Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ‫المملكة العربية السعودية‬

Imam Muhammad bin Saud ‫جامعة اإلمام محمد بن سعود اإلسالمية‬

University ‫كلية العلوم‬
Faculty of science ‫الفصل الدراسي الثالث‬
Fall 2023 ‫هـ‬١٤٤٤

General Physics (Phy101)

Exercises Solutions: Chapter 1– Vectors

Exercise 1:
Two points in a plane have polar coordinates (2.80 m, 30.0°) and (3.50 m, 120.0°). Determine
(a) the Cartesian coordinates of these points
First point:
𝑥1 = 𝑟1 cos 𝜃1 = (2.80) cos 30.0° = 2.42m
𝑦1 = 𝑟1 sin 𝜃1 = (2.80) sin 30.0° = 1.40m
⇒ (𝑥, 𝑦) = (2.42m, 1.40m)

Second point:
𝑥2 = 𝑟2 cos 𝜃2 = (3.50) cos 120.0° = −1.75m
𝑦2 = 𝑟2 sin 𝜃2 = (3.50) sin 120.0° = 3.03m
⇒ (𝑥, 𝑦) = (−1.75m, 3.03m)

(b) the distance between them.

𝑑 = √(𝑥2 − 𝑥1 )2 + (𝑦2 − 𝑦1 )2 = √(−1.75 − 2.42)2 + (3.03 − 1.40)2 = 4.48m

Exercise 2:
Two points in the xy plane have Cartesian coordinates (2.00, -3.00) m and (-4.00, 3.00) m.
Determine
(a) the distance between these points
𝑑 = √(𝑥2 − 𝑥1 )2 + (𝑦2 − 𝑦1 )2 = √(−4.00 − 2.00)2 + (3.00 + 3.00)2 = 8.48m

(b) their polar coordinates.

First point:
𝑟1 = √𝑥12 + 𝑦12 = √(2.00)2 + (−3.00)2 = 3.60m
𝑦1 −3.00
𝜃1 = tan−1 ( ) = tan−1 ( ) = −56.3 ° = 304°
𝑥1 2.00
⇒ (𝑟, 𝜃) = (3.60m, 304° )

Exercises solutions: General Physics (Phy101) M&F—1444S30

 Second point:
𝑟2 = √𝑥22 + 𝑦22 = √(−4.00)2 + (3.00)2 = 5.00m
𝑦2 3.00
𝜃2 = tan−1 ( ) = tan−1 ( ) = −36.9 ° + 180° = 143°
𝑥2 −4.00
⇒ (𝑟, 𝜃) = (5.00m, 143° )

Exercise 3:
A vector has an x component of -25.0 units and a y component of 45.0 units. Find the magnitude
and direction of this vector.
𝐴 = √𝐴𝑥 + 𝐴𝑦 = √(−25.0)2 + (45.0)2 = 51.5
𝐴𝑦 45.0
𝜃 = tan−1 ( ) = tan−1 ( ) = −60.9° + 180° = 119°
𝐴𝑥 −25.0

Exercise 4:
Consider two vectors: 𝐀⃗ = 3î − ĵ and ⃗𝐁 = −2î − 4ĵ calculate 𝐀
⃗ + 2𝐁
⃗, 𝐀
⃗ − ⃗𝐁, magnitude of 𝐀
⃗ +
⃗⃗ , and magnitude of 𝐀
2𝐁 ⃗ −𝐁⃗⃗ .

⃗ + 2𝐁
𝐀 ⃗⃗ = 3î − ĵ + 2(−2î − 4ĵ) = 3î − ĵ − 4î − 8ĵ = −î − 9ĵ
⃗ − ⃗𝐁 = 3î − ĵ − (−2î − 4ĵ) = 3î − ĵ + 2î + 4ĵ = 5î + 3ĵ
𝐀
⃗ + 2𝐁
|𝐀 ⃗ | = √(−1)2 + (−9)2 = 9.06
⃗ − ⃗𝐁
|𝐀 ⃗ | = √(5)2 + (3)2 = 5.38

Exercise 5:
⃗ = (3î + 3ĵ) m, ⃗𝐁 = (î − 5ĵ) m, and 𝐂 = (−î + 4ĵ) m. Use
Consider the displacement vector 𝐀
the component method to determine:
(a) ⃗𝐃 = 𝐀
⃗ + ⃗𝐁
⃗ −𝐂

⃗𝐃 ⃗ =𝐀⃗ + ⃗𝐁⃗ −𝐂
⃗𝐃 ⃗ = (3î + 3ĵ) + (î − 5ĵ) − (−î + 4ĵ)
⃗𝐃⃗ = (3 + 1 + 1)î + (3 − 5 − 4)ĵ
⃗ = 5î − 6ĵ
⃗𝐃

(b) The magnitude and direction of ⃗𝐃

⃗

𝐷 = √(5)2 + (−6)2 = √61m

−6
𝜃 = tan−1 ( ) = −50° + 360° = 310°
5

Exercises solutions: General Physics (Phy101) M&F—1444S30

(c) Find ⃗𝐃 ⋅ 𝐂 and the angle between ⃗𝐃 and 𝐂.
⃗⃗ ⋅ 𝐂 = (5î − 6ĵ) ⋅ (−î + 4ĵ) = (5)(−1) + (−6)(4) = −5 − 24 = −29m
𝐃
𝐶 = √(−1)2 + (4)2 = √17m

