VECTORS IN THE PLANE

x
A vector in the plane is a 2 x 1 matrix A =y 
where
 
x and y are called the components of the vector.
Geometric Interpretation of vector
x
The vector A =  y  is
represented by directed line segment
 
OP from the origin O(0,0) to the point P(x, y). This is
called the position representation of vector A.
x O – initial point
A = OP =  
y  P – terminal point
The other representations of A are those directed line
segments that have the same length and direction as OP
and parallel to it.
S.Y.Tan
If a vector A has initial point at Q(x1 , y1 ) and terminal point at
R(x2, y2) or initial point at S(x3 , y3) and terminal point at T(x4, y4)
then
x  x 2 − x1 ,   x4 − x3 
A = OP =   = QR =   = ST = y − y 
y   y 2 − y1   4 3

ST

OP

QR

S.Y.Tan
If a vector A has initial point at Q(2 , -3 ) and terminal point at
R(5,1) or initial point at S(-5, 3) and terminal point at T(-2, 7)
then
 3  5−2   −2 − ( −5) 
A = OP =   = QR = 1 − ( −3)  = ST =  7 − 3 
4    

ST

OP

QR

S.Y.Tan
 VECTORS IN THE PLANE
x
y 
Each vector A =   represented by directed line
segment OP can be associated uniquely with its
terminal point P (x, y) and vice-versa so we can also
write vector A as ordered pair (x, y).
x
That is, A = OP =   = (x, y)
y 

S.Y.Tan
 EQUALITY OF VECTORS
 x1   x2 
Two vectors A =   = (x1 , y 1 ) and B =   = (x 2 , y 2 )
 y1  y2 
are equal if their corresponding components are equal.
That is x1 = x 2 and y 1 = y 2 .
Example : Find the point S so that PQ and RS
represent the same vector if P (2, 5) , Q(1, 6), R(-3, 2)
Let the po int S = (x, y)
 − 1
PQ = (1 − 2, 6 − 5) = ( −1,1) =   = RS = (x − ( −3), y − 2)
 1
So x + 3 = −1  x = −4
So S ( −4 , 3)
y −2 =1 y = 3 S.Y.Tan
 MAGNITUDE AND DIRECTION OF VECTOR

x
The magnitude of the vector A =   = (x, y) is the
y 
length of the line segment representing it.

A = x2 + y 2

A
y

S.Y.Tan
 MAGNITUDE AND DIRECTION OF VECTOR

x
The direction of a nonzero vector A =   = (x, y) is
y 
positive angle  from the positive x-axis to the line OP.
y
tan  =
x
y
−1
A  = tan  
y x
 0    2
x

S.Y.Tan
Example : Find the magnitude and direction of each
vector.
 1 
1. A = (1, − 3 ) =  
− 3 

A = (1)2 + ( − 3 )2 = 1 + 3 = 4=2

− 3 − 3
5
tan  = = 1
2
= P(1, − 3 )
1 2 3
 0
2. B = (0, −3) =  
 −3 

A = (0)2 + ( −3)2 = 0+9 = 9=3

−3 3
tan  = = −   =
0 2 P(0, −3)

S.Y.Tan
 OPERATIONS ON VECTORS
1. Addition of vectors
 x1   x2 
A = (x1 , y 1 ) =   B = (x 2 , y 2 ) =  
 y1  y2 
 x1 + x 2 
A + B = (x1 + x 2 , y 1 + y 2 ) =  
 y1 + y 2 
1  −4 
A = (1, 5) =   B = ( −4, 2) =  
5 2

 −3 
A + B = (1 + ( −4), 5 + 2) = ( −3, 7) =  
7
S.Y.Tan
 OPERATIONS ON VECTORS
1. Addition of vectors
 x1   x2 
A = (x1 , y 1 ) =   B = (x 2 , y 2 ) =  
 y1  y2 
 x1 + x 2 
A + B = (x1 + x 2 , y 1 + y 2 ) =  
 1
y + y 2

Graphically, the sum A + B

is a diagonal of the
R (x1 + x 2 , y 1 + y 2 )
parallelogram determined
B
by A and B. It has the same P(x1 , y 1 )
initial point as A and B. A+B A
If we use terminal point of A as A
Q (x 2 , y 2 )
initial point to draw B, then A+B is
the vector joining the initial point B
of A with terminal point of B.
S.Y.Tan
2. Scalar multiplication
x
Let c be a scalar (real number) and A = (x, y) =  
y 

 cx 
Scalar product of c and A : cA = (cx, cy) =  
 cy 
 4
Ex. A = (4, −3) =  
 −3 
 8
2A = 2(4, −3) = (8, −6) =  
 −6 
 −2 
-(1/2)A = − (4, −3) = ( −2, ) =  3 
1
2
3
2
 2 

S.Y.Tan
2. Scalar multiplication
Let us compare A and cA
1. Magnitude : cA = c A

If c  1 then cA is c times longer than A.

