Vectors

Chapter – 1

Topic Section Test Your In-class Assignment

Understanding Problems (Example) (Exercise )

Vectors: Vector Addition,

1.7, 1.8, TYU-1.7
Component of Vectors, Unit 1.9, 1.11, 1.12 1.40, 1.44,1.53
1.9, 1.10 TYU-1.10
Vectors, Vector product

Dr. Rajanikanta Parida

Associate Professor
Department of Physics
ITER,
Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University
rajanikantaparida@soa.ac.in
Lecture Note by: Dr. Rajanikanta Parida Vectors Chapter 1

Vectors
• Vector quantity has a magnitude and a direction in space, as well as some meaningful unit.
 5 miles/hour North
 18 Newtons in the “x direction”
• To establish the direction, you MUST first have a coordinate system.

 Standard x-y Cartesian coordinates common

 Compass directions (N-E-S-W)
Equal Vectors
Equal vectors are identical in magnitude, direction, and units, but may start from different
places.
A and A are equal vectors because they have equal magnitude and direction.
Negative vectors
Negative vectors refer to direction relative to some standard coordinate already established but
the magnitudes are same.
A and B are negative vectors because they have equal magnitude but oppositely directed.
Adding two vectors
Two vectors may be added graphically using either the head-to-tail method or the parallelogram method.

Components of a vector
A has two component in x-y plane.
x-component of A is A  Acos θ
x
y-component of A is A  Asin θ
y
A can be written as
A = A x  A y  A = A x ˆi  A y ˆj
The magnitude of A is
A = A2x  A2y
The direction of A is tan θ = A y
Ax
Adding two vectors component form
Le t A and B are two vectors in x-y plane. These are given by
A = A ˆi  A ˆj and B = B ˆi  B ˆj
x y x y

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Lecture Note by: Dr. Rajanikanta Parida Vectors Chapter 1

Then  A + B  is given by
Let R  A + B , then
  
R  A + B = A x ˆi  A y ˆj  Bx ˆi  B y ˆj 
R   A x + Bx  ˆi   A y  By  ˆj
R  R x ˆi  R y ˆj
The scalar product or dot product
Le t A and B are two vectors in x-y plane. The scalar or dot product is given by
A .B = A B cos φ
Scalar product is positive if 00 < φ < 900
Scalar product is negative if 900 < φ <1800
Scalar product is zero if φ = 900
Scalar product in component form
A = A x ˆi  A y ˆj  A z kˆ and B = Bx ˆi  By ˆj  Bz kˆ
A.B = Ax Bx  Ay By  Az Bz
Angle between two vectors
A.B = A B cos φ
A.B A x Bx + A y B y + A z Bz
cos φ = 
AB 2
A x + A 2y + A 2z B2x + B2y + B2z
 A x Bx + A y B y + A z Bz 
φ = cos 1  
 A x + A 2y + A z2 B2x + B2y + Bz2
2 
 

Vector product
Le t A and B are two vectors in x-y plane. The vector or cross product is given by
A x B = A B sin φ nˆ
Vector product in component form
A = A x ˆi  A y ˆj  A z kˆ and B = Bx ˆi  By ˆj  Bz kˆ

ˆi ˆj kˆ
AxB= A A A
x y z
B B B
x y z

Test Your Understanding of Section 1.7

Two displacement vectors, S and T have magnitudes S = 3m and T = 4m. Which of the following could be the
magnitude of the difference vector S – T. (There may be more than one correct answer.)
(i) 9 m; (ii) 7 m; (iii) 5 m; (iv) 1 m; (v) 0 m; (vi) -1 m.

Answers: (ii), (iii), and (iv)

The vector -T has the same magnitude as the vector T ,i.e T  -T
So S - T  S   - T  is the sum of one vector of magnitude 3 m and one of magnitude 4 m.
This sum has magnitude 7 m if S and - T are parallel

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Lecture Note by: Dr. Rajanikanta Parida Vectors Chapter 1

The sum has magnitude 1 m if S and - T are anti-parallel.

The magnitude of is 5 m if S and - T are perpendicular.
Answer (i) is impossible because the magnitude of the sum of two vectors cannot be greater than the sum of
the magnitudes;
Answer (v) is impossible because the sum of two vectors can be zero only if the two vectors are anti-parallel
and have the same magnitude;
Answer (vi) is impossible because the magnitude of a vector cannot be negative.

Test Your Understanding of Section 1.10

Vector A has magnitude 2 and vector B has magnitude 3. The angle  between A and B is known to be 0°,
90°, or 180°. For each of the following situations, state what the value of  must be. (In each situation there
may be more than one correct answer.).
(a) A . B = 0 (b) A x B = 0 (c) A . B = 6 (d) A . B = -6 (e) A x B = 6

Answers: (a)  = 90° (b)  = 0° or  = 180° (c)  = 0° (d)  = 180° (e)  = 90°

(a) The scalar product is zero only if A and B are perpendicular.

