Chapter-1
Vector Algebra
Introduction
Scalar And Vector Quantity
Scalar Quantity
• The term scalar refers to a quantity whose value may be represented
by a single(positive or negative) real number.
• The x, y, and z used in basic algebra are scalars, and the quantities
they represent are scalars
• A body falling a distance “L” in a time “t”, or the temperature “T” at
any point in a bowl of soup whose coordinates are x, y, and z, then L,
t, T, x, y, and z are all scalars.
• Other scalar quantities are mass, density, pressure (but not force),
volume, volume resistivity, and voltage.
Vector Quantity
• A vector quantity has both a magnitude and a direction in space.
• Force, velocity, acceleration, and a straight line from the positive to
the negative terminal of a storage battery are examples of vectors.
Each quantity is characterized by both a magnitude and a direction.
Vector Representation
A vector A in Cartesian (or rectangular) coordinates may be
represented as
(Ax,Ay,Az) or (Axax+Ayay+Azaz)
A vector A has both magnitude and direction
Magnitude of the given vector
The magnitude of A is a scalar quantity and written as A or |A|, and is given
by,
A unit vector aA along A is defined as a vector whose magnitude is unity (i.e.,
1) and its direction is along A, that is,
Note that |aA| = 1. Thus we may write A as
which completely specifies A in terms of its magnitude A and its direction
aA.
and the unit vector along A is given by
Vector Addition and Subtraction
• Two vectors A and B can be added together to give another vector C; that is,
C=A + B
• Vector addition follow either parallelogram law of addition or head to tail rule
Let, A = (Ax, Ay, Az) and B = (Bx, By, Bz), then,
C=(Ax+Bx)ax+(Ay+By)ay+(Az+Bz)az
Vector subtraction is similarly carried out as,
D =A-B =A+(-B)
Let, A = (Ax, Ay, Az) and B = (Bx, By, Bz), then,
D=(Ax-Bx)ax+(Ay-By)ay+(Az-Bz)az
Laws of Vector Algebra
Law Addition Multiplication
Commutative A+B=B+A kA = Ak
Associative A + (B + C) = (A + B) + C k( lA ) = (kl)A
Distributive k(A + B) = kA + kB
Where, k and l are scalars.
Position Vector
A point Pin Cartesian coordinates may be represented by (x, y, z).
Distance Vector
The distance vector is the displacement from one point to another.
rpQ = rQ - rp
= (xQ - xp)ax + (yQ - yp)ay + (zQ - zp)az
Vector Multiplication
• Scalar (or dot) product: A.B
• Vector (or cross) product: AxB
Scalar Product
The dot product of two vectors A and B, written as A·B, is defined
geometrically as the product of the magnitudes of A and Band the cosine of
the smaller angle between them when they are drawn tail to tail.
Thus,
where 𝜃𝐴𝐵 is the smaller angle between A and B. The result of A·B is called
either the scalar product because it is scalar, or the dot product due to the dot
sign.
Let, A = (Ax, Ay, Az ) and B = (Bx, By, Bz), then
which is obtained by multiplying A and B component by component. Two
vectors A and B are said to be orthogonal (or perpendicular) with each other if
A·B = 0.
We know,
[Link] = [Link] = [Link] = 0
[Link] = [Link]= [Link]=1
Note that dot product obeys the following:
(i) Commutative law: A·B=B·A
(ii) Distributive law: A·(B + C) = A· B + A· C
(iii) A.A=|A|=A2
Cross Product
The cross product of two vectors A and B, written as AXB, is a vector quantity
whose magnitude is the area of the parallelogram formed by A and B and is
in the direction of advance of a right-handed screw as A is turned into B.
Thus, AXB =ABSin𝜃𝐴𝐵 𝒂𝒏
where an is a unit vector normal to the plane containing A and B. The
direction of anis taken as the direction of the right thumb when the fingers of
the right hand rotate from A to B as shown in figure below.
Let A = (Ax, Ay, Az) and B = (Bx, By, Bz), then
We know,
axxay=az
ayxaz=ax
azxa=ay
• It is not commutative,
AxB≠BxA
• It is anti-commutative:
AxB=-BxA
• It is not associative:
Ax(BxC)≠(AxB)xC
• It is distributive
Ax(B+C)=AxB+AxC
And,
AxA=0
Scalar Triple Product
Given three vectors A, B, and C, we define the scalar triple product as
A.(BxC)=B.(CxA)=C.(AxB)
If A=(Ax, Ay, Az), B=(Bx, By, Bz), and C=( Cx, Cy, Cz), then A·(BxC) is the volume of
a parallelogram having A, B, and C as edges and is easily obtained by finding
the determinant of the 3 X 3 matrix formed by A, B, and C; that is,
Since, the result of this vector multiplication is scalar in nature, this is called
scalar triple product.
Vector Triple Product
For vectors A, B, and C, we define the vector triple product as
Ax(BxC) = B(A.C)-C(A.B) I
It should be noted that,
(A·B)C≠A(B·C)
But,
(A.B)C=C(A.B)
COMPONENTS OF A VECTOR
• A direct application of scalar product is its use in determining the
projection (or component) of a vector in a given direction. The projection
can be scalar or vector.
• Given a vector A, we define the scalar component AB of A along vector B
or, 𝑨𝑩 = 𝑨. 𝒂𝑩
Where, 𝜽𝑨𝑩 is a smaller angle between A and B
The vector component AB of A along B is simply the scalar component
multiplied by a unit vector along B; that is,
AB = ABaB =(A·aB)aB
1. Three field quantities are given by: P = 2ax -1az, Q = 2ax - 1ay + 2az and R =
2ax - 3ay + 1az. Determine:
(a) (P + Q)x(P - Q) (b) Q ·RxP
(c) P · QxR (d) sin𝜃𝑄𝑅
(e) Px(QxR) (f) A unit vector perpendicular to both Q and R
(g) The component of P along Q
2. Given vectors A = 3ax + 4ay + az and B = 2ay - 5az find the angle between A
and B.
3. If A = 10ax–4ay+6az and B = 2ax+ay find (a) the component of A along ay, (b)
the magnitude of 3A-B, (c) a unit vector along A + 2B.
