ENGINEERING MATH III

BEE 21503

CHAPTER 2:
Vector algebra

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 Content

2.1 Scalars and Vectors

2.2 Unit Vector
2.3 Vector Addition and Subtraction
2.4 Position and Distance Vectors
2.5 Vector Multiplication
2.6 Components of a Vector
2.7 Scalar and Vector Triple Product

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 Scalars & Vectors
   A scalar is a quantity that has only magnitude.
 A vector is a quantity that has both magnitude and direction.

Quantity

Scalar Vector
Scalar Quantities Vectors Quantities
Power Force
Current Displacement
Distance Magnetic Field
Electric Potential Electric Field Intensity
 A scalar is represented simply by a letter such as A and B.
 A vector is written by a letter in boldface type or a letter with an
arrow on top of it such as A or .
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 Vector Algebra

Governs the law of addition, subtraction and

multiplication in any given coordinate system.

Involve orthogonal coordinate system – vector

transformation between 2 vectors

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 Vector Algebra
Basic of laws of
 A vector A has a magnitude of A=|A| and a
vector algebra
direction specified by a unit A
vector
 Aaˆ â

Magnitude
â
A
Unit Vector 1

Based vector
 The unit vector â is defined as a vector
whose
A
 magnitude is unity (|â| = 1) 
aˆ and
A
 its direction along A is given by

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 Vector Algebra
z
 In Cartesian coordinate system the direction of of
Az A
the x, y and z coordinates are denoted by the 3 k
mutually perpendicular unit vectors, i, j, and k O
j Ay
y
i
Ax
which are called base vectors.
x
In Cartesian coordinates:
A vector A can be written as A  Ax i  Ay j  Az k
• where unit vectors i, j, k are called the base vectors
Ax, Ay, and Az are the components of vector A
along the directions of x, y, and z.
Ax i  Ay j  Az k
• |A| = A  A x  A y  A z & aˆ 
2 2 2
Ax  Ay  Az

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Example 1
A vector A is given as A  2i  3 j sketch A and determine its magnitude and unit
vector.

Graphical representation of vector A is shown

below, A  Ax i  Ay j  Az k
z A  2i  3 j  0k
Ax  2, Ay  3 & Az  0
ẑ A | A |
2 2
Ax  Ay  Az
2
ĵ 3
iˆ y
 2 2  32  0 2  13
2
A 2i  3 j
x A aˆ  
A 13
Example 2
A vector B is shown in Figure below. Find its magnitude and unit vector.
z
The magnitude of vector B is
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B 2 2 2
3 B | B | Bx  B y  Bz
2
1  2 2  52  4 2
1 2 3 4 5
1 y  45
2
x
The components of vector B are The unit vecto r of vector B is
B x  2, B y  5 & Bz  4 B
aˆ 
B
2i  5 j  4k
The vector B can be written as 
45
B  Bx i  B y j  Bz k  2i  5 j  4k
 Vector Addition and Subtraction
Graphically, vector addition and subtraction can be obtained
by using either head-to-tail rule or parallelogram rule.

A
B -B
A
D=A–B
or
B C=A+B D = A + (– B) A

In a cartesian coordinate system

C  A  B   Ax i  Ay j  Az k    Bx i  B y j  Bz k 
  Ax  Bx  i   Ay  B y  j   Az  Bz k 
D  A  B   Ax i  Ay j  Az k    Bx i  B y j  Bz k 
  Ax  Bx  i   Ay  B y  j   Az  Bz k 
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 Position and Distance Vectors
z
P(xp,yp,zp)
The position vector of point P is defined as
the direct distance from the origin O to P Rp
R p  OP  x p i  y p j  z p k O y

x
The distance vector is the displacement from one point to another
The distance vector between points P and Q is P(xp,yp,zp)

R pq  PQ  R q  R p Rp
Rpq
R pq  ( xq  x p )i  ( y q  y p ) j  ( z q  z p )k
O
Rq
Distance, d pq  ( xq  x p )  ( y q  y p )  ( z q  z p )
2 2 2 Q(xq,yq,zq)

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 Example 3

Two points P1 & P2 are respectively located at (-3,-2,-5) & (2,-4,3) in a Cartesian
coordinate system. Find the position vectors of the points and determine the distance
between them.

z
The position vectors for points
-3
3
-2
P1 and P2 are given by
P2(2,-4,3) 2
1 -1 R1  OP 1  x1i  y1 j  z1k
y
-4 -3 -2 1-1 1 2 3
-1  3i  2 j  5k
2 -2
3 P1(-3,-2,-5)
x
-3 R 2  OP 2  x2 i  y 2 j  z 2k
-4
-5  2i  4 j  3k
 Example 3 (cont.)
Two points P1 & P2 are respectively located at (-3,-2,-5) & (2,-4,3) in a Cartesian
coordinate system. Find the position vectors of the points and determine the distance
between them.

