4.

Motion in a plane (Part – 1)

 Scalar and Vector quantities
 Equality of vectors
 Multiplication of vectors by a real number
 Addition and subtraction of vectors
 Unit vector
 Resolution of a vector in a plane
 Rectangular component of a vector
 Scalar and vector product of vectors
 Scalars
The physical quantities which have only magnitude but no
direction, are called scalar quantities or simply called as scalars.
 Examples of scalar quantities :-
• 2 kg sugar tells about the magnitude of its mass, but has no
direction.
• Mass, length, time, distance covered, temperature, area, volume,
density, temperature etc. are a few examples of scalars.
• The scalars can be added, subtracted, multiplied and divided by
ordinary laws of algebra.
• A scalar is specified by mere number and unit, where number
represents its magnitude.
• A scalar may be positive or negative. A scalar can be represented
by a single letter.
 Vectors
 The physical quantities which have both magnitude and direction and obey
the laws of vector addition are called vector quantities or simply called as
vectors.
 Examples of vector quantities :-
• Displacement, velocity, acceleration, force etc., are a few examples of
vectors.
• Vectors cannot be added, subtracted, and multiplied by ordinary laws of
algebra.
• A vector in writing, can be represented either by a single letter in bold face
or by a single letter with an arrow head on it. Displacement = S (or) s
• Geometrically or graphically, a vector is represented by a straight line with
an arrow head

• Here the length of the arrowed line drawn on a suitable scale represents the
magnitude and the arrow head represents the direction of the given vector.
 Equality of vectors
• Two vectors A and B are said to be equal if, and only if, they have the same
magnitude and the same direction.

• Fig.(a) shows to equal vectors A and B. If A shift parallel to itself until its
tail O coincides with Q, then their tips P and S also coincide. Here equality
is indicated as A = B
• Fig.(b) shows, vectors A’ and B’ have the same magnitude but they are not
equal because they have different directions. Even if we shift A’ parallel to
itself so that its tail O’ coincides with the tail Q’ of B’, the tip P’ of A’ does
not coincide with the tip S’ of B’.
 Multiplication of a vector by a real number

• When a vector A is multiplied by a real number k, we get

another vector kA. The magnitude of kA is k times the
magnitude of A. If
• (a) k is positive, then the direction of kA is same as that of A.
• (b) k is negative, then the direction of kA is opposite to that of
A

• A A

• B = 2A B = - 2A
 Addition of vectors
• As the vectors have both magnitude and direction, so
they can not be added by using ordinary rules of algebra.
• Vectors can be added geometrically.
• The following three laws of vector addition can be used to
add two or more vectors having any inclination to each
other.
• (1) Triangle law of vector addition (for adding two vectors)
• (2) Parallelogram law of vector addition ( for adding two
vectors)
• (3) Polygon law of vector addition (for adding more than
two vectors)
1. Triangle law of vector addition
• If two vectors can be represented both in magnitude and direction by the two
sides of a triangle taken in the same order, then their resultant is represented
completely, both in magnitude and direction, by the third side of the triangle
taken in the opposite order.

• Suppose we wish to add two vectors A and B. Draw a vector OP equal and
parallel to vector A. From head of P of OP, draw a vector PQ equal and parallel
to vector B. Then the resultant vector is given by OQ which joins the tail of A
and head of B.
• According to triangle law of vector addition,
• OQ = OP + PQ
• R = A+B
2. Parallelogram law of vector addition
• If two vectors can be represented both in magnitude and direction by the
two adjacent sides of a parallelogram drawn from a common point, then
their resultant is completely represented, both in magnitude and
direction, by the diagonal of the parallelogram passing through that point.
Proof:
Let us consider two vectors A and B inclined to each other at an angle θ be
represented both magnitude and direction by the adjacent sides OP and
OQ of the parallelogram OPSQ. Then according to the parallelogram law of
vector addition, the resultant of A and B is represented both in magnitude
and direction by the diagonal OS of the parallelogram.
Parallelogram law of vector addition. . . .
Parallelogram law of vector addition . . .
Parallelogram law of vector addition. . . .
3. Polygon law of vector addition
• If a number of vectors are represented both in magnitude and direction by
the sides of an open polygon taken in the same order, then their resultant
is represented both in magnitude and direction by the closing side of the
polygon taken in opposite order.