(b) The vector product is zero only if A and B are either parallel or anti-parallel.
(c) The scalar product is equal to the product of the magnitudes ( A . B = A B ) only if A and B are parallel.
(d) The scalar product is equal to the negative of the product of the magnitudes ( A . B = -A B )only if and are
anti-parallel.
(e) The magnitude of the vector product is equal to the product of the magnitudes ( A x B = A B ) only if A
and B are perpendicular.

Example Problems: 1.9, 1.11, 1.12

Example 1.9 Using unit vectors

 
Given the two displacements D  6 ˆi + 3 ˆj  kˆ m and E  4 ˆi - 5 ˆj  8kˆ m 
Find the magnitude of the displacement 2D  E
Solution:
  
2D  E  2 6 ˆi + 3 ˆj  kˆ  4 ˆi - 5 ˆj  8kˆ 
 2D  E  12 ˆi + 6 ˆj  2kˆ  4 ˆi + 5 ˆj  8kˆ  2D  E  8 ˆi +11 ˆj  10kˆ

Example 1.11: Finding an angle with the scalar product

Find the angle between the vectors A  2 ˆi + 3 ˆj  kˆ and B   4 ˆi + 2 ˆj  kˆ

Solution:
A.B A x B x  A y B y  A z Bz
cos φ = 
A B A x + A 2y + A z2 B2x + B2y + Bz2
2

cos φ = 
 2  - 4    3 2   1 -1  cos φ =
- 8  6 1

-3
  0.175
 2  +  3 + 1  - 4  +  2  +  -1
2 2 2 2 2 2
14 21 14 21

φ = cos-1  0.175  1000

Exmple:1.12: Calculating a vector product

Vector A has magnitude 6 units and is in the direction of the x-axis. Vector B has magnitude 4 units and lies
in the xy-plane, making an angle of 30° with the xy-plane. Find the vector product C  A x B .

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Lecture Note by: Dr. Rajanikanta Parida Vectors Chapter 1

Solution:

The vectors A and B are in xy-plane. Therefore the direction of A x B will be perpendicular to xy-plane i.e
along the z-axis. Thus,

 
A x B =  A B sin θ  kˆ =  6   4  sin 300 kˆ  12kˆ

Assignment Problems: 1.40, 1.44, 1.53

1.40. The head of a vector is at the coordinate (3,4,7) and its tail is at (-2,5,1). Write the vector.

Solution:
Coordinate are A (3,4,7) and B (-2,5,1).

AB   3-  -2   ˆi +  4-5  ˆj   7-1 kˆ
AB  5 ˆi - ˆj  6kˆ

1.44. Is the vector a unit vector  ˆi + ˆj  kˆ  ? Justify your answer. (b) Can a unit vector have any
components with magnitude greater than unity? Can it have any negative components? In each case
 
justify your answer. (c) If A = a 3.0 ˆi + 4.0 ˆj where a is a constant, determine the value of a that
makes A a unit vector.

Solution:
(a) ˆi + ˆj  kˆ  12  12  12  3  1
So it is not a unit vector.
(b) A= A2x  A 2y  A z2  1  A 2x  A 2y  A 2z  A 2x  A 2y  A 2z  1
Sum of positive quantities are 1. So individual components will be less than 1.
A can have negative components since the minus sign goes away when the component is squared.
1
A 1  a 2  3.0  + a 2  4.0   1 
2 2
(c) 25 a 2  1  a     0.2
5

1.53. Given two vectors A  -2 ˆi + 3 ˆj  4kˆ and B  3 ˆi + ˆj - 3 kˆ do the following.

(a) Find the magnitude of each vector.
(b) Write an expression for the vector difference A - B using unit vectors.
(c) Find the magnitude of the vector difference A - B . Is this the same as the magnitude of B - A ?
Explain.
Solution:
 -2 B  32 +12   -3  4.36
2 2
(a) A + 32  42  5.38
(b)  
A - B  -2 ˆi + 3 ˆj  4kˆ - 3 ˆi + ˆj - 3 kˆ 
 A - B  -5 ˆi + 2 ˆj  7kˆ

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Lecture Note by: Dr. Rajanikanta Parida Vectors Chapter 1

 -5
2
(c) A-B  + 22  72  8.83

 
Now, B - A  3 ˆi + ˆj - 3 kˆ - -2 ˆi + 3 ˆj  4kˆ 
B - A  5 ˆi - 2 ˆj - 7 kˆ
B - A  52 +  -2    -7   8.83
2 2
So,
Thus the magnitude of A - B is same as the magnitude of B - A .

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