MODULE 1

Vectors
 OUTLINE

• Coordinate Systems
• Vector and Scalar Quantities
• Some Properties of Vectors
• Components of a Vector and Unit Vectors
• Addition / Subtraction of Vectors
• Vector Multiplication
 COORDINATE SYSTEM

• Describe the position of a point in space

Common Coordinate System

• Cartesian
• Polar
Cartesian Coordinate System
• Also called rectangular coordinate system
Polar Coordinate System
• Origin and reference
line are noted

• Point is distance r from

the origin in the
direction of angle q.

• The reference line is

often the x-axis.
• Based on forming a
right triangle from r
and q
x = r
cos q
y = r
sin q
If the 𝑦 Cartesian
𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝜃=
coordinates are
𝑥 known:

𝑟 =√ 𝑥 + 𝑦
2 2
EXAMPLE
The Cartesian coordinates of a point in the xy plane are (x,
y) = (-3.50, -2.50) m, as shown in the figure. Find the polar
coordinates of this point.

Solution:
𝑟 =√ 𝑥 + 𝑦
2 2

¿ √ ( − 3.50𝑚 ) + ( −2 .50 𝑚 )
2 2

𝑟 =4.30𝑚
𝑜
𝑦 − 2.50 𝑚 ′ −1
𝜃 =𝑡𝑎 𝑛 ( 0.714 )=35. 5
𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝜃= = =0.714
𝑥 − 3.50 𝑚 𝑜 𝑜 𝑜
𝜃=18 0 +35. 5 =215 .5
EXAMPLE
A surveyor measures the distance across a straight
river by the following method (see figure below).
Starting directly across from a tree on the opposite
bank, she walks d = 100 m along the riverbank to
establish a baseline. Then she sights across to the
tree. The angle from her baseline to the tree is q =
35.0°. How wide is the river?
 VECTOR AND SCALAR QUANTITIES
VECTORS SCALARS
• Physical quantities • Physical quantities
that have both that have magnitude
magnitude and only.
direction.
 acceleration  distance
 displacement  length
 force  mass
 momentum  speed
 velocity  temperature
 weight  time
Vector Notation

• Text uses bold with arrow to denote a vector: A
• Magnitude of a vector: italic letter (A) or | ⃗
𝐴|
 has physical units.
 always a positive number.
• When handwritten, use an arrow: ⃗ 𝐴
 SOME PROPERTIES OF VECTORS

Two vectors are equal if

they have the same
magnitude and the same
direction.
 Vector follows commutative law of
addition, that is
 Associative Property of Addition – sum is
independent of the way in which the
individual vectors are grouped.
 
   
A  BC  A B C
 ADDITION / SUBTRACTION OF VECTOR

(a) Only when two vectors A and B are parallel does the
magnitude of their sum equal the sum of their magnitudes:

(b) When A and B are antiparallel, the magnitude of their sum

equals the difference of their magnitudes: C = | A – B |.
When adding vectors, all of the vectors must
have the same units.

All of the vectors must be of the same type

of quantity.
• For example, you cannot add a
displacement to a velocity.
Vector Sum

Vector Difference
Negative of a Vector
The negative of a vector is defined as the vector that,
when added to the original vector, gives a resultant of
zero.

• Represented as A

 
• .A   A  0

The negative of the vector will have the same

magnitude, but point in the opposite direction.
 COMPONENTS OF A VECTOR

1. Determine the angle between the + x-axis and + y-

axis.

2. Determine the x - and y - components of all the

given vectors.

3. Fill in the table below

4. Determine the sum of all the x-components. This is
known as Rx.

5. Determine the sum of all the y-components. This is

known as Ry.

6. Apply the Pythagorean Theorem for the magnitude

|𝑅|=√ 𝑅 𝑥+ 𝑅 𝑦
⃗ 2 2

and tangent function to determine the direction of

the resultant vector. Ry −1 R y
𝑡𝑎𝑛 𝜃= → 𝜃=𝑡𝑎𝑛
Rx Rx
EXAMPLE
Three players on a reality TV show are brought to the
corner of a large, flat field. Each is given a meter stick, a
compass, a calculator, and a shovel, and (in a different order
for each contestant) the following three displacements:
⃗ 𝑜
𝐴=72.4 𝑚 ,32. 0 𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑡h
⃗ 𝑜
𝐵=57.3 𝑚 ,36. 0 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑡h 𝑜𝑓 𝑤𝑒𝑠𝑡
⃗ =17.8 𝑚 𝑑𝑢𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑢𝑡h
𝐶
The three displacements lead to the point in the field where
the keys to a new Porsche are buried. Two players start
measuring immediately, but the winner first calculates
where to go. What does she calculate?
SOLUTION:

 A  90 o  32 o  58 o

 B  180 o  36 o  216 o

C  270 o
 Distance Angle x-component y-component
A = 72.4 m 58.0o 38.37 m 61.40 m
B = 57.3 m 216.0o - 46.36 m - 33.68 m
C = 17.8 m 270.0o 0.00 m - 17.80 m
Rx = - 7.99 m Ry = 9.92 m

 
R   7.99iˆ  9.92 ˆj m in unit vector form

R  7.99m 2  9.92m 2  12.7 m

 9.92m 
  arctan   51o
  7.99m 
o o o o
The correct value is   180  51  129 / 39 west of north
EXAMPLE
A disoriented physics professor drives 3.25 km
north, then 2.90 km west, and then 1.50 km
south. Find the magnitude and direction of the
resultant displacement, using the method of
components.
EXAMPLE
Vector has y-component (a) makes an angle
32.0o counterclockwise from the +y-axis. (a)
What is the x-component of ? (b) What is the
magnitude of ?
EXAMPLE
Vector is in the direction 34.0o clockwise from
the –y-axis. The x-component of is (a) What
is the y-component of ? (b) What is the
magnitude of ?
 UNIT VECTOR

• used to specify a
direction and have
no other physical
significance.

