Physics for Scientists and Engineers

with Modern Physics

Fifth Edition, Global Edition

Chapter 3
Kinematics in Two or Three
Dimensions; Vectors

3 hours
© 2024 Pearson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Units of Chapter 3
• Vectors and Scalars
• Addition of Vectors—Graphical Methods
• Subtraction of Vectors, and Multiplication of a Vector
by a Scalar
• Adding Vectors by Components
• Unit Vectors

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 Vectors and Scalars
A scalar quantity can be described by a
single number (magnitude).
Time (𝑡) and mass (𝑚) are examples of
scalar physical quantities.

A vector quantity has both a magnitude and

a direction in space.
Velocity (𝑣) and displacement (𝑥) are
examples of vector quantities.

In this book, a vector quantity is represented

Ԧ
in boldface italic type with an arrow over it 𝐴.

The magnitude of 𝐴Ԧ is written as 𝐴 or 𝐴Ԧ .

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 Drawing Vectors
Draw a vector as a line with an arrowhead at its tip.
The length of the line shows the vector’s magnitude.
The direction of the line shows the vector’s direction.

Identical vectors must have the

same magnitude and the same
direction.

A negative vector has the same

magnitude as its corresponding
positive vector but points in the
opposite direction.

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 Addition of Vectors - Graphical Methods
Resultant vector (𝑅): is a combination (or sum)
of two vectors or more.
Displacement and net force are resultant.

For vectors in one dimension:

Addition if vectors are in the same direction.
Subtraction if vectors are in opposite direction.

For vectors in two dimensions:

Pythagorean Theorem if vectors are at right
angles
Components when vectors are diagonal.

𝐷𝑅 = 𝐷12 + 𝐷22 = 11.2 km 𝐷1 ⊥ 𝐷2

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 Addition of Vectors - Graphical Methods
The parallelogram method may also be used; it is equivalent to the
tail-to-tip method.
2 vectors:

3 vectors:

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 Subtraction of Vectors
In order to subtract vectors, we define the negative of a
vector, which has the same magnitude but points in the
opposite direction. Then we add the negative vector.

Multiplication of a Vector by a Scalar

A vector 𝑉 can be multiplied by a
scalar 𝑐; the result is a vector 𝑐𝑉
that has the same direction but a
magnitude 𝑐𝑉.

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 Addition of Vectors - Graphical Methods
Ex 1: Range of vector lengths.
Suppose two vectors each have length 3.0 units. What is the range of
possible lengths for the vector representing the sum of the two?

Minimum length: when they have opposite directions.

𝑅 = 𝐴 − 𝐵 = 3 − 3 = 0 unit

Maximum length: when they have the same direction.

𝑅 = 𝐴 + 𝐵 = 3 + 3 = 6 unit

In between: when they have they are diagonal.

Range: from 0 to 6 units.

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 Addition of Vectors by Components
Any vector can be expressed as the sum of two
other vectors, which are called its components.
Usually, the other vectors are chosen so that
they are perpendicular to each other.
If the components are perpendicular, they
can be found using trigonometric functions.
𝑉𝑦 vertical by using the Pythagorean
sin 𝜃 = → 𝑉𝑦 = 𝑉 sin 𝜃
𝑉 component Theorem.
𝑉 2 = 𝑉𝑥2 + 𝑉𝑦2
𝑉𝑥 horizontal
cos 𝜃 = → 𝑉𝑥 = 𝑉 cos 𝜃
𝑉 component
𝑉= 𝑉𝑥2 + 𝑉𝑦2 magnitude
𝑉𝑦 𝑉𝑦
direction
tan 𝜃 = → 𝜃 = tan−1 (nearest
𝑉𝑥 𝑉𝑥
x-axis)© 2024 Pearson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
 Addition of Vectors by Components
The components are effectively one-dimensional, so they can be
added arithmetically.
2 vectors 𝑉1 and 𝑉2 :

𝑉𝑅𝑥 = 𝑉1𝑥 + 𝑉2𝑥

𝑉𝑅𝑦 = 𝑉1𝑦 + 𝑉2𝑦

𝑉𝑅𝑦
tan 𝜃 =
𝑉𝑅𝑥

𝑉𝑅 2 = 𝑉𝑅𝑥 2 + 𝑉𝑅𝑦 2
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/h
tml/vector-addition/latest/vector-
addition_all.html
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 Addition of Vectors by Components
Finding angle with respect to positive x-axis:
𝜃: measured with respect to nearest x-axis. −1
𝑅𝑦
𝜃 = tan
𝜃𝑥: measured with respect to positive x-axis. 𝑅𝑥

𝐴 angle 𝜃 in the 𝐴 angle 𝜃 in the

first quadrant: second quadrant:
𝜃 𝜃
𝜃𝑥 = 𝜃 𝜃𝑥 = 180 + 𝜃
+𝐴𝑥 , +𝐴𝑦 −𝐴𝑥 , +𝐴𝑦

angle 𝜃 in the angle 𝜃 in the

fourth quadrant: third quadrant:
𝜃 𝜃𝑥 = 360 + 𝜃 𝜃 𝜃𝑥 = 180 + 𝜃
𝐴 +𝐴𝑥 , −𝐴𝑦 𝐴 −𝐴𝑥 , −𝐴𝑦
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 Addition of Vectors by Components
Ex 2: Mail carrier’s displacement.
A rural mail carrier leaves the post office and drives 𝐴Ԧ

22.0 km in a northerly direction. She then drives in a

direction 60.0o south of east for 47.0 km What is her
𝐵
displacement from the post office?