⃗𝐃 ⋅ 𝐂 −29
𝜃 = cos −1 ( ) = cos −1 ( ) = 154°
𝐷𝐶 √61√17

Exercise 6:
Three vectors are oriented as shown in figure, where 𝐴 = 2m, 𝐵 = 4m, 𝐶 = 3m. Find
(a) The 𝑅𝑥 and 𝑅𝑦 components of the resultant vector 𝐑⃗⃗ = 𝐀
⃗ +𝐁
⃗⃗ + 𝐂
𝑦

⃗⃗
𝐁
⃗
𝐀

45°
𝑥
𝑂 30°
𝐂

⃗ = 2 jm
𝐀
⃗⃗ = (4 cos 45° î + 4 sin 45° ĵ)m = (2.8î + 2.8ĵ)m
𝐁
𝐂 = (3 cos 30° ̂i − 3 sin 30° ĵ)m = (2.6î − 1.5ĵ)m

⃗⃗ = 𝐀
⇒𝐑 ⃗ + 𝐂 = [2j + 2.8î + 2.8ĵ + 2.6î − 1.5ĵ]m = [5.4î + 3.3ĵ]m
⃗ +𝐁

⃗⃗ = 𝐀
(b) The magnitude and direction of the resultant vector 𝐑 ⃗ + ⃗𝐁
⃗ +𝐂

𝑅 = √(5.4)2 + (3.3)2 = 6.3m

3.3
𝜃 = tan−1 ( ) = 31°
5.4

Exercises solutions: General Physics (Phy101) M&F—1444S30

Exercise 7:

Vector 𝐀⃗ has 𝑥 and 𝑦 components of −7.8cm and 13cm respectively (𝐴𝑥 = −7.8cm, 𝐴𝑦 = 13cm
⃗⃗ has 𝑥 and 𝑦 components of 15.2cm and −6.2cm respectively (𝐵𝑥 = 15.2cm, 𝐵𝑦 =
); vector 𝐁
−6.2cm ). If 𝐀⃗ − ⃗𝐁 + 3𝐂 = ⃗𝟎, what are the components of 𝐂 ? (𝐶𝑥 =?, and 𝐶𝑦 =?)

𝐴𝑥 − 𝐵𝑥 + 3𝐶𝑥 = 0
⇒ −7.8 − 15.2 + 3𝐶𝑥 = 0
⇒ −23 + 3𝐶𝑥 = 0
⇒ 𝐶𝑥 = 7.7cm

𝐴𝑦 − 𝐵𝑦 + 3𝐶𝑦 = 0
⇒ 13 + 6.2 + 3𝐶𝑦 = 0
⇒ 19.2 + 3𝐶𝑦 = 0
⇒ 𝐶𝑦 = −6.4cm

Exercise 8:

⃗ = (6.00 ̂i − 8.00 ĵ) units, ⃗𝐁 = (−8.00 ̂i + 3.00 ĵ) units and 𝐂 = (26.00 ̂i + 19.00 ̂j)
If Vector 𝐀
units, determine a and b such that: aA + bB + C = 0.
Taking components along i and j, we get two equations:

6𝑎 − 8𝑏 + 26 = 0 (1)
and -8a + 3𝑏 + 19 = 0 (2)
solving above two equations simultaneously by multiply Eq (1) of 8 and Eq (2) of 6
48𝑎 − 64𝑏 + 208 = 0
-48a + 18𝑏 + 114 = 0
By adding above two equations and get:
−46𝑏 + 322 = 0
b = 7.00
Substitute the value of b in Equation (1) and get:
6a -56 + 26 = 0
a = 5.00
Therefore, 5A+7𝐵 + 𝐶 = 0

Exercises solutions: General Physics (Phy101) M&F—1444S30

Exercise 9:

⃗ = 3î + 2ĵ − k̂ , ⃗𝐁 = −î + 3ĵ + 5k̂ , and 𝐂 = 2ĵ − 3k̂ , find 𝐂 ⋅ (𝐀

For 𝐀 ⃗ − ⃗𝐁) and 𝐀
⃗ × (𝐁
⃗ ⋅ 𝐂)

𝐂 ⋅ (𝐀⃗ −𝐁 ̂ , −(−î + 3ĵ + 5𝐤

⃗⃗ ) = (2ĵ − 3k̂ ) ⋅ [3î + 2ĵ − 𝐤 ̂ , )]
⃗ − ⃗𝐁
𝐂 ⋅ (𝐀 ̂ + ̂i − 3ĵ − 5𝐤
⃗ ) = (2ĵ − 3k̂ ) ⋅ [3î + 2ĵ − 𝐤 ̂]
⃗ − ⃗𝐁
𝐂 ⋅ (𝐀 ̂]
⃗ ) = (2ĵ − 3k̂ ) ⋅ [4î − ĵ − 6𝐤
⃗ −𝐁
𝐂 ⋅ (𝐀 ⃗⃗ ) = (4)(0) + (2)(−1) + (−3)(−6) = 16

⃗
𝐀 ⃗⃗ ⋅ 𝐂) = 3î + 2ĵ − k̂ × [(−î + 3ĵ + 5k̂ ) ⋅ (2ĵ − 3k̂ )]
× (𝐁
⃗
𝐀 ⃗⃗ ⋅ 𝐂) = 3î + 2ĵ − k̂ × [(−1)(0) + (3)(2) + (5)(−3)]
× (𝐁
⃗
𝐀 ⃗⃗ ⋅ 𝐂) = 3î + 2ĵ − k̂ × [−9]
× (𝐁
⃗
𝐀 ⃗⃗ ⋅ 𝐂) = −27î − 18ĵ + 9k̂
× (𝐁

Exercises solutions: General Physics (Phy101) M&F—1444S30