• dimensionless
vector with a
magnitude of
exactly 1.
 UNIT VECTOR

⃗ ^ 𝐴 ^𝑗 + 𝐴 𝑘
𝐴= 𝐴 𝑥 𝑖+ ^
𝑦 𝑧
⃗
𝐵=𝐵 𝑖+ ^ 𝐵 ^𝑗 + 𝐵 𝑘 ^
𝑥 𝑦 𝑧

⃗
𝑅=⃗
𝐴 +⃗
𝐵
⃗ ^ ( 𝐴 + 𝐵 ) ^𝑗 + ( 𝐴 + 𝐵 ) 𝑘
𝑅=( 𝐴 𝑥 + 𝐵𝑥 ) 𝑖+ ^
𝑦 𝑦 𝑧 𝑧

⃗ ^ 𝑅 ^𝑗 + 𝑅 𝑘
𝑅=𝑅 𝑥 𝑖+ ^
𝑦 𝑧
EXAMPLE
In each case, find the x- and y-component of
vector :
a)
b)
c)
d) where
 VECTOR MULTIPLICATION

DOT PRODUCT (Scalar


Product)
 Denoted by A  B .
 
A  B  AB cos   A B cos 

 The scalar product of

two perpendicular vectors is
always zero.
Scalar product is positive. Scalar product is negative.

Scalar product is zero.

  Scalar product of perpendicular vectors is zero.
   
iˆ  j  iˆ  k  j  k  0
   
iˆ  iˆ  j  j  k  k  1

Scalar Dot Product in  

Two Components A  B  Ax Bx  Ay B y  Az Bz

The scalar product of two vectors is the sum of the

products of their respective components.
ILLUSTRATION:
Find the scalar product of the two vectors in the figure.
The magnitudes of vectors and are 4 units and 5 units,
respectively.

130 o  53 o  77 o
  
A  B  AB cos   4 . 0 5 . 0 cos 77 . 0  4 . 50
o

Alternative Solution:
A x  4 . 0 cos 53 . 0 o  2 . 407
A y  4 . 0 sin 53 . 0  3 . 195
o

B x  5 . 0 cos 130 . 0 o  3 . 214

B y  5 . 0 sin 130 . 0 o  3 . 830
Az  B z  0
 
A  B  A x B x  A y B y  A z B z  4 . 50
CROSS PRODUCT (Vector Product)
• Denoted by A  B
⃗
𝐴× ⃗
𝐵= 𝐴𝐵𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜙
where ranges from 0o to 180o, , and is never
negative
• The vector product of two parallel or
antiparallel vectors is always zero.

or

• The vector product of any vector to itself is

zero.

⃗
𝐴× ⃗
𝐵= 0
RIGHT-HAND RULE

⃗=⃗
𝑐 ⃗
𝑎×𝑏

⃗ ⃗×⃗
𝑐 ′ =𝑏 𝑎
• the vector product of any vector with itself is
zero.
î  î  ˆj  ˆj  k̂  k̂  0

î  ˆj   ˆj  î  k̂
ˆj  k̂  k̂  ˆj  î
k̂  î  î  k̂  ˆj
Components of vector

⃗ ^ 𝐴 ^𝑗 + 𝐴 𝑘
𝐵=( 𝐴 𝑥 𝑖+
𝐴× ⃗ ^ ) × ( 𝐵 𝑖+
^ 𝐵 ^𝑗 + 𝐵 𝑘^)
𝑦 𝑧 𝑥 𝑦 𝑧

^ ( 𝐴 𝐵 − 𝐴 𝐵 ) ^𝑗+ ( 𝐴 𝐵 − 𝐴 𝐵 ) 𝑘
¿ ( 𝐴 𝑦 𝐵 𝑧 − 𝐴 𝑧 𝐵 𝑦 ) 𝑖+ ^
𝑧 𝑥 𝑥 𝑧 𝑥 𝑦 𝑦 𝑥

^ 𝐶 ^𝑗 +𝐶 𝑘
¿ 𝐶 𝑥 𝑖+ ^
𝑦 𝑧

𝑖^

| |
^𝑗 ^
𝑘
Determinant Form: ⃗
𝐴× ⃗
𝐵= 𝐴 𝑥 𝐴𝑦 𝐴𝑧
𝐵𝑥 𝐵𝑦 𝐵𝑧
EXAMPLE
The following forces act on a particle P:

Find
EXAMPLE

For the two vectors

find
a) – ;
b) | – |;
c) Angle between and
d)
EXAMPLE

Vector has a magnitude 6 units and is in the

direction of the . Vector has magnitude 4 units
and lies in the -plane, making an angle of with the
. Find the vector product