VECTOR ANALYSIS

A scalar is a quantity that has only magnitude. (Example: time, mass, distance, temperature,
entropy, electric potential)

A vector is a quantity that has both magnitude and direction. (Example: velocity, force,
displacement, electric field)

A field is a function that specifies a particular quantity everywhere in a region.

▪ If the quantity is scalar, the field is a scalar field. (temperature distribution in a building,
sound intensity in a theater)

▪ If the quantity is vectoral, the field is a vectoral field. (velocity of raindrops in the
atmosphere, the gravitational force on a body in space)

Vector 𝐴⃗ has both magnitude and direction.

The magnitude |𝐴⃗| can also be represented by 𝐴.

𝑎⃗ is a unit vector, a vector whose magnitude is 1.

Unit vector represents pure direction. Its index 𝐴
indicates whose direction it represents.

A vector 𝐴⃗ in cartesian coordinates can be represented as:

 𝐴⃗ = √𝐴2𝑥 + 𝐴2𝑦 + 𝐴2𝑧

𝐴𝑥 𝐴𝑦 𝐴𝑧
𝑎⃗𝐴 = 𝑎⃗𝑥 + 𝑎⃗𝑦 + 𝑎⃗𝑧
√𝐴2𝑥 + 𝐴2𝑦 + 𝐴2𝑧 √𝐴2𝑥 + 𝐴2𝑦 + 𝐴2𝑧 √𝐴2𝑥 + 𝐴2𝑦 + 𝐴2𝑧

Suppose that 𝐴⃗ = 𝐴𝑥 𝑎⃗𝑥 + 𝐴𝑦 𝑎⃗𝑦 + 𝐴𝑧 𝑎⃗𝑧

⃗⃗ = 𝐵𝑥 𝑎⃗𝑥 + 𝐵𝑦 𝑎⃗𝑦 + 𝐵𝑧 𝑎⃗𝑧

𝐵

Vector Addition: 𝐶⃗ = 𝐴⃗ + 𝐵
⃗⃗ = (𝐴𝑥 + 𝐵𝑥 )𝑎⃗𝑥 + (𝐴𝑦 + 𝐵𝑦 )𝑎⃗𝑦 + (𝐴𝑧 + 𝐵𝑧 )𝑎⃗𝑧

Vector Subtraction: ⃗⃗ = 𝐴⃗ − 𝐵
𝐷 ⃗⃗ = (𝐴𝑥 − 𝐵𝑥 )𝑎⃗𝑥 + (𝐴𝑦 − 𝐵𝑦 )𝑎⃗𝑦 + (𝐴𝑧 − 𝐵𝑧 )𝑎⃗𝑧

VECTOR MULTIPLICATION

1. Multiplication by a Scalar

Multiplication by a scalar scales the vector. It increases or decreases the vector’s magnitude,
but the direction remains the same.

Let k be a scalar and

𝑘𝐴⃗ = 𝑘(𝐴𝑥 𝑎⃗𝑥 + 𝐴𝑦 𝑎⃗𝑦 + 𝐴𝑧 𝑎⃗𝑧 ) = 𝑘𝐴𝑥 𝑎⃗𝑥 + 𝑘𝐴𝑦 𝑎⃗𝑦 + 𝑘𝐴𝑧 𝑎⃗𝑧
2. Scalar Product (aka Dot Product) ⃗⃗ ∙ 𝑩
𝑨 ⃗⃗⃗

The dot product of two vectors 𝐴⃗ and 𝐵

⃗⃗ is the magnitude of the

vector, which is the projection of one of these vectors onto the

other.

Geometrically, it is calculated as the product of the magnitudes

of 𝐴⃗ and 𝐵
⃗⃗, and the cosine of the angle between them.

𝐴⃗ ∙ 𝐵
⃗⃗ = |𝐴⃗||𝐵
⃗⃗| cos 𝜃𝐴𝐵 or 𝐴⃗ ∙ 𝐵
⃗⃗ = 𝐴𝑥 𝐵𝑥 + 𝐴𝑦 𝐵𝑦 + 𝐴𝑧 𝐵𝑧

Two vectors 𝐴⃗ and 𝐵

⃗⃗ are said to be orthogonal (perpendicular) with each other if 𝐴⃗ ∙ 𝐵
⃗⃗ = 0.