• We apply triangle law of vector addition to different triangles of the

polygon as shown.
 Subtraction of vectors
• Subtraction of vectors can be defined in terms of addition of vectors.
• We define the difference of two vectors A and B as the sum of two vectors
A and –B: A – B = A + (-B).
• It is shown in fig. The vector –B is added to vector A to get R2 = (A – B).
• The vector R1 = A + B is also shown in the same figure for comparison.
 Unit vector
• A unit vector is a vector of unit magnitude drawn in the direction of a
given vector.
• A unit vector in the direction of a given vector is found by dividing the
given vector by its modulus.
• Thus a unit vector in the direction of vector A is given by

• A unit vector in the direction of a given vector A is written as

and is pronounced as ‘A carat’ or ‘A hat’ or ‘A cap’.
• Any vector can be expressed as the magnitude times the unit vector along
its own direction.
 Resolution of a vector in a plane
• It is the process of splitting a vector into two or more vectors in such a way
that their combined effect is same as that of the given vector.
• The vectors into which the given vector is splitted are called component
vectors.
• The resolution of a vector is just opposite to the process of vector
addition.
• Resolution of a vector along two given directions
Resolution of a vector ….
• Suppose we wish to resolve a vector R in the direction of two
coplanar and non-parallel vectors A and B, as shown.
• Suppose OQ represents vector R. Through O and Q draw lines
parallel to vectors A and B respectively to meet at point P.
From triangle law of vector addition, OQ = OP + PQ
• As OP is parallel to A, OP = λ A
• As PQ is parallel to B, PQ = μ B
• Here λ and μ are scalars. Hence
R=λA+μB
• Thus vector R has been resolved in the directions of A and B.
Here λ A is the component of R in the direction of A and μ B
is the component in the direction of B.
 Orthogonal triad of unit vectors : Base vectors

• In a Cartesian coordinate system, three unit vectors i , j , k are used to

represent the positive directions of X – axis, Y – axis, Z - axis respectively.
• These three mutually perpendicular unit vectors are collectively known as
orthogonal triad of unit vectors or base vectors.
 Rectangular components of a vector
• When a vector is resolved along two mutually perpendicular directions,
the components so obtained are called rectangular components of the
given vector.

• According to parallelogram law of vector addition

OP = OM + ON or A = Ax + Ay = Ax i + Ay j
Here Ax = A cos θ and Ay = A sin θ
Ax2 + Ay2 = A2
 Scalar or dot product of two vectors
• The scalar or dot product of two vectors A and B is defined as the product
of the magnitudes of A and B and cosine of the angle θ between them.
• A . B = |A| |B| cos θ = AB cos θ
Properties of scalar product of two vectors
1. The scalar product is commutative i.e.,
A.B=B.A
2. The scalar product is distributive over addition i.e.,
A.(B+C)= A.B+A.C
3. If A and B are two vectors perpendicular to each other, then their scalar
product is zero.
A . B = ABcos900 = 0
4. If A and B are two parallel vectors, then their scalar product has the
maximum positive magnitude.
A . B = A B cos 00 = A B
5. If A and B are two anti parallel vectors, then their scalar product has the
maximum negative magnitude.
A . B = A B cos 1800 = - A B
6. Scalar product of two similar base vectors is unity and that of two
different base vectors is zero.
Scalar product in terms of rectangular components
• We can express A and B in terms of their rectangular components as
 Vector or cross product of two vectors
• The vector or cross product of two vectors is defined as the vector whose
magnitude is equal to the product of the magnitude of two vectors and
sine of the angle between them and whose direction is perpendicular to
the plane of the two vectors.
• Mathematically, if θ is the angle between vectors A and B, then

• Where is a unit vector perpendicular to the plane of A and B and

its direction is given by right hand rule.
• Thus, the direction of A x B is same as that of unit vector .
The direction of Rule for determining A x B
• Right hand thumb rule:
As shown in figure, curl the fingers of the right hand in such a way that
they point in the direction A to B through the smaller angle, then the
stretched thumb points in the direction of A x B.
Properties of Vector product
• Vector product is anti-commutative i.e.,
A x B = - ( B x A)
• Vector product is distributive over addition i.e.,
A x ( B + C ) = ( A x B ) + (A x C )
• Vector product of two parallel or anti parallel vectors is a null vector.
• Vector product of a vector with itself is a null vector.
• The magnitude of the vector product of two mutually perpendicular
vectors is equal to the product of their magnitudes.
ǀ A x B ǀ = ABsin900 = AB
• Vector product of orthogonal unit vectors
Vector product in terms of rectangular components

• We can express A and B in terms of their rectangular components as

Vector product in terms of rectangular components . . . .