Vector

Objectives
 Write the component form of a vector.

 Perform vector operations and interpret the

results geometrically.

 Write a vector as a linear combination of

standard unit vectors.

 Applications of vectors in real-life situations.

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Quantity in Vector Representation
Many quantities in geometry and physics, such as area,
volume, temperature, mass, and time, can be characterized
by a single real number scaled to appropriate units of
measure. These are called scalar quantities, and the real
number associated with each is called a scalar.

Other quantities, such as force, velocity, and acceleration,

involve both magnitude and direction and cannot be
characterized completely by a single real number.

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 Vectors in
2-Dimensional Plane
Quantity in Vector Representation
A directed line segment is used to
represent such a quantity, as shown
in Figure 1.

The directed line segment has Figure 1

initial point P and terminal point Q, and

its length (or magnitude) is denoted
by

Directed line segments that have

the same length and direction are
equivalent, as shown in Figure 2. Figure 2

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Quantity in Vector Representation
Each of the set of all directed line segments that are
equivalent to a given directed line segment is a vector
and is denoted by v = .

In typeset material, vectors are usually denoted by

lowercase, boldface letters such as u, v, and w.

When written by hand, however, vectors are often denoted

by letters with arrows above them, such as and

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Example 1 – Vector Representation by Directed Line Segments

Let v be represented by the directed line segment from

(0, 0) to (3, 2), and let u be represented by the directed
line segment from (1, 2) to (4, 4). Show that v and u are
equivalent.

Solution:
Let P(0, 0) and Q(3, 2) be the initial
and terminal points of v, and let
R(1, 2) and S(4, 4) be the initial and
terminal points of u, as shown
in Figure 3.

Figure 3 7
Example 1 – Solution cont’d

You can use the Distance Formula to show that and

have the same length.

Both line segments have the same direction, because they

both are directed toward the upper right on lines having the
same slope.

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Example 1 – Solution cont’d

Slope of
and
Slope of

Because and have the same length and direction,

you can conclude that the two vectors are equivalent.
That is, v and u are equivalent.

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Quantity in Vector Representation
The directed line segment v whose initial point is the
origin is often the most convenient representative of a set
of equivalent directed line segments such a, b, c and d as
those shown in Figure 4.

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Figure 4
Quantity in Vector Representation
This representation of v is said to be in standard position.
A directed line segment whose initial point is the origin can
be uniquely represented by the coordinates of its terminal
point Q(v1, v2), as shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5 11
Component Form of a Vector

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Component Form of a Vector

This definition implies that two vectors u = and

v= are equal if and only if u1 = v1 and u2 = v2.

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Component Form of a Vector

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 Component Form of a Vector
2. If v = , , v can be represented by the directed line
segment, in standard position, from P(0, 0) to Q(v1, v2).

The magnitude of v is also called the norm of v,

denoted by .

If , then v is a unit vector.

Moreover, if and only if v is the zero vector 0.

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Example 2 – Component Form of a Vector

B
v
A

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Vector Operations

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Vector Operations

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Vector Operations

Figure 6
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Vector Operations
The sum of two vectors can be represented geometrically by
positioning the vectors (without changing their magnitudes or
directions) so that the initial point of one coincides with the
terminal point of the other, as shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7

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Example 3 – Vector Operations

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Example 4 – Vector Operations
Given v = and w = , find the vector w – v .

Solution:

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Example 5 – Vector Operations
Given v = and w = , find the vector v + 2w .

Solution:
Using 2w = you have

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Vector Operations

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Vector Operations

u is called a unit vector in the direction of v. The

process of multiplying v by to get a unit
vector is called normalization of v.

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Standard Unit Vectors

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Standard Unit Vectors
The unit vectors and are called the standard unit
vectors in the plane and are denoted by

as shown in Figure 10. These vectors can be used to

represent any vector uniquely, as follows.

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Figure 10
Standard Unit Vectors

The vector v = v1i + v2j is called a linear combination

of i and j. The scalars v1 and v2 are called the horizontal
component and vertical component of v.

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Example 6 – Writing a Linear Combination of Unit Vectors

Let u be the vector with initial point (2, –5) and terminal
point (–1, 3). Write u as a linear combination of i and j.

Solution:
u=

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Example 7 – Writing a Linear Combination of Unit Vectors

Let u be the vector with initial point (2, –5) and terminal
point (–1, 3), and let v = 2i – j. Write the vector w = 2u – 3v
as a linear combination of i and j.