Dot product obeys the following:

 Commutative Law: 𝐴⃗ ∙ 𝐵 ⃗⃗ ∙ 𝐴⃗
⃗⃗ = 𝐵

 Distributive Law: 𝐴⃗ ∙ (𝐵
⃗⃗ + 𝐶⃗) = 𝐴⃗ ∙ 𝐵
⃗⃗ + 𝐴⃗ ∙ 𝐶⃗

2
 𝐴⃗ ∙ 𝐴⃗ = |𝐴⃗| = 𝐴2

 Also note that: 𝑎⃗𝑥 ∙ 𝑎⃗𝑦 = 𝑎⃗𝑦 ∙ 𝑎⃗𝑧 = 𝑎⃗𝑥 ∙ 𝑎⃗𝑧 = 0

𝑎⃗𝑥 ∙ 𝑎⃗𝑥 = 𝑎⃗𝑦 ∙ 𝑎⃗𝑦 = 𝑎⃗𝑧 ∙ 𝑎⃗𝑧 = 1

3. Vector Product (aka Cross Product) ⃗⃗ × 𝑩
𝑨 ⃗⃗⃗

The cross product of two vectors 𝐴⃗ and 𝐵

⃗⃗ is a vector quantity whose magnitude is the area of

the parallelogram formed by 𝐴⃗ and 𝐵

⃗⃗, and is in the direction of advance of a right-handed

screw as 𝐴⃗ is turned into 𝐵

⃗⃗.

𝐴⃗ × 𝐵
⃗⃗ = |𝐴⃗||𝐵
⃗⃗| sin 𝜃𝐴𝐵 𝑎⃗𝑛

⃗⃗𝒏 : unit vector normal to the plane containing

𝒂
𝐴⃗ and 𝐵
⃗⃗.

Or
𝑎⃗𝑥 𝑎⃗𝑦 𝑎⃗𝑧
𝐴⃗ × 𝐵
⃗⃗ = |𝐴𝑥 𝐴𝑦 𝐴𝑧 |
𝐵𝑥 𝐵𝑦 𝐵𝑧

= (𝐴𝑦 𝐵𝑧 − 𝐴𝑧 𝐵𝑦 )𝑎⃗𝑥 + (𝐴𝑧 𝐵𝑥 − 𝐴𝑥 𝐵𝑧 )𝑎⃗𝑦 + (𝐴𝑥 𝐵𝑦 − 𝐴𝑦 𝐵𝑥 )𝑎⃗𝑧

Note that the cross product has the following properties:

 It is NOT commutative: 𝐴⃗ × 𝐵 ⃗⃗ × 𝐴⃗
⃗⃗ ≠ 𝐵

It is anti-commutative: 𝐴⃗ × 𝐵 ⃗⃗ × 𝐴⃗
⃗⃗ = −𝐵

 It is NOT associative: 𝐴⃗ × (𝐵
⃗⃗ × 𝐶⃗) ≠ (𝐴⃗ × 𝐵
⃗⃗) × 𝐶⃗

 It is distributive: 𝐴⃗ × (𝐵
⃗⃗ + 𝐶⃗) = 𝐴⃗ × 𝐵
⃗⃗ + 𝐴⃗ × 𝐶⃗

 𝐴⃗ × 𝐴⃗ = 0

 Also note that: 𝑎⃗𝑥 × 𝑎⃗𝑦 = 𝑎⃗𝑧

𝑎⃗𝑧 × 𝑎⃗𝑥 = 𝑎⃗𝑦

𝑎⃗𝑦 × 𝑎⃗𝑧 = 𝑎⃗𝑥

Scalar Triple Product:

𝐴⃗ ∙ (𝐵
⃗⃗ × 𝐶⃗) = 𝐵 ⃗⃗) The result is scalar.
⃗⃗ ∙ (𝐶⃗ × 𝐴⃗) = 𝐶⃗ ∙ (𝐴⃗ × 𝐵

Vector Triple Product:

𝐴⃗ × (𝐵
⃗⃗ × 𝐶⃗) = 𝐵 ⃗⃗) The result is a vector.
⃗⃗(𝐴⃗ ∙ 𝐶⃗) − 𝐶⃗(𝐴⃗ ∙ 𝐵
 COORDINATE SYSTEMS

CARTESIAN (RECTANGULAR) COORDINATE SYSTEM

−∞ < 𝑥 < ∞
−∞ < 𝑦 < ∞
−∞ < 𝑧 < ∞

Unit vectors: 𝑎⃗𝑥 × 𝑎⃗𝑦 = 𝑎⃗𝑧

Integral Elements:

