Motion in A Plane Part 1 CH4
Motion in A Plane Part 1 CH4
• 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
• 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.