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Module 3 Vectors

The document provides an overview of vectors, including definitions of scalar and vector quantities, properties of vectors, and methods for vector addition and subtraction. It covers concepts such as unit vectors, vector components, and the multiplication of vectors, including scalar and vector products. Several exercises are included to apply the concepts learned about vectors.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
4 views16 pages

Module 3 Vectors

The document provides an overview of vectors, including definitions of scalar and vector quantities, properties of vectors, and methods for vector addition and subtraction. It covers concepts such as unit vectors, vector components, and the multiplication of vectors, including scalar and vector products. Several exercises are included to apply the concepts learned about vectors.

Uploaded by

astronautst42
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Module #3

VECTORS
Vectors
A scalar quantity is specified by a single value with an appropriate unit and has no direction. (example:
temperature, mass, energy etc. )

A vector quantity has both magnitude and direction. (example: displacement, velocity etc). A vector is
usually denoted by a letter with an arrow overhead (𝒙 , 𝒗)

21-Jan-24 PHY 107 2


Properties of Vectors

1. Equality of Vectors:

Two vectors are equal if they have the same magnitude and point in the same
direction.

2. Adding Vectors:

The resultant vector is the vector that connects from the tail of a vector to the tip of another vector.

21-Jan-24 PHY 107 3


Vector Addition
1. Commutative Law of Addition: 2. Associative Law of Addition

𝑨+𝑩=𝑩+𝑨 𝑨+ 𝑩+𝑪 = 𝑨+𝑩 +𝑪

21-Jan-24 PHY 107 4


Negative of a Vector
The negative of a vector A is defined as the vector that when added to A gives zero for the vector sum.

𝑨 + −𝑨 = 𝟎

The vectors A and –A have the same magnitude but point in opposite directions.

Subtracting Vectors:

𝑨 − 𝑩 = 𝑨 + −𝑩

21-Jan-24 PHY 107 5


Exercise #1
A car travels 20.0 𝑘𝑚 due north and then 30.0 𝑘𝑚 due west. Find the magnitude and direction
of the car’s resultant displacement.

21-Jan-24 PHY 107 6


Components of a Vector
• A component of a vector is the projection of the vector on an axis.

• The projection of a vector on x-axis is its x component and the


projection on y-axis is its y component.

• The process of finding the components of a vector is called resolving a


vector.

• Once a vector has been resolved into its components along a set of
axes, the components themselves can be used in place of the vector.

21-Jan-24 PHY 107 7


Exercise #2
A small airplane leaves an airport on an overcast day and is later sighted 215 𝑘𝑚 away in a
direction making an angle of 22° east of north. How far east and north is the airplane from the
airport when sighted?

21-Jan-24 PHY 107 8


Unit Vector
• A unit vector is a vector that has a magnitude of exactly one and points in a particular direction.

• It lacks both dimension and unit.

• A unit vector is denoted by a lower case letter with a hat.

• Its sole purpose is to point or specify a direction.

𝑎 = 𝑎𝑥 𝑖 + 𝑎𝑦 𝑗 Vector Components
𝑏 = 𝑏𝑥 𝑖 + 𝑏𝑦 𝑗
𝑎𝑥, 𝑎𝑦 are scalar components.

21-Jan-24 PHY 107 9


Adding Vectors by Components
𝑟 = 𝑎+𝑏
The vector 𝑟 is the same as the vector (𝑎 + 𝑏)

Each component of 𝑟 must be the same of the corresponding components of (𝑎 + 𝑏 ):

𝑟𝑥 = 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏𝑥

𝑟𝑦 = 𝑎𝑦 + 𝑏𝑦

𝑟𝑧 = 𝑎𝑧 + 𝑏𝑧

Two vectors must be equal if their corresponding components are equal.

21-Jan-24 PHY 107 10


Exercise #3
Find the vector sum of the following three vectors:

𝑎 = 4.2 𝑚 𝑖 − 1.5 𝑚 𝑗

𝑏 = −1.6 𝑚 𝑖 + 2.9 𝑚 𝑗

𝑐 = −3.7 𝑚 𝑗

21-Jan-24 PHY 107 11


Multiplying Vectors
Multiplying a vector by a scalar:

If we multiply a vector 𝑎 by a scalar s, we get a new vector. Its magnitude is the product of magnitude of
𝑎 and the absolute value of s. Its direction is the direction of 𝑎 if s is positive but the opposite direction is
s in negative.

Multiplying a vector by a vector:

(a) Scalar Product ( Produces a SCALAR quantity)


(b) Vector Product (Produces a VECTOR quantity)

21-Jan-24 PHY 107 12


Multiplying Vectors
SCALAR PRODUCT

#1 𝑎 ⋅ 𝑏 = 𝑎𝑏𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜙
a is the magnitude of vector 𝑎 and b is the magnitude of vector 𝑏 ;
∅ is the angle between the vectors

#2 𝑎 ⋅ 𝑏 = (𝑎𝑥 𝑖 + 𝑎𝑦 𝑗 + 𝑎𝑧 𝑘) ∙ (𝑏𝑥 𝑖 + 𝑏𝑦 𝑗 + 𝑏𝑧 𝑘)

𝑎 ⋅ 𝑏 = 𝑎𝑥 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑎𝑦 𝑏𝑦 + 𝑎𝑧 𝑏𝑧

𝒂⋅ 𝒃=𝒃⋅𝒂

21-Jan-24 PHY 107 13


Exercise #4
What is the angle φ between 𝑎 = 3.0𝑖 − 4.0𝑗 and 𝑏 = −2.0𝑖 + 3.0𝑘?

21-Jan-24 PHY 107 14


Multiplying Vectors
VECTOR PRODUCT (Also known as CROSS PRODUCT)

#1 The vector product of 𝑎 and 𝑏, written as 𝑎 × 𝑏, produces a third vector whose magnitude is

𝑐 = 𝑎𝑏 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝜙

Where 𝜙 is the smaller of the two angles between 𝑎 and 𝑏.

#2 𝑎 × 𝑏 = (𝑎𝑥 𝑖 + 𝑎𝑦 𝑗 + 𝑎𝑧 𝑘) × (𝑏𝑥 𝑖 + 𝑏𝑦 𝑗 + 𝑏𝑧 𝑘)
𝑎 × 𝑏 = 𝑎𝑦 𝑏𝑧 − 𝑏𝑦 𝑎𝑧 𝑖 + 𝑎𝑧 𝑏𝑥 − 𝑏𝑧 𝑎𝑥 𝑗 + (𝑎𝑥 𝑏𝑦 − 𝑏𝑥 𝑎𝑦 )𝑘

𝒂 × 𝒃 = −(𝒃 × 𝒂)

21-Jan-24 PHY 107 15


Exercise #5
𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑎 = 3.0 𝑖 − 4.0 𝑗 and 𝑏 = −2.0 𝑖 + 3.0 𝑘

(a) Find 𝑐 = 𝑎 × 𝑏

(b) Show that 𝑐 𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑡𝑜 𝑎

21-Jan-24 PHY 107 16

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