Differential Path: ⃗⃗⃗⃗ = 𝑑𝑥𝑎⃗𝑥 + 𝑑𝑦𝑎⃗𝑦 + 𝑑𝑧𝑎⃗𝑧

𝑑𝑙

Differential Surface: ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗

𝑑𝑆𝑥 = 𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑧𝑎⃗𝑥

⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗𝑦 = 𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑧𝑎⃗𝑦
𝑑𝑆

⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑑𝑆𝑥 = 𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦𝑎⃗𝑧

Differential Volume: 𝑑𝑉 = 𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑧

CYLINDRICAL (CIRCULAR CYLINDRICAL) COORDINATE SYSTEM

0≤𝜌<∞
0 ≤ 𝜑 < 2𝜋
−∞ < 𝑧 < ∞

Unit vectors: 𝑎⃗𝜌 × 𝑎⃗𝜑 = 𝑎⃗𝑧

𝝆: The radius of the cylinder passing through P, or the radial distance from the z-axis.

𝝋: The azimuthal angle. It is measured from the x-axis in the xy-plane.

𝒛: It is the same z coordinate in the cartesian system.

Conversions:

𝜌 = √𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 𝑥 = 𝜌 cos 𝜑

𝑦 𝑦 = 𝜌 sin 𝜑
𝜑 = tan−1
𝑥
𝑧=𝑧
𝑧=𝑧

𝑎⃗𝜌 = cos 𝜑 𝑎⃗𝑥 + sin 𝜑 𝑎⃗𝑦

𝑎⃗𝜑 = −sin 𝜑 𝑎⃗𝑥 + cos 𝜑 𝑎⃗𝑦

𝑎⃗𝑧 = 𝑎⃗𝑧
Integral Elements:

Differential Path: ⃗⃗⃗⃗ = 𝑑𝜌𝑎⃗𝜌 + 𝜌𝑑𝜑𝑎⃗𝜑 + 𝑑𝑧𝑎⃗𝑧

𝑑𝑙

Differential Surface: ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗𝜌 = 𝜌𝑑𝜑𝑑𝑧𝑎⃗𝜌

𝑑𝑆

⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑑𝑆𝜑 = 𝑑𝜌𝑑𝑧𝑎⃗𝜑

⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑑𝑆𝑧 = 𝜌𝑑𝜌𝑑𝜑𝑎⃗𝑧

Differential Volume: 𝑑𝑉 = 𝜌𝑑𝜌𝑑𝜑𝑑𝑧

SPHERICAL COORDINATE SYSTEM

The spherical coordinate system is most appropriate when dealing with problems having a
degree of spherical symmetry. A point P can be represented as 𝑃(𝑟, 𝜃, 𝜑).

0≤𝑟<∞
0≤𝜃<𝜋
0 ≤ 𝜑 < 2𝜋

Unit vectors: 𝑎⃗𝑟 × 𝑎⃗𝜃 = 𝑎⃗𝜑

𝒓: It is the distance from the origin to point P, or the radius of a sphere centered at the origin
and passing through P.

𝜽: It is called the colatitude. It is the angle between the z-axis and the position vector P.

𝝋: The azimuthal angle. It is measured from the x-axis in the xy-plane.

Conversions:

𝑟 = √𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 = √𝜌2 + 𝑧 2 𝑥 = 𝑟 sin 𝜃 cos 𝜑

√𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 𝜌 𝑦 = 𝑟 sin 𝜃 sin 𝜑
𝜃 = tan−1 ( ) = tan−1 ( )
𝑧 𝑧
𝑧 = 𝑟 cos 𝜃
𝑦
𝜑 = tan−1
𝑥

Integral Elements:

Differential Path: ⃗⃗⃗⃗ = 𝑑𝑟𝑎⃗𝑟 + 𝑟𝑑𝜃𝑎⃗𝜃 + 𝑟 sin 𝜃 𝑑𝜑𝑎⃗𝜑

𝑑𝑙

Differential Surface: ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗𝑟 = 𝑟 2 sin 𝜃 𝑑𝜃𝑑𝜑𝑎⃗𝑟

𝑑𝑆

⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑑𝑆𝜃 = 𝑟 sin 𝜃 𝑑𝑟𝑑𝜑𝑎⃗𝜃

⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑑𝑆𝜑 = 𝑟𝑑𝑟𝑑𝜃𝑎⃗𝜑

Differential Volume: 𝑑𝑉 = 𝑟 2 sin 𝜃 𝑑𝑟𝑑𝜃𝑑𝜑