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Math - Vectors

A vector is a quantity that has both magnitude and direction and can be represented by an arrow. Vectors can be added or subtracted by placing them head to tail. The magnitude of a vector is its length, while the direction is often expressed as an angle. Vectors are used in physics and engineering to represent quantities like force and describe systems.

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5 views

Math - Vectors

A vector is a quantity that has both magnitude and direction and can be represented by an arrow. Vectors can be added or subtracted by placing them head to tail. The magnitude of a vector is its length, while the direction is often expressed as an angle. Vectors are used in physics and engineering to represent quantities like force and describe systems.

Uploaded by

yifec22390
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as TXT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Vectors

Definition: A vector is a quantity that has both magnitude and direction. It is


represented by an arrow where the length represents the magnitude and the arrowhead
points in the direction.

Representing Vectors
Notation: Vectors are usually denoted by boldface letters such as v or with an
arrow above the letter, like (\vec{v}).
Components: A vector in two-dimensional space can be represented by its components
along the x and y axes: (\vec{v} = v_x \hat{i} + v_y \hat{j}), where (v_x) and
(v_y) are the scalar components and (\hat{i}), (\hat{j}) are the unit vectors in
the x and y directions, respectively.
Operations with Vectors
Addition: To add two vectors, you place them head to tail and draw the resultant
vector from the tail of the first to the head of the second.
Subtraction: To subtract a vector, you add its opposite. This is equivalent to
adding a vector with the same magnitude but in the opposite direction.
Scalar Multiplication: Multiplying a vector by a scalar changes the magnitude of
the vector but not its direction.
Magnitude and Direction
Magnitude: The magnitude of a vector is its length and can be calculated using the
Pythagorean theorem: (|\vec{v}| = \sqrt{v_x^2 + v_y^2}).
Direction: The direction of a vector is often expressed as an angle with respect to
the positive x-axis.
Dot Product
Definition: The dot product of two vectors is a scalar quantity that is the product
of their magnitudes and the cosine of the angle between them: (\vec{a} \cdot \
vec{b} = |\vec{a}| |\vec{b}| \cos(\theta)).
Properties: The dot product is commutative ((\vec{a} \cdot \vec{b} = \vec{b} \
cdot \vec{a})) and distributive over vector addition.
Cross Product
Definition: The cross product of two vectors is a vector that is perpendicular to
both and has a magnitude equal to the area of the parallelogram that the vectors
span.
Formula: (\vec{a} \times \vec{b} = |\vec{a}| |\vec{b}| \sin(\theta) \hat{n}), where
(\hat{n}) is the unit vector perpendicular to the plane formed by (\vec{a}) and (\
vec{b}).
Applications
Vectors are used in physics to represent quantities like force, velocity, and
acceleration.
In engineering, vectors are essential for understanding forces in structures and
systems.
Examples
Vector Addition: If (\vec{a} = 3\hat{i} + 4\hat{j}) and (\vec{b} = 2\hat{i} + 5\
hat{j}), then (\vec{a} + \vec{b} = (3+2)\hat{i} + (4+5)\hat{j} = 5\hat{i} + 9\
hat{j}).

Dot Product: For vectors (\vec{a} = 3\hat{i} + 4\hat{j}) and (\vec{b} = 2\hat{i} +
5\hat{j}), the dot product is (\vec{a} \cdot \vec{b} = (3)(2) + (4)(5) = 6 + 20 =
26)

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