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1 Intro Vectors

1. A vector is something that has both magnitude and direction, whereas a scalar only has magnitude. 2. Vectors can be represented as directed line segments with an arrow indicating the direction. 3. Two vectors are equal if they have the same magnitude and direction. Negative vectors have the opposite direction but the same magnitude. 4. Vectors can be added using the triangle law or parallelogram law by placing the tail of one vector at the head of another. Subtracting vectors is done by adding the negative of the second vector.

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49 views15 pages

1 Intro Vectors

1. A vector is something that has both magnitude and direction, whereas a scalar only has magnitude. 2. Vectors can be represented as directed line segments with an arrow indicating the direction. 3. Two vectors are equal if they have the same magnitude and direction. Negative vectors have the opposite direction but the same magnitude. 4. Vectors can be added using the triangle law or parallelogram law by placing the tail of one vector at the head of another. Subtracting vectors is done by adding the negative of the second vector.

Uploaded by

fahmi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Introduction to Vectors

Scalars and Vectors


SCALAR: something with magnitude only
VECTOR: something with magnitude and direction

Scalar or vector?

length? force? temperature?

velocity? speed? voltage?

time? volume? displacement?

Note: magnitude = size = modulus = length


Directed line segments
Represent vectors as directed line segments

magnitude is length of line segment


arrow is the direction from O to A
(So O is as important as A.)

Represent the direction of the line?: direction cosines


Notation
A

O
Many alternative notations:
OA a
OA, , OA, OA, OA, a, a, a, a ,

We typeset a and handwrite a


Magnitude of a written as |a|
(pronounced mod a)
Note |a| 0 (since lengths always 0)
Equality of vectors
Two vectors are equal if:
they have same magnitude and direction

a b c d

a = b, but c and d are different.

c has same direction as a, b (different magnitude)


d has same magnitude as a, b (different direction)
Negative vectors
a has same magnitude as a, but has opposite
direction

a a

So
| a| = |a|,
(magnitude mops up minus sign)
Resultant of two displacement vectors


Sum (resultant) of OP and PQ is OQ (obvious!)

Needs end of previous vector to coincide with next


Exercises
A
D

C

Simplify AB + BC DC


Simplify AC BC + BD
Adding vectors
Vectors are added in the same way as journeys
triangle law q
p

r
r=p+q

parallelogram law

a+b
b

a
Properties of addition

Commutativity
p+q=q+p

Associativity

(p + q) + r = p + (q + r)
Subtracting vectors
Just add the negative!

a b = a + (b)

Graphically:

b
a

c
b
b

Here c = a b
Scalar multiplication
Scalar multiplication: multiply vector by scalar
direction stays same
magnitude stretched by given scalar
(negative scalar reverses direction)

a 1
2a a
2

Parallel vectors: a = b where is a scalar


Unit vectors and the zero vector
Unit vectors

If |a| = 1, a is a unit vector


Given any old vector b, a unit vector may be made
from it:
b
b = , so that |b| = 1
|b|
b is pronounced b hat

Zero vector

If |b| = 0, then b is the zero vector


Coordinate vectors: i, j and k
y

z k

i, j, k are unit vectors parallel to the x, y , z Cartesian


coordinate axes
Follows that |i| = |j| = |k| = 1.
Note: hats are not used
Direction cosines
To represent the direction of a vector OA

y
A

r
z
O x

Define the direction cosines


x y z
cos = cos = cos =
r r r
The vector (cos , cos , cos ) is a unit vector (prove it!)

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