If 0  c  1 then cA is c times shorter than A.

2. Direction :
If c > 0, cA has the same direction as A.
If c < 0, cA is opposite that of A.

S.Y.Tan
2. Scalar multiplication
 4 
A = (4, −3) =  
 −3 
 8  −2 
2A = (8, −6) =   -(1/2)A = ( −2, ) =  3 
3

 −6 
2
 2 

-(1/2)A

2A

S.Y.Tan
2. Scalar multiplication
Ex. A = (4) 2 + ( −3) 2 = 16 + 9 = 5

2A = (8)2 + ( −6) 2 = 64 + 36 = 10 = 2(5) = 2 A

− 12 A = ( −2)2 + ( 23 )2 = 4+ 9
4 = 25
4 = 5
2 = 12 (5) = 1
2 A

-(1/2)A

2A

S.Y.Tan
 3. Difference of Two Vectors
 x1   − x2 
A = (x1 , y 1 ) =   −1B = ( − x 2 , − y 2 ) =  
 y1   − y 2

 x1 − x 2 
A − B = A + ( −1)B = (x1 + ( − x 2 ), y 1 + ( − y 2 ) =  
 1
y − y 2

Graphically, A - B is other R (x1 + x 2 , y 1 + y 2 )

diagonal of the parallelogram B
determined by A and B. It is P(x1 , y 1 )
A−B A
the directed line segment
A A+B
from the terminal point of B Q (x 2 , y 2 )

to the terminal point of A. B

 x1 − x 2 
A − B = QP = ((x1 − x 2 ), (y 1 − y 2 )) =  
 1
y − y 2

S.Y.Tan
3. Difference of Two Vectors
A - B = A + (-B)
7  − 1
A = (7, 2) =   B = ( −1, 4) =  
 2  4 
 8  = QP = OR
A − B = A + ( −1)B = (7 + 1, 2 + ( −4)) = (8, −2) =  
 −2 

A−B

B A
−B

A + ( − B) = A − B

−B
A
S.Y.Tan
 PROPERTIES OF VECTOR OPERATIONS
A. Vector Addition
1. A + B = B + A
2. A + (B + C) = (A + B) + C
0
3. A + O = A; O = (0, 0) =  
0
4. A + (-A) = O
B. Scalar Multiplication
5. (rs)A = r (sA)
6. (r + s)A = r A + sA
7. r(A + B) = r A + rB
8. 1A = A S.Y.Tan
 UNIT VECTORS
A unit vector is a vector whose magnitude is equal to one.
 5
4
A = ( 5 , 5 ) =  3  is a unit vector since A =
4 3 16
25 + 259 = 25
25 = 1.
5
1
Two special unit vectors : i = (1, 0) =  
0
0
j = (0,1) =  
1
Any vector can be written in terms of i and j as follows :
x
(x, y) =   = xi + yj
y 

ordered pair column matrix ij - form

form form  5
Example : (5, −2) =  −2  = 5i − 2j S.Y.Tan
A unit vector U in the same direction as a nonzero vector
A = (x, y) is given by
 x 
 x  A 
1 y   
UA = A = , =
A  A A   y 
   
 A 
Example : A = 3i – 2j , B = -i + 4j
1. Find a unit vector in the same direction as A.
A = 32 + ( −2)2 = 9 + 4 = 13
 3 1313 
UA = ( 3
, −2
) = 3
i− 2
j= 
 −2 13

 13 
13 13 13 13

S.Y.Tan
Example : A = 3i – 2j , B = -i + 4j
2. Find a unit vector in the same direction as A + B.
A + B = 3i − i − 2j + 4j = 2i + 2j

A+B = 2 + 2 = 4+4 = 8
2 2

 
( )
2

U A+B = 2
8
, 2
8
= 1
2
i+ 1
2
j=  2


 2 
2


S.Y.Tan
 DOT PRODUCT

 x1 
The dot product or inner product of A = (x1 , y 1 ) =  
 y1 
x  2
and B = (x 2 , y 2 ) =   is defined as
y2 

A  B = x1x2 + y1y 2

NOTE : The dot product of two vectors is a real number.