𝐴𝑥 = 0 km 𝐴𝑦 = 22 km 𝐴Ԧ
𝐵𝑥
𝐵𝑥 = +𝐵 cos 𝜃 𝐵𝑦 = −𝐵 sin 𝜃
𝐵𝑥 = 47 cos 60 𝐵𝑦 = −47 sin 60
𝐵𝑦 = −40.7 km 𝐵𝑦
𝐵𝑥 = 23.5 km 𝐵

𝑅𝑥 = 𝐴𝑥 + 𝐵𝑥 𝑅𝑦 = 𝐴𝑦 + 𝐵𝑦 𝐴Ԧ

𝑅𝑥 = 0 + 23.5 𝑅𝑦 = 22 − 40.7
= 23.5 km = −18.7 km 𝐵
𝑅
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 Addition of Vectors by Components
Ex 2: Mail carrier’s displacement. 𝐴Ԧ
A rural mail carrier leaves the post office and drives
22.0 km in a northerly direction. She then drives in a
direction 60.0o south of east for 47.0 km What is her 𝑅
𝐵

displacement from the post office?

𝑅𝑥 = 23.5 km 𝑅𝑦 = −18.7 km 𝑅𝑦 < 𝑅𝑥
23.5 km
𝜃 < 45°
magnitude direction 38.5o
𝑅𝑦
𝑅= 𝑅𝑥2 + 𝑅𝑦2 𝜃= tan−1 30 km
𝑅𝑥 –18.7 km

𝑅= 23.52 + 18.72 −18.7

𝜃 = tan −1 𝜃𝑥 = 360 + 𝜃
23.5
𝑅 = 30.0 km 𝜃𝑥 = 360 + −38.5
𝜃 = −38.5°
𝜃𝑥 = 321.5°
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 Addition of Vectors by Components
Ex 3: Three short trips.
An airplane trip involves three legs, with two stopovers. The first leg is
due east for 620 km; the second leg is southeast 45o for 440 km; and
the third leg is at 53o south of west, for 550 km, as shown. What is the
plane’s total displacement?
𝐴𝑥 = 620 km 𝐴𝑦 = 0 km
𝐴Ԧ

𝐵𝑥 = 440 cos 45 𝐵𝑦 = −440 sin 45 𝐵

𝐵𝑥 = 311 km 𝐵𝑦 = −311 km
𝑅 𝐶Ԧ

𝐶𝑥 = −550 cos 53 𝐶𝑦 = −550 sin 53

𝐶𝑥 = −331 km 𝐶𝑦 = −439 km 𝐴Ԧ 𝐵𝑥

𝑅𝑥 = 𝐴𝑥 + 𝐵𝑥 + 𝐶𝑥 𝑅𝑦 = 𝐴𝑦 + 𝐵𝑦 + 𝐶𝑦 𝐶𝑥
𝐵 𝐵𝑦

𝑅𝑥 = 620 + 311 − 331 𝑅𝑦 = 0 − 331 − 439 𝐶𝑦 Ԧ

𝐶
= 600 km © 2024 Pearson Education Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
= −750 km
 Addition of Vectors by Components
Ex 3: Three short trips.
An airplane trip involves three legs, with two stopovers. The first leg is
due east for 620 km; the second leg is southeast 45o for 440 km; and
the third leg is at 53o south of west, for 550 km, as shown. What is the
plane’s total displacement?
𝑅𝑥 = 600 km 𝑅𝑦 = −750 km 600 km
𝑅𝑦 > 𝑅𝑥
𝜃 > 45° 51.3o
magnitude direction
𝑅𝑦 960 km
𝑅= 𝑅𝑥2 + 𝑅𝑦2 𝜃 = tan −1 –750 km
𝑅𝑥
−750 𝜃𝑥 = 360 + 𝜃
𝑅= 6002 + 7502 𝜃 = tan −1
600 𝜃𝑥 = 360 + −51.3
𝑅 = 960 km 𝜃 = −51.3° 𝜃𝑥 = 308.7°
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 Unit Vectors
A unit vector has a magnitude of 1 with no units.
The unit vectors are:
iƸ points in the +x-direction,
jƸ points in the +y-direction,
k෠ points in the +z-direction.

Any vector can be expressed

in terms of its components as
𝐴Ԧ = 𝐴𝑥 iƸ + 𝐴𝑦 jƸ + 𝐴𝑧 k෠

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 Unit Vectors
Ex 4: Three short trips.
Write the vectors of Example 3 in unit vector notation and perform the
addition.

A = 620 km 𝐴𝑥 = 620 km 𝐴Ԧ = 𝐴𝑥 iƸ + 𝐴𝑦 jƸ
(north) 𝐴𝑦 = 0 km 𝐴Ԧ = 620 iƸ

B = 440 km 𝐵𝑥 = 311 km 𝐵 = 𝐵𝑥 iƸ + 𝐵𝑦 jƸ
(45o southeast) 𝐵𝑦 = −311 km 𝐵 = 311 iƸ − 311 jƸ

C = 550 km 𝐶𝑥 = −331 km 𝐶Ԧ = 𝐶𝑥 iƸ + 𝐶𝑦 jƸ
(53o south of west) 𝐶𝑦 = −439 km 𝐶Ԧ = −331 iƸ − 439 jƸ

Displacement 𝑅𝑥 = 600 km 𝑅 = 𝑅𝑥 iƸ + 𝑅𝑦 jƸ
(Resultant) 𝑅𝑦 = −750 km 𝑅 = 600 iƸ − 750 jƸ

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