative laws of algebra;

(r + s)(A + B) = r(A + B) + s(A + B) = rA + rB + sA + sB
Division of Vector by scalar
-this is simply multiplication of vector by the reciprocal of scalar.
The Rectangular Coordinate
System
In the rectangular coordinate system we set up three coordinate axes mutually
at right angles to each other and call them the x, y, and z axes. It is customary
to choose a right-handed coordinate system, in which a rotation (through the
smaller angle) of the x axis into the y axis would cause a right-handed screw to
progress in the direction of the z axis. If the right hand is used, then the thumb,
forefinger, and middle finger may be identified, respectively, as the x, y, and z
axes.
 (a) A right-handed rectangular coordinate system. If the curved fingers of the right hand indicate the direction
through which the x axis is turned into coincidence with the y axis, the thumb shows the direction of the z axis. (b)
The location of points P(1, 2, 3) and Q(2,−2, 1). (c) The differential volume element in rectangular coordinates; dx,
dy, and dz are, in general, independent differentials.
Vector Components and unit
Vectors
To describe a vector in the rectangular coordinate system, let us first consider a
vector r extending outward from the origin. A logical way to identify this vector
is by giving the three component vectors, lying along the three coordinate
axes, whose vector sum must be the given vector. If the component vectors of
the vector r are x, y, and z, then
r = x + y + z.
The component vectors have magnitudes that depend on the given vector (such
as r), but they each have a known and constant direction. This suggests the use
of unit vectors having unit magnitude by definition; these are parallel to the
coordinate axes and they point in the direction of increasing coordinate values.
 Figure 1.3 (a) The component vectors x, y, and z of vector r. (b) The unit vectors of the
rectangular coordinate system have unit magnitude and are directed toward increasing values of
their respective variables. (c) The vector RPQ is equal to the vector difference rQ − rP.
We reserve the symbol a for a unit vector and identify its direction by an
appropriate subscript. Thus ax , ay , and az are the unit vectors in the rectangular
coordinate system.3 They are directed along the x, y, and z axes, respectively, as
shown in Figure 1.3b. If the component vector y happens to be two units in
magnitude and directed toward increasing values of y, we should then write y =
2ay .A vector rP pointing from the origin to point P(1, 2, 3) is written rP = ax +
2ay + 3az. The vector from P to Q may be obtained by applying the rule of vector
addition. This rule shows that the vector from the origin to P plus the vector from
P to Q is equal to the vector from the origin to Q. The desired vector from P(1, 2,
3) to Q(2, −2, 1) is therefore
Magnitude of a Vector and
Unit Vector
Magnitude of F ;
/F/ =

Unit vector of F;
aF =
Example:
Given the two vectors rA = -ax – 3ay – 4az and rB = 2ax
+ 2ay + 2az and point C (1, 3, 4) find:

a. RAB b. /rA/ c. aA d. aAB e. a unit

vector directed from C towards A.
DOT PRODUCT

Given two vectors A and B, the dot product, or scalar product, is

defined as the product of the magnitude of A, the magnitude of B,
and the cosine of the smaller angle between them,
A · B = |A| |B| cos θAB
It also obeys the commutative law
A·B=B·A
 Another property of dot product
A · B = Ax Bx + Ay By + Az Bz
 A vector dotted with itself yields the magnitude squared, or
A · A = A2 = |A|2
and any unit vector dotted with itself is unity,
aA · aA = 1
One of the most important applications of the dot product is that of
finding the component of a vector in a given direction.
B · a = |B| |a| cos θBa = |B| cos θBa
The sign of the component is positive if 0 ≤ θBa ≤ 90◦ and negative
whenever 90◦ ≤ θBa ≤ 180◦.
Example:
THE CROSS PRODUCT
Given two vectors A and B, we now defifine the cross product, or vector product, of A and
B, written with a cross between the two vectors as A × B and read “ A cross B.” The cross
product A × B is a vector; the magnitude of A × B is equal to the product of the
magnitudes of A, B, and the sine of the smaller angle between A and B; the direction of
A×B is perpendicular to the plane containing A and B and is along one of the two possible
perpendiculars which is in the direction of advance of a right-handed screw as A is turned
into B.
Reversing the order of the vectors A and B results in a unit vector in the opposite
direction, and we see that the cross product is not commutative, for B×A = −
(A×B). If the defifinition of the cross product is applied to the unit vectors ax and
ay , we find ax × ay = az, for each vector has unit magnitude, the two vectors
are perpendicular, and the rotation of ax into ay indicates the positive z direction
by the defifinition of a right-handed coordinate system.
Cylindrical
Coordinate
System
Example:
Seatwork: Write your solution on a clean bond paper and
upload a copy on google classroom. Submit the hardcopy on Monday .

1.

2. Three vectors extending from the origin are given as r 1 = (7,3,−2), r2 =

(−2,7,−3), and r3 = (0, 2,3). Find:
a) a unit vector perpendicular to both r1 and r2:
b) a unit vector perpendicular to the vectors r 1−r2 and r2−r3:
c) the area of the triangle defined by r1 and r2:
d) the area of the triangle defined by the heads of r 1, r2, and r3:
3. Point A(−4,2,5) and the two vectors, RAM = (20,18,−10) and RAN =
(−10,8,15), define a triangle.
e) Find a unit vector perpendicular to the triangle:
f) Find a unit vector in the plane of the triangle and perpendicular to R AN:
4. Given the vectors M=−10ax+4ay−8az and N=8ax+7ay−2az, find:
a) a unit vector in the direction of −M+2N.
b) the magnitude of 5ax + N − 3M.
c) |M||2N|(M+N):
5. Vector A extends from the origin to (1,2,3) and vector B from the origin to (2,3,-2).
a)Find the unit vector in the direction of (A−B):
b) Find the unit vector in the direction of the line extending from the origin to the
midpoint of the line joining the ends of A and B:
6. A vector field is specified as G=24xya x+12(x2+2)ay+18z2az. Given two points,
P(1,2,−1) and Q(−2,1,3),find:
a)G at P:
b) A unit vector in the direction of G at Q:
d) The equation of the surface on which|G|=60:
Reference:

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetism