Vectors

1 Vectors Properties of Vectors

 In a vector +ve sign and sign –ve indicate
A vector is a quantity that has both direction only.
magnitude and direction. Vectors are used  Ex: +5N and –5N, same magnitude of
to represent physical quantities that cannot force in opposite direction.
be fully described by a single number alone.  Angle between vector – When two vectors
Examples of vector quantities include are placed head to head or tail to tail then
smaller angle between vector is called
displacement, velocity, acceleration, and
angle between vector.
force.

Scalar Quantity Vector Quantity

 Having  Having Magnitude Xβ
θ
Magnitude only and direction
 
Vector can be shifted parallel to itself by
 Follow simple  follow triangle law of
keeping magnitude and direction fixed.
algebric vector addition.
 
Rotation of vector not allowed it will
addition change meaning of vector.
 Can be changed  Can be changed by
 If angle between A and B vector is θ then
only by changing magnitude
changing its only, or changing dirn angle between A and -B is (180°-θ).

value only or changing both.  All equal vectors are parallel but all
parallels are not equal.
Ex-Speed, time, Ex-Force, Velocity,
current density, torque  All opposite (Negative) Vectors are
Mass, Volume,
Antiparallel but all antiparallel are not
density current, etc. etc.
Opposite Vector

2 Type of Vectors

Type Magnitude Direction\Angle

Equal Vector Same Same (θ = 0)
Parallel Vector May or May not same Same (θ = 0)
Opposite Vector or Negative Vectors Same Opposite θ = 180°
Anti-parallel Vector May or May not same θ = 180° opposite
Orthogonal May same θ = 90°
Zero/Null Vector Zero any direction

A
Unit Vectors One A=
A
Components of Vector in 2-D (effect of  If vector is making an angle α, β and γ
Vector) from x, y and z-axis respectively then
j cos2α + cos2β + cos2γ = 1 ; sin2 α + sin2 β
+ sin2 γ = 2
A Ay = A sin θ Direction Cosine

θ Ax Ay Az
i cos α =    cos β =    cos γ =
Ax = A cos θ A A A

 A = Axi + Ay j
3 Vectors addition
A = Acos θ i + A sin θ j
 It is the process of combining two vectors
by placing the tail of one vector at the
B By =B cos θ head of the other. i.e.,
θ
R
Bx = B sin θ
B = = R
A + A
 B =Bxi + By j
B
= B sin θ i + B cos θ j
Magnitude of resultant Vector Polygon Law of vector addition
2 2 2 2
A = Ax + Ay or B = Bx + By  
Start tail of next vector from head of
Direction: previous vector and so on.
Ay Bx
θ = tan–1 –1
or θ = tan
Ax By C
Rectangular component of a vector in 3D A + B + C= R
R
A = Axi + Ay j + Azk
Magnitude B
2 2 2
A = Ax + Ay + Az
A
z
B A + B + C= O
AZ
C

A A

k Triangle Law of Vector addition

j Ay

i y R
B
Ax B resultant must be
θ α in the plane of
θ
A A and B .
x

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Physics
 2
+ B2 + 2AB cos θ Vector Subtraction
 R = A
B sin θ Angle B/w A & B is θ then D = A – B
 tan α = A + B cos θ
Magnitude
If θ = 0° θ = 90° θ = 180°
 R
max = A + B R = A + B
2 2 Rmin = A – B D = A2 + B2 – 2AB cos θ

 A – B ≤ R ≤ A + B  If θ = 0° θ = 90° θ = 180°
Dmin = A – B 2
D= A +B
2 D=A+B
 If A = B = A and Angle b/w them θ

R = 2A cos (θ/2)   |D| = 2A sin (θ/2)  A – B ≤ D ≤ A + B

θ = 0° θ = 60° θ = 90° θ = 120° θ = 180°

R = 2A R = 3A R= 2A R=A R=0
D = 0 D = A D= 2A D= 3A D = 2A

Properties of vector addtion and  If |A + B| = |B – A| then angle between

substraction:
A and B is 90°.
 
Magnitude of Vector addition and
subtraction are same at 90°. 4 Displacement vector
 A + B = B + A       Commutative

 n(A + B ) = nA + n B    distributive y
P(x1,y1,z1) Q(x2,y2,z2)
 A – B ≠ B –A r

 A = Ax i + Ay j + Az k and B = Bx i + By j
r1
r2
+ Bz k then A + B = (Ax + Bx) i + (Ay + By) j

+ (Az + Bz)k O x

 If |A + B | = |A | = | B | then angle between  If a particle moves from the initial position
(x1, y1, z1) to the final position (x2, y2,
A and B is 120° z2), the displacement vector r is given by:

 If |A | + | B | = |A + B | then angle between r = (x2-x1)i + (y2-y1)j + (z2-z1)k

A and B is zero. or   r = Δxi + Δyj + Δzk

2 2 Magnitude of displacement vector

 If A + B = A + B then angle between
2
A and B is 90°.  r = (x2 – x1) + (y2 - y1)2 + (z2 - z1)2

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Vector
Q.1. Ramlal is moving with velocity 6m/s Ax Ay Az
cos α = cos β = cos γ =
along east and pinky with 6 m/s at 30° A A A
east of north then relative velocity of
α = 60° β = 60° γ = 45°
pinky w.r.t Ramlal.
Q.6. In which of the following combination
Sol. VPR = VP–VR same vector ka subtraction of three force resultant will be zero.
at 60° |VPR| = 6 m/s (a) 3N, 7N, 8N
(b) 2N, 5N, 1N
Q.2. Find change in Speed and velocity
(c) 3N, 12N, 7N
Vi = 10 m/s (d) 4N, 5N, 10N

Sol. (a) S
 um of two smaller must be greater
O rd
or equal to (3 ).

Vf = 10 m/s 5 Scalar Product (Dot Product)

Sol. Change in speed = 0 magnitude of

change in velocity = 20 m/s B
θ
Q.3. If A = 0.6i + β j is a unit vector then
A
find value of β.
 A · B = A(B cos θ) = A(Component of
Sol. |A| = 1 if A is unit vector
B along A)
(0.6)2 + β2 = 1 = (A cos θ) B = B(Component of A along B)

β2 + 0.36 = 1 A·B
Component of B along A =
A
β = 0.64 = 0.8 A·B
Component of A along B =
Q.4. Two force 10N and 6N acting then find B

resultant of these two force.  Result of dot product is always scalar.

Sol. 10 – 6 ≤ R ≤ 10 + 6 i · i = 1    j · j = 1    k · k = 1

R will between 4N to 16N
i · k = 0    j · i = 0    k · j = 0
Q.5. 
Find the angle which a vector i + j + A · B = (Axi + Ay j + Azk) · (Bxi + By j + Bzk)
2 k makes with x, y and z-axis = AxBx + AyBy + AzBz

A = 1 2 + 12 + ( 2)2 = 2 Application of dot Product

Ax = 1  To Find Angle B/W vectors

Ay = 1 A · B = AB cos θ

A·B
Az = 2 cos θ =
AB

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Physics
 To check unit vector
6 Cross-Product :
If A is a unit vector then A · A = 1 [Vector Product]

 To check perpendicular vector (orthogonal)  A × B = AB sin θ n

If A · B = AB cos 90° = 0 n B
A · B = 0   (A ┴r B)

 To find component of one vector along

other. θ

A · B = A(B cos θ) A

A·B  n is direction of A×B which is

B cos θ = = Compn of B along A
A
perpendicular to A & B.
Q.7. If A = 4i + 2j – 3k and
 (A × B) · A = 0   (A × B) · B = 0
B = i + 3j – 2k then find A . B
(1) 10 A×B
 B sin θ = = component of
A
(2) 16
B perpendicular of A
(3) 3
 R = A×B
(4) 14
  
