PHYSICS (Pmph120)

VECTORS AND SCALARS

 VECTORS AND SCALARS
 When a physical quantity is described by a single number, we call it a
scalar quantity

 Scaler quantities are Quantities that have only magnitude and have no direction
are called scalar quantities. You can specify them by a number and a unit. Scalar
quantities obey the ordinary rule of algebra.

 Vector quantities are quantities that have both magnitude and direction.
They are added and subtracted according to special laws such as the
parallelogram law of addition and triangle law of addition.
 VECTORS AND SCALARS
VECTORS QUANTITY SCALER QUANTITY
1. force 1. speed
2. velocity 2. distance
3. acceleration 3. temperature
4. electric field intensity 4. electric current
5. displacement, 5. work
CON’
Representation of a vector
We can represent a vector in either print or graphically
In print, a vector quantity is represented by a bold letter such as A or 𝒂 and in handwriting it is
represented by 𝐴⃗ or 𝑎⃗. The magnitude of a vector 𝐴⃗ is written as |𝐴⃗| or simply 𝐴 and is called
modulus of the vector 𝐴⃗.

Graphical, A vector is represented graphically by a straight line with an arrow head denoting the
direction of
the vector. The length of the line denoting the magnitude
SOME IMPORTANT DEFINATION
EQUALS VECTORS:
Two vectors, say 𝐴⃗ and 𝐵⃗⃗ are said to be equal if they have same magnitude i.e. |𝐴⃗| = |𝐵⃗⃗| and
point
in the same direction, as shown in figure 2.2
CO-PLANAR VECTOR

Vectors which are confined to the same plane are called co-planar vectors, as shown in figure 2.3.
NEGATIVE VECTOR’
The negative of a given vector say 𝐴⃗ is a vector with the same magnitude but points in the
opposite direction to that of a given vector.
POSITION VECTOR’
A vector representing the position of a point with respect to an arbitrary origin is called position
vector. In the diagram below, the position vector of P with respect to O is represented by ⃗𝑂⃗⃗⃗𝑃⃗⃗,
where O is the origin and P is a point in space
GEOMETRICAL ADDITION OF VECTORS

 The rules for vector addition are conveniently described by a graphical method
 To add vector B to vector A first draw vector A on graph paper, with its magnitude
represented by a convenient length scale, and then draw vector B to the same scale, with
its tail starting from the tip of A.
ADDITION OF VECTORS
TRIANGLE METHOD: All vectors involved in any addition process must have same units. The rules
for vector sums can be illustrated by using graphical method.

Given two vectors say 𝐴⃗ and 𝐵

TRIANGLE METHOD’

To add vector 𝐵⃗⃗ to vector 𝐴⃗, we first draw vector 𝐴⃗ on a graph paper with its magnitude
represented
by a convenient scale, and then draw vector 𝐵⃗⃗ to the same scale with its tail coinciding with arrow
head of vector 𝐴⃗. Thus, the resultant vector 𝑅⃗⃗ is the vector drawn from tail of 𝐴⃗ to the head
of 𝐵⃗⃗.

From cosine rule we get:

PARALLELOGRAM METHOD
An alternative graphical method for adding two vectors is the parallelogram rule of addition. In
this method, we superpose the tails of two vectors 𝐴⃗ and 𝐵⃗⃗. If two adjacent sides of a parallelogram
represent two given vectors, then the diagonal starting from the point of intersection of the vectors
represents the vector sum, as shown in figure
SUBTRACTION OF TWO VECTORS
To subtract vector 𝐵⃗⃗ from vector 𝐴⃗, we add the negative of vector 𝐵⃗⃗ to vector 𝐴⃗, as follows
COMPONENT OF VECTORS
 Adding vectors graphically is not recommended in situations where high precision is needed or in
three-dimensional problems. A better way is to make use of the projections of a vector along the
axes of a rectangular coordinate system.
• In a Cartesian coordinate system, the unit vectors along
𝑥, 𝑦 and 𝑧 directions are represented by 𝒊, 𝒋 and 𝒌 and these are called orthogonal unit vectors.
For example, 4𝒊, 6𝒋 and 2𝒌 represent vectors of magnitudes 4, 6 and 2 along 𝑥, 𝑦 and 𝑧 directions
respectively
COMPONENTS OF A VECTOR’
Consider a vector 𝑟⃗ lying in the 𝑥𝑦 plane and making an angle 𝜃 with the positive 𝑥-axis.

The vector 𝑟⃗ can be resolved into 𝑥 and 𝑦 components as shown in figure

Thus 𝑟⃗ = 𝑥𝒊 + 𝑦𝒋 or 𝑟⃗ = 𝑥𝑖 ⃗ + 𝑦𝑗 ⃗
 COMPONENTS OF VECTORS
 This graphical method of adding vectors is helpful conceptually, but to obtain accurate
results, we must use trigonometry.
 Vector components are projections of a vector onto the and
COMPONENT OF VECTOR

From the triangle OAP in figure 2.12, we get the following trigonometric relations ;

In this case, 𝑥 and 𝑦 are called Cartesian coordinates; and 𝑟 and 𝜃 are called polar coordinates. By
applying Pythagoras theorem to triangle OAP, we obtain the relation
COMPONENT VECTOR
ADDITION OF MORE THAN TWO VECTORS (COMPOSITION
OF VECTORS) GRAPHICAL METHOD
 This may be done with the help of a polygon law of vector addition. A vector polygon is drawn
placing the tail end of each succeeding vector at the end of the preceding one.

