Recitation Week 2

Chapter 3

Problem 3.24. Given the vectors A = 2.00i + 6.00j and B = 3.00i 2.00j, (a) draw the vector sum C = A + B and the
vector difference D = A B. (b) Calculate C and D, in terms of unit vectors. (c) Calculate C and D in terms of polar
coordinates, with angles measured with respect to the positive x axis.

(a)

D
B

A
B

A
C

(b)

C = A + B = (2.00i + 6.00j) + (3.00i 2.00j) (1)

= (2.00 + 3.00)i + (6.00 2.00)j = 5.00i + 4.00j (2)
D = A B = (2.00i + 6.00j) (3.00i 2.00j) (3)
= (2.00 3.00)i + (6.00 + 2.00)j = 1.00i + 8.00j (4)

(c)
q p
rC = C2x + C2y = 5.002 + 4.002 = 6.40 (5)
   
Cy 4.00
C = arctan = arctan = 38.7 (6)
Cx 5.00
q p
rD = D2x + D2y = (1.00)2 + 8.002 = 8.06 (7)
   
Dy 8.00
D = arctan = arctan = 97.1 (8)
Dx 1.00

Be careful with any arctan() evaluations. The standard arctan() has a range of 90 (or /2 in radians), which means that
vectors with negative x values will need some manual correction. For example, arctan(8/(1)) = 82.9 , but that points
down and to the right, not up and to the left like D. You can correct for such back side angles by adding 180 , which gives
82.9 + 180 = 97.1 , the correct angle for D.

(1, 8)

97.1
180.0
x
82.9

(1, 8)

The reason for the ambiguity is that 82.9 corresponds to arctan(8/1) which does point down and to the right. There is
no way for the arctan() function to give different value for 8/(1) than it does for 8/1, so you have to make the adjustment
by hand. If your calculator has an atan2() function, its a good idea to use that instead, as it handles any back side
corrections automatically.
Problem 3.28. In a game of American football, a quarterback takes the ball from the line of scrimmage, runs backward a
distance of 10.0 yards, and then runs sideways parallel to the line of scrimmage for 15.0 yards. At this point, he throws a
forward pass downfield 50.0 yards perpendicular to the line of scrimmage. What is the magnitude of the footballs resultant
displacement?
 pass

scramble
lt
resu

drop

The resultant displacement is

r = d + s + p = (10.0i + 15.0j + 50.0i) yards = (40.0i + 15.0j) yards (9)

Which has a magnitude q p

|r| = r2x + r2y = 40.02 + 15.02 yards = 42.7 yards (10)

Problem 3.29. The helicopter view in Fig. P3.29 shows two people pulling on a stubborn mule. The person on the right
pulls with a force F1 of magnitude 120 N and direction 1 = 60.0 . The person on the left pulls with a force F2 of magnitude
80.0 N and direction of 2 = 75.0 . Find (a) the single force that is equivalent to the two forces shown and (b) the force that
a third person would have to exert on the mule to make the resultant force equal to zero. The forces are measured in units of
newtons (symbolized N).

y F1
F2

2 1
x

(a)

Ftot = F1 + F2 = |F1 |(cos(1 )i + sin(1 )j) + |F2 |( cos(2 )i + sin(2 )j) (11)
= [|F1 | cos(1 ) |F2 | cos(2 )]i + [|F1 | sin(1 ) + |F2 | sin(2 )]j (12)
= {[120 cos(60.0 ) 80.0 cos(75.0 )]i + [120 sin(60.0 ) + 80.0 sin(75.0 )]j} N (13)
= (39.3i + 181j) N (14)

Or, in polar coordinates

q p
|Ftot | = F2tot,x + F2tot,y = 39.32 + 1812 N = 185 N (15)
   
Ftot,y 181
tot = arctan = arctan = 77.8 (16)
Ftot,x 39.3

where tot is measured from the positive x axis.

(b) The third person must balance the force from the first two people, so

F3 = (F1 + F2 ) = (39.3i + 181j) N (17)

|F3 | = |F1 + F2 | = 185 N (18)

3 = 77.8 180 = 102.2 or 257.8 (19)

Problem 3.36. Three displacement vectors of a croquet ball are shown in Figure P3.36, where |A| = 20.0 units, |B| =
40.0 units, and |C| = 30.0 units. Find (a) the resultant in unit-vector notation and (b) the magnitude and direction of the
resultant displacement.
 y B
A

(a)

y B

C
A r

The resultant displacement is

r=A+B+C (20)
= {20.0j + 40.0[cos(45 )i + sin(45 )j] + 30.0[cos(45 )i + sin(45 )j]} units (21)
= (49.5i + 27.1j) units (22)

(b)
q p
|r| = r2x + r2y = 49.52 + 27.12 units = 56.4 units (23)
 
27.1
r = arctan = 28.7 (24)
49.5

Problem 3.43. You are standing on the ground at the origin of a coordinate system. An airplane flies over you with constant
velocity parallel to the x axis at a fixed height of 7.60 103 m. At time t = 0, the airplane is directly above you so that the
vector leading from you to it is P0 = 7.60 103j m. At t = 30.0 s, the position vector leading from you to the airplane is
P30 = (8.04 103i + 7.60 103j) m as suggested in Figure P3.43. Determine the magnitude and orientation of the airplanes
position vector at t = 45.0 s.

R30
R0

The airplane is flying at a constant velocity, so well compute that velocity first,

P30 P0 (8.04 103i + 7.60 103j) m 7.60 103j m

v= = (25)
t30 t0 30.0 s 0 s
3
8.04 10 i
= m/s = 268i m/s (26)
30.0
Which is, as claimed in the problem text, parallel to the x axis.
The position at t = 45.0 s is therefore

P45 = P0 + v(t45 t0 ) = 7.60 103j m + 268i m/s (45.0 s 0 s) (27)

= (12.1 103i + 7.60 103j) m = (12.1i + 7.60j) km (28)
q p
|P45 | = P245,x + P245,y = 12.12 + 7.602 km = 14.3 km (29)
   
P45,y 7.60
45 = arctan = arctan = 32.2 (30)
P45,x 12.1

Problem 3.63. A rectangular parallelpiped has dimensions a, b, and c as shown in Figure 3.63. (a) Obtain a vector
and R2 make
expression for the face diagonal vector R1 . (b) What is the magnitude of this vector? (c) Notice that R1 , ck,
a right triangle. Obtain a vector expression for the body diagonal vector R2 .

(a)
R1 = ai + bj (31)

(b) q p
|R1 | = R21,x + R21,y = a2 + b2 (32)

(c)
= ai + bj + ck
R2 = R1 + ck (33)