Scribd
Upload
49 views13 pages

Chapter 3

This document summarizes key concepts about vectors from Chapter 3: 1) It introduces coordinate systems like Cartesian and polar coordinates used to describe the location of objects in space. Polar coordinates represent a point using its distance (r) from the origin and the angle (θ) between the position vector and a fixed axis. 2) It defines scalar quantities as having only magnitude and vector quantities as having both magnitude and direction. Displacement and velocity are examples of vectors. 3) Vectors can be added by placing the tail of one vector at the head of another. They can also be multiplied by scalars. Examples demonstrate calculating the resultant displacement of multiple journey segments.

Uploaded by

Eyad
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
49 views13 pages

Chapter 3

This document summarizes key concepts about vectors from Chapter 3: 1) It introduces coordinate systems like Cartesian and polar coordinates used to describe the location of objects in space. Polar coordinates represent a point using its distance (r) from the origin and the angle (θ) between the position vector and a fixed axis. 2) It defines scalar quantities as having only magnitude and vector quantities as having both magnitude and direction. Displacement and velocity are examples of vectors. 3) Vectors can be added by placing the tail of one vector at the head of another. They can also be multiplied by scalars. Examples demonstrate calculating the resultant displacement of multiple journey segments.

Uploaded by

Eyad
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 13

Chapter 3

Vectors
3.1 Coordinate Systems
3.2 Vector and Scalar Quantities
3.3 Some Properties of Vectors
3.4 Components of a Vector and Unit Vectors
3.1 Coordinate Systems
Many aspects of physics involve a description of a location in space. In Chapter 2, for
example, we saw that the mathematical description of an object’s motion requires a method
for describing the object’s position at various times. In two dimensions, this description is
accomplished with the use of the Cartesian coordinate system, in which perpendicular axes
intersect at a point defined as the origin O (Fig. 3.1). Cartesian coordinates are also called
rectangular coordinates.
Sometimes it is more convenient to represent a
point in a plane by its plane polar coordinates
(r, θ) as shown in Figure 3.2a. In this polar
coordinate system, r is the distance from the
origin to the point having Cartesian coordinates
(x, y) and θ is the angle between a fixed axis
and a line drawn from the origin to the point.
The fixed axis is often the positive x axis, and θ
is usually measured counterclockwise from it.
From the right triangle in Figure 3.2b, we find that sin θ = y/r and that cos θ = x/r.
Therefore, starting with the plane polar coordinates of any point, we can obtain the
Cartesian coordinates by using the equations

Furthermore, if we know the Cartesian coordinates, the definitions of trigonometry tell us that

Equation 3.4 is the familiar Pythagorean theorem.

These four expressions relating the coordinates (x, y) to the coordinates (r, θ) apply only
when θ is defined as shown in Figure 3.2a—in other words, when positive θ is an angle
measured counterclockwise from the positive x axis.
Example 3.1 Polar Coordinates

The Cartesian coordinates of a point in the xy plane are (x, y) = (-3.50, -2.50) m as shown in
Figure 3.3. Find the polar coordinates of this point.
Use Equation 3.4 to find r :

Use Equation 3.3 to find θ :

Notice that you must use the signs of x and y to find that the point lies in the third quadrant
of the coordinate system. That is, θ = 216°, not 35.5°, whose tangent is also 0.714.
3.2 Vector and Scalar Quantities
A scalar quantity is completely specified by a single value with an appropriate
unit and has no direction.
examples of scalar quantities are volume, mass, speed, time, and time intervals. Some
scalars are always positive, such as mass and speed. Others, such as temperature, can have
either positive or negative values.
A vector quantity is completely specified by a number with an appropriate unit (the
magnitude of the vector) plus a direction.
example of a vector quantity is displacement and velocity.

3.3 Some Properties of Vectors


Equality of Two Vectors
For many purposes, two vectors and may be defined to be equal if they have the
same magnitude and if they point in the same direction.

all the vectors in Figure 3.4 are equal even though


they have different starting points. This property
allows us to move a vector to a position parallel to
itself in a diagram without affecting the vector.
Adding Vectors

Negative of a Vector

Subtracting Vectors
Multiplying a Vector by a Scalar

Example 3.2 A Vacation Trip


A car travels 20.0 km due north and then 35.0 km in a direction 60.0° west of north as shown
in Figure 3.11a. Find the magnitude and direction of the car’s resultant displacement.

The resultant displacement of the car is 48.2 km in Figure 3.11


a direction 38.9° west of north.
3.4 Components of a Vector and Unit Vectors
Unit Vectors
Example 3.3 The Sum of Two Vectors

Example 3.4 The Resultant Displacement


Example 3.5 Taking a Hike

You might also like