 The resultant 𝑅⃗⃗ is drawn with the tail end of the first vector to the head of the last one.
COMPONENT METHOD
If the vectors are in the same plane, they can be resolved into two mutually perpendicular
directions. Suppose 𝐴⃗ = 𝐴𝑋𝑖 ⃗ + 𝐴𝑌𝑗 ⃗, 𝐵⃗⃗ = 𝐵𝑋𝑖 ⃗ + 𝐵𝑌𝑗 ⃗, 𝐶⃗ = 𝐶𝑋𝑖 ⃗ + 𝐶𝑌𝑗 ⃗ and 𝐷⃗⃗⃗ = 𝐷𝑋𝑖 ⃗ + 𝐷𝑌𝑗 ⃗.
VECTOR ADDITION

 Suppose a particle undergoes a displacement followed by a second displacement

The final result is the same as if the particle had started at the same initial point and
undergone a single displacement . We call displacement the vector sum, or
resultant.

 The order in which the vectors are added does not matter: A + B = B + A
 GRAPHICAL ADDITION OF VECTORS (POLYGON METHOD)

 A geometric construction can also be used to add more than two vectors

 Geometric construction for summing three vectors. The resultant vector is by

definition the one that completes the polygon
ADDING VECTORS THAT ARE (A) PARALLEL AND (B)
ANTIPARALLEL
ADDING VECTORS THAT ARE (A) PARALLEL AND (B) ANTIPARALLEL CON’
VECTOR SUBTRACTION

 To construct the vector difference , you can either place the tail of at the head
of or place the two vectors and head to head.

 We can subtract vectors as well as add them. We know that a vector has the same
magnitude as but in opposite direction. We define the difference of two vectors
and to be the vector sum of and
MULTIPLYING A VECTOR BY A SCALAR
MULTIPLYING A VECTOR BY A SCALAR CON’
 The angle θ is measured from the , rotating towards the

 caution components are not vectors The components and of a vector Are numbers; they
are not vectors themselves.
 THE COMPONENTS OF A VECTOR MAY BE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE NUMBERS

This graphical method of adding vectors is helpful conceptually, but to obtain accurate results, we must use trigonometry
THE COMPONENTS OF A VECTOR MAY BE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE NUMBERS CON’
FINDING A VECTOR’S MAGNITUDE AND DIRECTION FROM ITS COMPONENTS
 We can describe a vector completely by giving either its magnitude and direction or
its x- and y-components
 We can find the magnitude and direction if we know the components by applying the
Pythagorean theorem.
 From the diagram we find that the magnitude of vector is

A Ax 2  Ay 2
 FINDING A VECTOR’S MAGNITUDE AND DIRECTION FROM ITS COMPONENTS CON’

 The expression for the vector direction comes from the definition of the tangent of an angle.

Ay AY
tan   ,   arctan
Ax Ax
A VECTOR IN THREE DIMENSIONS
EXAMPLE 1

Three successive displacements are shown in

the figure.
Find the Resultant Vector
The Magnitude of the Resultant vector .
The direction of the resultant vector

.
SOLUTION

 The angles of the vectors, measured from the +x-axis toward the +y-axis,

 The angle for vector is (190.0°- 32.0°) = 58.0°,

 The angle for vector (180.0° + 36.0°) = 216.0°

 The angle for vector 270.0°, respectively.

SOLUTION CON’
SOLUTION CON’
 SOLUTION CON’

 Comparing the angle calculated to the angle in the figure, shows that the calculated angle is clearly off by
180°.
 The correct value the angle is °
 EXAMPLE 2
B
Four coplanar forces act on a body at point 0 as shown. Find
The resultant vector C
The magnitude of the resultant vector
The direction of the resultant vector

E
SOLUTION CON’
 SOLUTION CON’

 The resultant

 The magnitude of the resultant vector

 SOLUTION CON’

 The direction of the resultant vector, tan= 29

 Comparing the angle calculated to the angle in the figure, shows that the calculated
angle is clearly off by 180°. The correct value the angle is
 EXAMPLE 3

Four coplanar forces act on a body at point 0 as shown. Find

The resultant vector
The magnitude of the resultant vector
The direction of the resultant vector
 UNIT VECTOR

 A unit vector is a dimensionless vector having a magnitude of exactly 1

 Unit vectors are used to specify a given direction and have no other physical significance
 Its only purpose is to point that is, to describe a direction in space. Unit vectors provide a convenient notation for many
expressions involving components of vectors
 We will always include a caret, or “hat” (^), in the symbol for a unit vector to distinguish it from ordinary vectors whose
magnitude may or may not be equal to 1
 In an xy-coordinate system we can define a unit vector that points in the direction of the positive x-axis and a unit vector
that points in the direction of the positive y-axis
UNIT VECTOR CON’
 UNIT VECTOR CON’

 Using unit vectors, we can express the vector sum of two vectors and as follows:
UNIT VECTOR CON’