Solution:
From example 5, u = – 3i + 8j
w=

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 Vectors in
3-Dimensional Space

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Coordinates in Space
A three-dimensional coordinate system can have either a
left-handed or a right-handed orientation. To determine
the orientation of a system, imagine that you are standing
at the origin, with your arms pointing in the direction of the
positive x- and y-axes, and with the z-axis pointing up, as
shown in Figure 13.

The system is right-handed or left-handed depending on

which hand points along the x-axis. In this course, we will
work exclusively with the
right-handed system.

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Figure 13
Coordinates in Space
Many of the formulas established for the two-dimensional
coordinate system can be extended to three dimensions.

For example, to find the distance between two points in

space, you can use the Pythagorean Theorem twice, as
shown in Figure 14.

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Figure 14
 Coordinates in Space
By doing this, you will obtain the formula for the distance
between the points (x1, y1, z1) and (x2, y2, z2).

Example 8 – Finding the Distance Between Two Points in Space

The distance between the points (2, –1, 3) and (1, 0, –2) is

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Standard Unit Vectors in Space
In 3-D space, vectors are denoted by ordered triples
v = v1 , v2 , v3 .
The zero vector is denoted by 0 = 0, 0, 0 .
Using the unit vectors
i = 1, 0, 0 in the direction of the positive x-axis,
j = 0, 1, 0 in the direction of the positive y-axis, and
k = 0, 0,1 in the direction of the positive z-axis,

the standard unit vector notation

for v is
as shown in Figure 15.
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Figure 15
Vectors in Space
If v is represented by the directed line segment from
P(p1, p2, p3) to Q(q1, q2, q3), as shown in Figure 16, the
component form of v is given by subtracting the coordinates of
the initial point from the coordinates of the terminal point, as
follows.
v = v1 , v 2 , v 3
= q1 – p1 , q2 – p2 , q3 – p3

Figure 16
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Vectors in Space

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Example 9 – Finding the Component Form of a Vector in Space

Find the component form and magnitude of the vector v having initial
point (–2, 3 ,1) and terminal point (0,–4, 4). Then find a unit vector in
the direction of v.
Solution:
The component form of v is
v = q1 – p1, q2 – p2, q3 – p3 = 0 – (–2), –4 – 3, 4 – 1
= 2, –7, 3
which implies that its magnitude is

A unit vector in the direction of v is

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Vectors in Parallel

The definition of scalar multiplication that positive scalar

multiples of a nonzero vector v have the same direction as
v, whereas negative multiples have the direction opposite
of v.

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Vectors in Parallel
For example, in Figure 17, the vectors u, v and w are
parallel because u = 2v and w = –v.

Figure 17

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Example 10 – Parallel Vectors
Vector w has initial point (2, –1, 3) and terminal point
(–4, 7, 5). Which of the following vectors is parallel to w?
a. u = 3, –4, –1
b. v = 12, –16, 4

Solution:
Begin by writing w in component form.
w = – 4 – 2, 7 – (– 1), 5 – 3 = – 6, 8, 2
a. Because u = 3, – 4, – 1 = – – 6, 8, 2 = – w, you can
conclude that u is parallel to w.

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Example 10 – Solution cont’d

b. In this case, you want to find a scalar c such that

12, –16, 4 = c –6, 8, 2 .
12 = –6c c = –2
–16 = 8c c = –2
4 = 2c c = 2
Because there is no c for which the vector equation has a
solution, the vectors w and v are not parallel.

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Illustrative Applications of Vectors

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Example 11 – Applications of Vectors

In the diagram, the load has a mass of 40 g , and it is held

stationary in the air (equilibrium) as shown. Draw a
labelled free-body diagram to represent the physical state
of the system. (Ignore the mass of the rope.)

Solution

40 g

40 g

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Example 12 – Applications of Vectors
Determine the tension developed in the
ropes CA and CB required for equilibrium
of the 10 kg cylinder when θ = 40o as
shown in the diagram.
(Ignore the mass of the ring and the ropes.)

mass = 10 kg

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Example 12 – Applications of Vectors

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Example 12 – Applications of Vectors
Let FCB be the tension along the rope CB , and
FCA be the tension along the rope CA.

By the law of sine,

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Example 13 – Applications of Vectors

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 Example 13 – Applications of Vectors
Solution

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Example 14 – Applications of Vectors

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