NOTE

P H Y S I C S

VECTORS
INTRODUCTION TO VECTORS

What you will learn

• Physical quantities • Unit vector

• Vector properties • Application of vector

Physical quantities

Quantities that can be measured are known as physical quantities.

Types of physical quantities

Scalar: Vector:
For scalar quantities, only magnitude is For vector quantities, magnitude as well as
required to define them. direction is required to define them.
Examples: mass, time, etc. Examples: Force F , Velocity v, etc.

Vectors

Magnitude and direction are both parts of vector quantities.

Vector quantities are represented by an arrow (→) on top of symbols of the quantities.
Example: Force = F

An arrow (→) has two parts, head and tail. The starting pointed part of an arrow is known
as a head and the remaining part is known as a tail.

Magnitude of the vector

v is vector quantity.
Magnitude of vector v is represented as |v| or v.

Length of vector

The length of the vector is directly proportional to the magnitude of the vector.

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A B
Length of A is greater than B
⇒|A|>|B|

Coordinate system

In a Cartesian coordinate system, three mutually perpendicular axes are required to give the position
of any point in space.
y
y
x

x z

Top view from z-axis

z

→ Coming out and perpendicular → Going into and perpendicular to

to the plane/screen the plane/screen

BOARDS
Unit vector

A vector having it's magnitude 'one' is called a unit vector.

Unit vector represented as on symbol of vector.
Example: v
i Unit vector along x-axis
j Unit vector along y-axis
k Unit vector along z-axis

Position vector of a coordinate

P.V of A
y
A(6, 5)

5m
A(6,5) 0(0, 0)
x
Position vector of coordinate A ⇒ rA = 6 i + 5 j 6m

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Example

B
D

F
G

Figure out position vectors 2m

of all coordinate points.

0 (0,0,0) A

C E

1m
3m

Solution

Coordinates of point 0 (0,0,0) Coordinates of point G (3,2,1)

⇒ r0 = 0 i + 0 j + 0k ⇒ rG = 3 i + 2 j + 1k
Coordinates of point E (3,0,1) Coordinates of point D (3,2,0)
⇒ rE = 3 i + 0 j + 1k ⇒ rD = 3 i + 2 j + 0k
Coordinates of point C (0,0,1) Coordinates of point F (0,2,1)
⇒ rC = 0 i + 0 j + 1k ⇒ rF = 0 i + 2 j + 1k
Coordinates of point A (3,0,0) Coordinates of point B (0,2,0)
⇒ rA = 3 i + 0 j + 0k ⇒ rB = 0 i + 2 j + 0k

Geographical vectors

North

West East

South

North-East-West-South (NEWS) is a horizontal plane.

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Vector in NEWS plane

North North

North North
West East 60o East of North

60o 30o North of East

o o o
45 45 30
West East West East
45 o
45 o 40o
40o South of West 50o
South South
West East 50o West of South

South South

Example

Show the following vectors graphically in the NEWS plane.

A car is moving 40o South of East.
Wind is blowing 20o West of North.

Solution
N

Wind is blowing 20o West of North.

20o

W E
40o

A car is moving 40o South of East.

Example

Show the following vector graphically in the NEWS plane.

Person A is running at speed 5 ms-1, 30o S of W.

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Solution N

W E
30o

5 ms-1

Vector in NEWS plane

A (a,b)

0 (0,0)
x

Coordinates of point A (a,b) ⇒ rA = a i + b j

Magnitude of vector rA = | rA | = length of the vector = √(a2 + b2)

Example

A (3,4)

The magnitude of the vector given 0 (0,0)

in the figure is x

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Solution

r = 3i + 4j
| r | = √32 + 42
| r | = √25 = 5
|r| = 5

Example

y
B
BOARDS D

F G

b
Find the magnitude of OG vector in
the following figure:
0
A
(0,0,0) x
C E

c
z a

Solution

Starting point O to point G reached by travelling from point O to point A, then from point A to
point D, and finally from point D to point G.
⇒ point O → point A → point D → point G
| rD | = Length of the OD segment
| OD | = √a2 + b2
y

F G

C
x
E
a

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The above figure is a projection of the cuboid on the x-y plane.

y
B
D

F G
√a + b
2 2

0
A
(0,0,0) x
E

c
z a
O
G (a,b,c) ⇒ | rG | = OG = a i + b j + ck
Angle between OD and DG is 90o
⇒∆ ODG is a right angle triangle
√a2 + b2 + c2 √a2 + b2
⇒ | OG | = | OD |2 + | DG |2
⇒ | OD | = √a2 + b2 ; | DG | = c
⇒ | OG | = | rG | = √a2 + b2 + c2 G D
c

General expression for 3D A triangle to memorise

y
B
D 53°

F G
5
b 3
√a2 + b2 + c2

0
A
x
(0,0,0)
C E 37°
c

z a
4
In general, if r = a i + b j + ck 3 4 3
sin 37° = , cos 37° = , tan 37° =
5 5 4
| r | = √a2 + b2 + c2 4 3
sin53° = , cos 53° = , tan 53° =
4
5 5 3

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