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Vectors Notes

This document discusses types of vectors and calculations with vectors. It begins by defining scalar and vector quantities, with scalars having magnitude but no direction and vectors having both magnitude and direction. It then discusses different types of vectors including position, equal, negative/inverse, and parallel vectors. It also covers unit vectors, scaling vectors, and methods for adding vectors including the triangular and parallelogram laws. The document provides examples of evaluating vectors and solving problems involving vector concepts like collinearity and calculating vector magnitudes.

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r6h
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26 views

Vectors Notes

This document discusses types of vectors and calculations with vectors. It begins by defining scalar and vector quantities, with scalars having magnitude but no direction and vectors having both magnitude and direction. It then discusses different types of vectors including position, equal, negative/inverse, and parallel vectors. It also covers unit vectors, scaling vectors, and methods for adding vectors including the triangular and parallelogram laws. The document provides examples of evaluating vectors and solving problems involving vector concepts like collinearity and calculating vector magnitudes.

Uploaded by

r6h
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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VECTORS

TYPES OF VECTORS AND CALCULATIONS


Prepared by: The Mathematics Department
For Campion College Only
2
Prepared by: Campion College use
only.

Scalar Quantity
 A scalar quantity has magnitude, but not direction.

 For example, a pen may have length "10 cm". The length 10
cm is a scalar quantity - it has magnitude, but no direction is
involved.

 Other scalar quantities include: Time, distance, temperature ,


etc.
3
Prepared by: Campion College use
only.

Vector Quantity - Definition


A vector is a quantity
that has size and
direction. The fancy
word for size is
"magnitude".
4
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Geometrically, we can picture a vector as a directed line
only.

segment, whose length is the magnitude of the vector


and with an arrow indicating the direction. The direction
of the vector is from its tail to its head.
5
Prepared by: Campion College use

Real Life Examples


only.

 Breathing (your diaphragm muscles exert a force


that has a magnitude and direction)
 Walking (you walk at a velocity of around 6 km/h in
the direction of the bathroom)
 Going to school (the bus has a length of about 20 m
and is headed towards your school)
 Lunch (the displacement from your class room to
the canteen is about 40 m in a northerly direction)
 Road signs
Vectors
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Prepared by: Campion College use

Vectors are represented by a directed line segment its


only.

length representing the magnitude and an arrow


indicating the direction
This vector is named
B
u



A AB or u
Column Vector Prepared by: Campion College use
only.
7
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TYPES OF VECTORS

Position
Equal
Negative
Parallel
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Prepared by: Campion College use
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Position Vectors
A position vector is a
vector whose initial
point is the origin.
Where is the origin?
POSITION VECTORS
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Prepared by: Campion College use
only.
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Prepared by: Campion College use

Equal Vectors
only.

Vectors are only


equal if they have
the same magnitude
and direction.
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Prepared by: Campion College use
only.

Example 1
13
Prepared by: Campion College use
only.

Example 2
Negative/Inverse vectors
Negative/Inverse vectors

Two vectors are said to be inverse vectors if


they both have the same magnitude and
opposite direction.

We note that the magnitude of each vector is


the same, but they are acting in opposite
directions. In such a case, we indicate the
opposite directions by use of a negative sign.
So we write: OA = −OB
Negative/Inverse vectors
PARALLEL VECTORS 18

Prepared by: Campion College use


only.
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Prepared by: Campion College use
only.

Unit Vectors
 AS unit vectors has a magnitude (length) of 1
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Prepared by: Campion College use
only.

Scaling using Unit Vectors


 A vector can be ‘scaled’ off the unit vector.
Here vector a is shown to be 2.5 times a
unit vector. Notice how they still point in the
same direction.
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Prepared by: Campion College use
only.

Unit Vectors in 2 Dimensions

 Here, it is shown that vector a is made up


of 2 ‘x’ unit vectors and 1.3 ‘y’ unit vectors.
A UNIT VECTOR 22
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only.
PROBLEM 23

Prepared by: Campion College use


only.
Evaluating Vectors
25
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The Triangular Law of Vector


Addition
26
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The Parallelogram Law of


Vector Addition
27
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only.
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Questions
PROBLEM
29
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PROBLEM 30
Prepared by: Campion College use
only.
Collinearity 31
Prepared by: Campion College use
only.

We have seen that if a vector v = ku then v must be parallel to u.


If vectors v and u also have a point in common then because
they are parallel they must lie on the same line so by definition
must be collinear.
   
   
If AB  k BC where k is a scalar then AB is parallel to BC.
If B is also a point in common to both AB and BC, then
A, B and C are said to be collinear.
COLLINEAR POINTS 32
Prepared by: Campion College use
only.

 These are points which lie on the same line.


 For Example:
A B C D

 If AB and BC are vectors. What name would best


describe them?

A B C D
Prove that the points A(2,4), B(8,6) and C(11,7) are collinear. 33
Prepared by: Campion College use
only.


 

AB  b  a BC  c  b
8  2 11  8 
       
 6  4  7   6
 6  3
   
 2 1
   
AB  2 BC  AB is parallel to BC

B is a point in common to both AB and BC so A, B and C are collinear


PROBLEM
34
Prepared by: Campion College use
only.
PROBLEM
35
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36

THE LENGTH (MAGNITUDE) OF A VECTOR


Prepared by: Campion College use
only.
THE LENGTH (MAGNITUDE) OF A VECTOR 37
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EXAMPLE 1 EXAMPLE 2
38
THE LENGTH (MAGNITUDE) OF A VECTOR
Prepared by: Campion College use
only.

EXAMPLE 3 EXAMPLE 4

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