Example : Given A = 4i - 5j , B = 3i + 2j

A  B = 4(3) + ( −5)(2) = 2
S.Y.Tan
 PROPERTIES OF DOT PRODUCT

1. A  B = B  A
2. A  (B + C) = A  B + A  C
3. r( A  B) = (r A)  B = A  (rB)
2
4. A = AA
5. A  O = 0

S.Y.Tan
 ANGLE BETWEEN TWO VECTORS
Q

The angle between A and B is the

B P positive angle  from OP to OQ .

A
0 
O

THEOREM : The cosine of the angle between

two nonzero vectors A and B is given by
AB
cos  =
A B
S.Y.Tan
 ORTHOGONAL AND PARALLEL VECTORS
Two nonzero vectors A and B are orthogonal (or
perpendicular) if A  B = 0 .
Example : Given A = 4i + 3j , B = - 3i + 4j
A  B = 4( −3) + 3(4) = 0

Two vectors A and B are parallel if one is a scalar

multiple of the other. That is, A = cB for some scalar c.
Or two vectors A and B are parallel if A  B = A B

Example : Given A = 4i + 3j , B = i + 3/4 j

A = 4B or B = ¼ A
A  B = 4(1) + 3( 43 ) = 164+ 9 = 254 = 16 + 9 1 + 169 = 25 25
16 = A B
S.Y.Tan
 ORTHOGONAL AND PARALLEL VECTORS

A  B = 0  cos  = 0   = 90 = , so vectors A and B
2
are perpendicular or orthogonal to one another.

Example : Given A = 4i + 3j , B = - 3i + 4j
A  B = 4( −3) + 3(4) = 0

A⊥B
B
A

S.Y.Tan
 ORTHOGONAL AND PARALLEL VECTORS
A  B = A B  cos  = 1   = 0 or  so vectors A and B
are parallel either in thesame direction if cos  = 1 or in
opposite direction if cos  = −1.
Example : Given A = 4i + 3j , B = i + 3/4 j
A = 4B or B = ¼ A
A  B = 4(1) + 3( 43 ) = 16 + 9
4 = 25
4 = 16 + 9 1 + 169 = 25 25
16 = A B

A A/ /B
B

S.Y.Tan
 1. Find cosine of the angle between A = (-2, -3 )
and B = ( 3, -4 ).

AB ( −2)(3) + ( −3)( −4)

cos  = =
A B 4 + 9 9 + 16

AB −6 + 12 6 6 13
cos  = = = =
A B 13 (5) 5 13 65

S.Y.Tan
2. Find the value of k so that A = -2i -2j and
B = 3i + kj are orthogonal.

For A ⊥ B, A  B = 0

A  B = ( −2)(3) + ( −2)k = 0

( −2)k = 6

k = −3

S.Y.Tan
3. Find the value of k so that A = ( 3, 5) and
B = ( 2, k ) are parallel vectors.

For A / /B, A = cB
(3, 5) = c( 2, k ) = ( 2c, kc)

3 = 2c 3
5 = kc  5 = k
2
3
c= 5( 2) 10
2 k= =
3 3

S.Y.Tan
 VECTOR PROJECTION

B B
  90

C C A
A
The vector projection of B onto A is obtained by dropping
a perpendicular line from the terminal point of B to A

C is the vector projection of B onto A

C is the scalar projection of B onto A

S.Y.Tan
 The vector projection of B onto A is given by

AB
vp = C = 2
A
A

The scalar projection of B onto A is given by

AB
sp = C =
A
If sp  0, then C is in the same direction as A.
If sp  0, then C is in the opposite direction as A.
S.Y.Tan
Example : Find the scalar and vector projection of
B = ( -4, 3 ) onto A = ( 5, 1 )
A  B −20 + 3 17
sp = CA = = =−
A 26 26
AB
vp = CA = A = −20 + 3 (5,1) = −17 (5,1) =  −85 , −17 
2  26 26 
 
2
A 26 26

B
A

CA

S.Y.Tan
Example : Find the scalar and vector projection of
A = ( 5, 1 ) onto B = ( -4, 3 )
AB −20 + 3 17
sp = CB = = =−
B 25 5
AB
vp = CB = B= −20 + 3 ( −4, 3) = −17 ( −4, 3) =  68 , −51 
2  25 25 
 
2
B 25 25

B
A

CB

S.Y.Tan