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Vector Basics

Vectors can be added and subtracted by lining up the arrows and combining them. Vectors have properties like commutativity, associativity, and distributivity when operating with scalars. Vectors can be expressed in coordinate systems with components in each axis direction. The dot product of two vectors results in a scalar and represents the projection of one vector onto the other. The cross product of two vectors produces a new vector perpendicular to both and its magnitude is equal to the area of the parallelogram formed by the two vectors.

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Edward Wong
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71 views4 pages

Vector Basics

Vectors can be added and subtracted by lining up the arrows and combining them. Vectors have properties like commutativity, associativity, and distributivity when operating with scalars. Vectors can be expressed in coordinate systems with components in each axis direction. The dot product of two vectors results in a scalar and represents the projection of one vector onto the other. The cross product of two vectors produces a new vector perpendicular to both and its magnitude is equal to the area of the parallelogram formed by the two vectors.

Uploaded by

Edward Wong
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Figure 1: Adding and Subtracting

0.1 Vectors
~ It was invented by Gibbs at Yale.
A vector has a magnitude and direction A.
Vectors with the same magnitude and direction are the same
~=B
A ~

provided A~ and B~ point in the same direction with the same magnitude.
~ = B)
Scalar operations on a vector scale the vector (ie cA ~ implies B
~ points in
~
the same direction as A but with c times the length. Consequently we define
the magnitude as
~ =A
|A|
~ in the above case this gives us
which is the scalar size of the vector for B
~ = 2A. Lastly we can define the unit vector
|B|
~
A
 =
A
by definition
|Â| = 1
but it points in the direction of the vector.

0.1.1 Adding Vectors


To add vectors its equal to just lining up the arrows and combining them. See
figure for
A~+B ~ =C ~
Subtracting is equalent to adding two vectors where one is scaled by −1
~−B
A ~ =A
~ + (−1)B
~ =D
~

scaling by −1 effectively just means to swap the arrows

1
0.1.2 Algebraic Properties
Its commutative

~+B
A ~ =B
~ +A
~
and associative    
~+B
A ~ +C~ =A
~+ B~ +C
~

and distributive  
c A~+B ~ = cA~ + cB
~
 
(c + d) A~ = cA
~ + dA~

0.1.3 Vectors in coordinates


Typically we like to write vectors in a coordinate system. A typical coodrinate
system is cartesian, given by x, y, z which we write as unit vectors point in each
of their directions ie
x̂, ŷ, ẑ
A vector can be written as
 
Ax
~ =  Ay 
A
Az
where Ax is the x̂ component and Ay the ŷ component and Az the ẑ component
and so on. Another way to write this is by
~ = Ax x̂ + Ay ŷ + Az ẑ
A
some people, like in the book, like to write x̂ → î ŷ → ĵ and ẑ → k̂

0.1.4 Dot Product


   
Ax Bx
~·B
A ~ =  Ay  ·  By  = Ax Bx + Ay By + Az Bz
Az Bz
~·A
A2 = A ~
also can write this as
~·B
A ~ = AB cos θ
~ on B
or the projection of A ~ times B~ or visa-versa. Note that dot product is
commutative
A~·B~ =B ~ ·A
~
~⊥B
also if A ~ then A~·B~ =0
In Physics, we can write work W is given by force times distance with the
force projected on the distance direction. Thus we have
W = F~ · d~

2
Figure 2: Example of dot product

0.1.5 Cross Product


The cross product magnitude is given by
~×B
A ~ = AB sin θĉ

~ and c ⊥ B
where c ⊥ A ~ also note that

~×B
A ~ = −A
~×B
~

which also gives us


x̂ × ŷ = ẑ
and
ŷ × ẑ = x̂
ẑ × x̂ = ŷ
in components this can be written as


î ĵ k̂
Ay Az Ax Az Ax Ay
~×B
~ =C
~ = Ax

A Ay Az =
By î + ĵ + k̂

Bx Bz Bx Bz Bx By
By Bz

= (Ay Bz − Az By ) î + (Ax Bz − Az Bx ) ĵ + (Ax By − Ay Bx ) k̂

The cross product is equivalent to the area of a rectangle.

3
Figure 3: Cross Product

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