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    1.04 Addition of Vectors

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    Maxwell
    1. Vector addition can be used to find the overall displacement of a particle moving between different points. The displacement vector is found by adding the individual displacement vectors. 2. Two example forces acting on an object are shown. The resultant force can be found by either converting the forces to Cartesian components and adding them, or using trigonometry and properties of triangles/parallelograms to find the magnitude and direction of the resultant force geometrically. 3. Worked examples are shown of using both the Cartesian method and geometric method to calculate a resultant force given two initial forces in terms of their magnitudes and angles.

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    1.04 Addition of Vectors

    Uploaded by

    Maxwell
    41 views3 pages
    1. Vector addition can be used to find the overall displacement of a particle moving between different points. The displacement vector is found by adding the individual displacement vectors. 2. Two example forces acting on an object are shown. The resultant force can be found by either converting the forces to Cartesian components and adding them, or using trigonometry and properties of triangles/parallelograms to find the magnitude and direction of the resultant force geometrically. 3. Worked examples are shown of using both the Cartesian method and geometric method to calculate a resultant force given two initial forces in terms of their magnitudes and angles.

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    1.04 Addition of vectors

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    1. Vector addition can be used to find the overall displacement of a particle moving between different points. The displacement vector is found by adding the individual displacement vectors. 2. Two example forces acting on an object are shown. The resultant force can be found by either converting the forces to Cartesian components and adding them, or using trigonometry and properties of triangles/parallelograms to find the magnitude and direction of the resultant force geometrically. 3. Worked examples are shown of using both the Cartesian method and geometric method to calculate a resultant force given two initial forces in terms of their magnitudes and angles.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    41 views3 pages

    1.04 Addition of Vectors

    Uploaded by

    Maxwell
    1. Vector addition can be used to find the overall displacement of a particle moving between different points. The displacement vector is found by adding the individual displacement vectors. 2. Two example forces acting on an object are shown. The resultant force can be found by either converting the forces to Cartesian components and adding them, or using trigonometry and properties of triangles/parallelograms to find the magnitude and direction of the resultant force geometrically. 3. Worked examples are shown of using both the Cartesian method and geometric method to calculate a resultant force given two initial forces in terms of their magnitudes and angles.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 3

    1.

    04: Addition of vectors

    Vectors 𝒖 and 𝒗 show the displacement of a particle. The particle started at the
    origin then travelled to (3, -2), it then changed direction and travelled to (2,2) where
    it came to rest. It’s resultant displacement, can be determined by extending a vector
    from the origin to its point of rest. Because this would be a position vector, the
    displacement vector would be (2, 2) written in Cartesian/component form. We can
    also see that to get from the origin to its point of rest we would need to move 2 right
    (+ 𝑥 direction) and then 2 up (+ 𝑦 direction).

    Though the displacement vector of (2, 2) was obtained ‘visually’, we can also obtain
    it by performing vector addition.

    𝒖 = (3, −2)
    𝒗 = (−1, 4)
    Adding the horizontal components will give the ‘overall horizontal change’. Adding the vertical components will give
    the ‘overall vertical change’.

    𝒖 + 𝒗 = (3 + −1, −2 + 4) = (2, 2)
    This will work no matter where the particle started on the Cartesian plane. If the particle started at (2, 1) then
    moved in the way described by vectors u and v, its displacement, with respect to its starting position, would still be
    (2,2), though is position of rest would be (4, 3) and not (2, 2).

    Adding vectors is appropriate if, geometrically, your vectors can slide into a position such that you can form a
    triangle like that shown in the box below.

    The triangle method lends itself easily to displacement scenarios, like initially given above, where 𝒗 will follow on
    from 𝒖. However, when working with forces, 𝒖 and 𝒗 will start at the same point. Below is a diagram of an object
    being pulled by two forces, shown by two vectors.
    The forces/vectors have the same magnitude (30 Newtons) but are seperated by an angle of 60°. To calculate the
    resultant force (the overall single force acting on the object), Newton’s work tell us to add these vectors together.

    Geometrically, the vectors can be slid to form a triangle so you know vector addition is appropriate. Keeping the
    vectors where they are, they also fulfill the Parallelogram Method, which also tells you addition is appropriate in the
    the context to find the resultant force.

    When your vectors are in Cartesian form, you execute the addition by adding the corresponding components. When
    your vectors are in polar form (or you are given magnitudes or angles), you can either convert them to Cartesian form
    to add or use the geometric respresentations of your vectors and apply trignometry to find vector lengths and angles
    (that is, side lengths and interior angles of your triangle or parallelogram).

    Example

    Calculate the resultant force acting on the body.

    Option 1: Convert to Cartesian form and add components

    Imagine object is at (0, 0) on the Cartesian plane. If TF do as follows using unit circle and special triangles. If TA use
    Rec( feature in ANGLE.

    Force 1

    𝑥 = 30 cos 0 = 30
    𝑦 = 30 sin 0 = 0
    𝑭𝟏 = (30, 0)
    Force 2
    1
    𝑥 = 30 cos 60 = 30 × = 15
    2
    √3
    𝑦 = 30 sin 60 = 30 × = 15√3
    2
    𝑭𝟐 = (15, 15√3)
    Resultant force

    𝑹 = 𝑭𝟏 + 𝑭𝟐 = (30 + 15, 0 + 15√3) = (45, 15√3)

    Then you can convert answer to Polar form to get magnitude and angle of 𝑹.

    Option 2: Geometrically

    30
    120° 60°

    30
    30
    60° 𝜽 120°

    30
    Find magnitude of 𝑹

    Using cosine rule

    |𝑹|2 = 302 + 302 − 2 × 30 × 30 cos 120

    |𝑹| = √302 + 302 − 2 × 30 × 30 cos 120

    |𝑹| = 30√3

    Find 𝜽

    Using sine rule


    sin 𝜃 sin 120
    =
    30 30√3
    sin 120
    sin 𝜃 = × 30
    30√3
    sin 120
    𝜃 = sin−1 ( × 30)
    30√3
    𝜃 = 30°

    The resultant force is 30√3𝑁 at 30° - 𝑹 = (30√3, 30°) in polar form.

    NOTE: You can only use a geometric method (triangle or parallelogram) when working with three vectors. If you
    work in Cartesian form there is no limit to the number of vectors you can add. Also Cartesian form is more
    ‘technology-free friendly’ should be given angles of 30, 60 or 45 to work with.

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