Place your finger of right hand along A
Sol. (2) A . B = (4i + 2j – 3k ) · (i + 3j – 2k ) and slap B then thumb will represent R.
= 4 + 6 + 6
i × i =0= j × j =k ×k
= 16
i × j = k      j × i = –k
Q.8. A force F = 4i + 5j newton displaces
j × k = i      k × j = –i
a particle through S =3i + 6j meter.
Then find work done. k × i = j      i × k = – j

(1) 24 Joule i j k
(2) 12 Joule  A × B = A x Ay A z
(3) 28 Joule Bx By Bz

(4) 42 Joule = i (AyBz – AzBy)

Sol. (1) W = F . S = (4i + 5j ) · (3i + 6j ) – J(AxBz – AzBx)

= 12 + 30 + K(AxBy – AyBx)

= 42 J  Unit vector does not have any unit only

have direction and magnitude one.

21
Vector
 Minimum no. of vectors whose resultant 
i (–14 –(–3) – j (–14 – (–5)
can be zero is '2'.
+ k(6–10)
 Minimum no of unequal vectors whose
resultant can be zero is 3. –11i + 9 j – 4k

 The resultant of 3 Non- coplaner vectors Q.10. If |A х B | = 3 A � B then angle

can't be zero.
between A and B is?
 Minimum no of Non-coplaner, vectors
whose resultant can be zero is 4. Sol. AB sin θ = 3 AB cos θ

 Angle between (A × B) and (A + B) is 90º tan θ = 3 ⇒ θ = 60°

 Division of vector with vector is not possible

 Division of magnitude of vector is possible 7 Lami's Theorem (Laws of

motion) for 3 Vectors
 Vector can be divided by scalar.

 If vector multiplied by positive scalar then When,

magnitude change and direction remains
A B C
same. = =
sin α sin β sin γ
 If vector multiplied by negative scalar then
magnitude change and direction becomes Then, A + B + C = 0
opposite.
C
Scalar triple Product

 = (A × B) � C Result R will be scalar

R α
and R will be zero if any of these two β m B
γ
vector becomes parallel.

Area of parallelogram
Area = A × B A
Area of triangle: Q. 11. As shown in figure tension in the
horizontal cord is 30 N. The weight
Area = 21 A × B
W and tension in the string OA in
The condition for coplanarity is Newton are
A · (B × C) = 0
A
Q.9. Force acting on object F =5 i + 3j – 7k
position vector r =2i + 2j – k then find
30

torque ?? (NEET 2022)

°

30 N
i j k
O
2 2 -1
Sol. τ = r × F =
5 3 -7 W

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Physics
 (a) 30 3, 30 (b) 30 3, 60 Sol. Net force on this object (point)
2F
(c) 60 3, 30 (d) None of these

Ans. 30 T1
= 2F
sin 150° sin 90°
60°
T1 30
= , T1 = 60 N 120°
1 1/2 120°

30 120°
W
=
sin 120° sin 150°
2F F
W 30 Fnet = 2F – F = F
= = 30 3
3/2 1/2 Q. 13. For two vector A and B vector
addition R = A + B and vector
T1
subtraction D = A – B then angle
between A and B .
120°
Condition Angle
150° 90° T = 30 N
(i) |A + B| = |R| = |A| = |B| → θ = 120°

(ii) |A| = |B| = |A – B| → θ = 60°

W 2 2 2 2
(iii) A + B = |A – B| = D → θ = 90°
Q. 12. If three force acting on the object as (iv) A2 + B2 = R2 → θ = 90°
shown in figure. Then find net force
(v) |A + B| = |A – B| → θ = 90°
on object.
(vi) |A + B| = |A |+| B| → θ = 0°
2F = F2
|R| = A + B

(vii) |A – B| = |A| + |B| → θ = 180°

|D| = A + B
120° 120°
(viii) |A + B| = |A| – |B| → θ = 180°
120° |R| = A – B

(ix) |A – B| = |A| – |B| → θ = 0°

F1 = 2F F3 = F

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Vector