Chapter 3: Vectors

3.1 Coordinate Systems

3.2 Vector and Scalar Quantities
3.3 Some Properties of Vectors
3.4 Components of a Vector and Unit Vectors
 Chương 3: Vectơ

3.1 Các hệ tọa độ

3.2 Các đại lượng vô hướng và vectơ
3.3 Một số tính chất của vectơ
3.4 Các thành phần của vectơ và vectơ đơn vị
 Vectors
• Vector quantities: đại lượng vecto
– Một vecto thì có điểm đặt, phương, chiều, và
độ lớn
• Trong toán học thì có phép cộng và phép
trừ vecto
– Addition (phép cộng)
– Subtraction (phép trừ)
 3.1 Coordinate Systems
(Hệ trục tọa độ)
• Trong chuyển động cơ học cần sử dụng hệ
trục tọa độ để xác định vị trí của vật.
• Hệ trục tọa độ phổ biến gồm:
– Cartesian (Hệ tọa độ Descarte)
– Polar (Hệ tọa độ cực)
Cartesian Coordinate System
• Also called rectangular
coordinate system
• x- and y- axes intersect at
the origin
• Points are labeled (x,y)
 Polar Coordinate System
• Origin and reference line
are noted
• Point have distance r from
the origin in the direction of
angle  with reference line
– The reference line is
often the x-axis.
• Points are labeled (r,)
 Polar to Cartesian Coordinates
• Based on forming a right
triangle from r and q
• x = r cos q
• y = r sin q
• If the Cartesian
coordinates are known:

y
tan 
x
r  x2  y 2
 Example 3.1
• The Cartesian
coordinates of a point in
the xy plane are (x,y) = (-
3.50, -2.50) m, as shown
in the figure. Find the
polar coordinates of this
point.
Solution: From Equation
3.4,
r  x2  y 2 y  2.50 m
tan   0.714
 (  3.50 m)2  (  2.50 m)2 x  3.50 m
 216 (signs give quadrant)
4.30 m
 3.2 Vector and Scalar Quantities
(Đại lượng vecto và đại lượng vô hướng
 3.3 Some Properties of Vectors

Equality of Two Vectors

(Hai vecto bằng nhau)

A B
Adding Vectors Graphically
(Cộng vecto)
 Adding Vectors, Rules
• When two vectors are
added, the sum is
independent of the order of
the addition.
– This is the
Commutative Law of
Addition.

• A  B B  A
 Adding Vectors, Rules
• When adding three or more vectors, their sum is
independent of the way in which the individual
vectors are grouped.
– This
 is called the Associative Property of Addition.
•    
A  B C  A B C
 Negative of a Vector
• The negative of a vector is defined as
the vector that, when added to the original
vector, gives a resultant of zero.

– Represented as  A

– A   A  0
• The negative of the vector will have the
same magnitude, but point in the opposite
direction.
3.4 Components of a Vector
and Unit Vectors
 Components of a Vector,
Introduction
• A component is a
projection of a vector along
an axis.
– Any vector can be
completely described
by its components.
• It is useful to use
rectangular components.
– These are the
projections of the
vector along the x- and
y-axes.
 Vector Component Terminology
 
• are the component vectors
A x and A y of A .
– They are vectors and follow all the rules
for vectors.
• Ax and Ay are scalars, and will be referred to

as the components of A .
 Components of a Vector
• Assume you are given a

vector A
• It can be expressed in
terms of two other
 
vectors, A x and A y

• These three vectors

form a right triangle.

• A A x  A y
 Components of a Vector
• The x-component of a vector is the projection
along the x-axis.
Ax  A cos 

• The y-component of a vector is the projection

along the y-axis.
Ay  A sin

• This assumes the angle θ is measured with

respect to the x-axis.
– If not, do not use these equations, use the sides of
the triangle directly.
 Components of a Vector
• May still have to find θ with respect to the
positive x-axis
1
Ay
2
A A A
x
2
y and  tan
Ax

• In a problem, a vector may be specified by

its components or its magnitude and
direction.
Components of a Vector, final
• The components can be
positive or negative and
will have the same units
as the original vector.
• The signs of the
components will depend
on the angle.
 Unit Vectors
• A unit vector is a dimensionless vector
with a magnitude of exactly 1.
• Unit vectors are used to specify a direction
and have no other physical significance.
 Unit Vectors, cont.
• The symbols î , ĵ, andk̂
represent unit vectors
• They form a set of
mutually perpendicular
vectors in a right-handed
coordinate system
• The magnitude of each
unit vector is 1
ˆi  ˆj  kˆ 1
 Unit Vectors in Vector Notation
• Ax is the same as Ax î
and Ay is the same as
Ay ĵ etc.
• The complete vector
can be expressed

as:
A  Ax ˆi  Ay ˆj
 Position Vector, Example
• A point lies in the xy plane
and has Cartesian
coordinates of (x, y).
• The point can be specified
by the position vector.
• This gives the
components of the vector
and its coordinates.
rˆ  x ˆi  yˆj
Adding Vectors Using Unit Vectors


• Using R A  B

• Then 
  
R  Ax ˆi  Ay ˆj  Bx ˆi  By ˆj

R  Ax  Bx  ˆi  Ay  By  ˆj

R Rx ˆi  Ry ˆj
Ry
R  Rx2  Ry2  tan 1
Rx

• So Rx = Ax + Bx and Ry = Ay + By
Adding Vectors with Unit Vectors
• Note the relationships
among the components of
the resultant and the
components of the
original vectors.
• Rx = A x + Bx
• Ry = A y + By
Three-Dimensional Extension

• Using R A  B
• Then 
  
R  Ax ˆi  Ay ˆj  Azkˆ  Bx ˆi  By ˆj  Bzkˆ

R  Ax  Bx  ˆi   Ay  By  ˆj  Az  Bz kˆ

R Rx ˆi  Ry ˆj  Rzkˆ
Rx
R  Rx2  Ry2  Rz2  x cos 1 , etc.
R

• So Rx= Ax+Bx, Ry= Ay+By, and Rz = Az+Bz

Adding Three or More Vectors

• The same method can be extended to

adding three or more vectors.
• Assume  
R A  B  C

• And 
R  Ax  Bx  Cx  ˆi   Ay  By  Cy  ˆj
  Az  Bz  Cz kˆ