The distance vector from P1 to P2 is

z
R12  P1 P2  R 2  R1
3 -3  ( 2i  4 j  3k )  ( 3i  2 j  5k )
P2(2,-4,3) 2 -2
R2 1 -1
 ( 2  3)i  (4  2) j  (3  5)k
y  5i  2 j  8k
-4 -3 -2 1-1 1 2 3
R12 -1 R1
2 -2 The distance between P1 and P2 is
3 -3
x -4
P1(-3,-2,5)
d | R12 |  5 2    2  2   8 2  93 unit
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 Vector Multiplication
Simple product: (vector) (scalar) = vector
B = kA = kAâ

The product is vector B whose the magnitude is kA & direction is the same as that of A.

Dot product: (vector) • (vector) = scalar

A • B = AB cos θ
where A and B are the magnitudes of A and B and θ is the angle between A and B.

Cross product: (vector) x (vector) = vector

A X B = AB sin θ
n̂
where A and B are the magnitudes of A and B, θ is the angle between the two vectors and the direction of
n̂
is identified by
using right hand rule

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Simple Product
 Multiplication of Vector by Scalar

The product is vector B whose the magnitude is kA & direction is the same as
that of A.

B  kA  aˆkA   kAx  i   kAy  j   kAz  k

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Dot Product (or Scalar Product)
B
Definition: A • B = AB cos θAB 0  

Since cos 90°=0, cos 0 = 1, and

θ
magnitude of unit vectors is 1.
A
Thus,
i  i  j j  k  k  1 B cos θ
i  j  jk  k  i  0
A
and
A  A  A2

The projection of vector B

If A = (Ax,Ay,Az) and B = (Bx,By,Bz), then along the direction of vector A
A  B  ( Ax i  Ay j  Az k )  ( Bx i  B y j  Bz k )
A  B  Ax Bx  Ay B y  Az Bz
 Example 4

Find the dot product of vector A = (1,3,-2) and vector B = (-2,4,-1). Then, calculate the
smallest angle, θ between the vectors?

The dot product of A and B is

A · B = 1(-2) + 3(4) + (-2)(-1) = 12

12 = A · B = |A||B| cos θ
 12  32  ( 2) 2 ( 2) 2  4 2  ( 1) 2 cos 
 14 21 cos 

which implies θ = 45.6°

Cross Product
Definition: A X B = AB sin θAB n̂ 0  

where θ is the angle between A and B, and n̂ is a unit vector normal to the plane
containing A and B.
AXB
B

B sin θ
n̂ θ
A

Direction is determined by Magnitude is the area of the parallelogram formed by

using right hand rule vectors A and B.

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Cross Product (cont.)
Since sin 90°=1, sin 0 = 0, and magnitude of unit vectors is 1.
Thus,
i  i  j j  k  k  0
i  j  k , j  k  i, k  i  j
and
AA  0

If A = (Ax,Ay,Az) and B = (Bx,By,Bz), then

A  B  ( Ax i  Ay j  Az k )  ( Bx i  B y j  Bz k )
A  B   Ay Bz - Az B y  i   Az Bx - Ax Bz  j   Ax B y - Ay Bx k

 i j k 
 
A  B   Ax Ay Az 
 Bx By Bz 
 

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 Example 5

Determine A x B if A  2x
ˆ  3y
ˆ  4z
ˆ and B  x
ˆ y
ˆ z
ˆ

The cross product of A and B is

i j k
AB  2 3 4
1 1 1
 ( 3  4)i  ( 2  4) j  ( 2  3)k
 i  2j  k
 Scalar Triple Product
Scalar Triple product: (scalar) (vector) = scalar
The dot product of a vector with the cross product of two aother vector. The output is scalar

A   B  C  B   C  A   C   A  B 

Ax Ay Az
A. B  C   Bx By Bz
Cx Cy Cz

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 Vector Triple Product
Vector Triple product: (vector) (vector) = vector
The cross product of a vector with the cross product of two aother vector. The output is vector

A   B  C

A   B  C   A  B   C

A   B  C  B C  A   C A  B 

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 Example 6
Given A  i  3 j  2k B  jk and C  - 2i  3k
Find (AXB)XC and compare it with AX(BXC)

The cross product of A and B is

i j k
AB  1 1 2  3i  j  k
0 1 1

i j k
 A  B  C   3 1 1  3i  7 j  2k
2 0 3

A similar AX B  C   2i  4 j  2k