PHY433

CHAPTER 2:
SCALAR AND VECTOR
 Learning Content

2.1 Scalars and Vectors Quantities

2.2 Resolution of a Vector into Components
2.3 Addition and Multiplication of Vectors
(Scalar and Vector Products)
 Learning Outcome
At the end of this chapter, students should be able to:

 Define scalar and vector quantities, unit vectors in Cartesian coordinate.

 Explain vector addition and subtraction operations and their rules.
Visualize resultant vector graphically by applying
–commutative rule
–associative rule, and
–distributive rule
 Resolve vector into two perpendicular components (2-D) and three
perpendicular components (3-D):
–Components in the x, y and z axes.
–Components in the i , j , k unit vectors.
 Define and use dot (scalar) product and the magnitude of cross (vector)
product;
 2.1 Scalars & Vectors Quantities
Physical
Quantity

Scalar Vector

Physical quantity which has magnitude Physical quantity which has magnitude
only and direction

Example: mass, distance & time Example: velocity, force & momentum
 Vector quantities graphical
representation: an arrow
 Symbols are
 printed bold, A

 written with an arrow pointing to the right on the top of the


quantity, A
 The magnitude of vector A, the absolute-value sign
 |A| or

 italic, A.
 Also represented symbolically by an arrow.

Vector A

Length of an arrow– magnitude of vector

A
Direction of arrow – direction of vector A
• Equality of vectors:

A A B A
B B

A =B A B A B
(parallel) Different Different
directions magnitudes
 Direction of Vector
Can be represented by using:
a) Direction of compass, i.e east, west, north,
south, north-east, north-west, south-east and
south-west
 Direction of Vector
b) Angle with a reference line
e.g. A man throws a stone with a velocity of 10 m
s-1, 30o above horizontal.
 Direction of Vector
c) Cartesian coordinates
•2-Dimension (2-D)
 Direction of Vector
c) Cartesian coordinates
•3-Dimension (3-D)
 Direction of Vector
d) Polar coordinates
 Direction of Vector
e) Denotes with + or – signs.
 2.2 Resolution of a Vector into
Component
 Coordinate system use – Cartesian Coordinate.
 Coordinate axes have a positive end & a
negative end.
y

Quadrants
II I

-x x

III IV

-y
 Vector Components
 There are two components of vector:
1. Horizontal component
2. Vertical component
 These components are perpendicular to each other.

component
Vertical
Horizontal component
 Because x and y axis is perpendicular, they can be
calculate using trigonometric functions.
v

v s in 

v cos 

• To find magnitude and direction:

 Example 2.1
 Given that the magnitude and direction of vector A is 7
m and 35o, respectively. Determine and draw its
components.

(Answer: Ax = 5.73 m; Ay = 4.02 m; |A| = 7.0 m)

[Source: Matrix. Phys. 1]

 2.3 Addition & Multiplication
of Vectors
 When two or more vectors are added they will produce a
new vector, for example
AB C
resultant vector
 All vectors involved in the addition must be of the same
unit.
Example: One cannot add velocity vector to a force vector.
Addition & Subtraction of vectors
For vectors in one
dimension, simple
addition and
subtraction are all that
is needed.
You do need to be
careful about the
signs, as the figure
indicates.
 Addition & Subtraction of vectors
There are two methods involved in addition of vectors graphically
–Parallelogram
–Triangle
Addition & Subtraction of vectors
Addition & Subtraction of vectors
 If there are more than 2 vectors therefore
– Use vector polygon and associative rule.

polygon
 The magnitude of the horizontal and vertical component
can be obtained using Law of right-angled triangle, that
is

Fy= Fsin θ
θ

Fx= Fcos θ
 Hence vector F can be written as F  F cos ,   F sin , 
 Where the arrows indicate the direction of the
component vector
 Example 2.2
Three vectors are shown as in below. Calculate the
magnitude and direction of the resultant vector.
 Solution:
By using table,
Vector X-component Y-component
A (44) 44 m cos 28 = 38.85 44 m sin 28 = 20.66

B (26) -26 m cos 56 =-14.54 26 m sin 56 = 21.55

C (31) 0 -31 m
Resultant
24.31 11.21
vector
Magnitude:  ( x) 2  ( y ) 2  (24.31) 2  (11 .21) 2  716.64  26.77 m
 y
Direction: tan    
x
1  11 .21  0
  tan    24.75 1st quadrant
 24.31 
25
 Exercise
1. Calculate the resultant vector?

B
(B
.0)
=
4
=4
26 (A
.5) A
56.0o 28.0o

Figure: Adding
vectors

[Ans: Resultant = 48.93;  = 60.59o]

2. Two boys are pulling a box across a horizontal floor
as shown in Fig 2. If F1 = 50 N and F2 = 100 N, find the
resultant (or sum) force by
using the analytical method.
N
F2

60
F1
30
W E
(overhead view)

S
Figure 2:  Adding force vectors.

(Ans: 145.46 N, θ = 50.1o north of east)

27
 y
3. 
F2 (30 N )

F1 (10 N )
45o 20
x
30o O


F3 (40 N )

Figure 3

The figure 3 shows three forces F1, F2 and F3 acted on a particle

O. Calculate the magnitude and direction of the resultant force
on particle O.

28 (Ans: 38 N, θ = 84o 3rd Q)

 Unit Vectors
 Vectors can be expressed in terms of its components by
using unit vectors.
 Writing vectors in the i , j , k form (notation form).
 The purpose of unit vector: to describe the direction of
vectors.
Unit vector axis
symbols
î
ˆj x
y
k̂
z
Fig. 3.16a, p.66
 Unit Vectors
 Vector A is written in term of unit vector:
A  Ax î  Ay ˆj  Az k̂
 For example,
If vector A has the scalar components:
Ax = 5 m, Ay = 6 m and Az = 5 m,
we can write vector A in terms of unit vectors as:
A  5î  6 ĵ  5k̂
vector
Unit vecto r of a vector 
magnitude of vector
A
 
A
 Figure 1 : A = 5 i + 6 j + 5 k

5k
6j
A
5i
5

5
 A vector can be written in the unit vector notation,
for example:
 Suppose A is a velocity vector = 20 ms-1, in the x-
direction
 Hence A can be written as A = 20 i ms-1
 Let B be force vector, B = 40 N, 30o from the
horizontal.
 How do you write B in terms of i and j

30o
 The vector B = 40 N, 30o from the horizontal can
be written in i and j form.
 Calculate the x-component and y-component of

B
 x-component = 40 cos 30 = 34.64 N
 y-component = 40 sin 30 = 20 N
 Hence B = (34.64 i + 20 j ) N

B
20 j

34.64 i
 Addition of vectors using unit vectors
 Suppose given three vectors,
 P = 60 N, 60o from horizontal : Q = 40 N, N 40o W

: and R = 20 N, W 20o S
 Find S = P + Q + R
 P, Q and R can be written in i, j, k
 P = 60 cos 60 i + 60 sin 60 j = 30 i + 51.96 j
 Q = - 40 sin 40 i + 40 cos 40 j = - 25.71 i + 30.64 j
 R = - 20 cos 20 i - 20 sin 20 j = - 18.79 i – 6.84 j

40o 20o
Q R
60o
 P = 30 i + 51.96 j
 Q = - 25.71 i + 30.64 j
 R = - 18.79 i – 6.84 j
 Hence S = (30 i + 51.96 j) + (-25.71 i +30.64 j) +

(-18.79 i - 6.84 j)
 S = (30–25.71–18.79) i + (51.96+30.64–6.84) j
 S = -14.5 i + 75.76 j

- 25.71 i
- 18.79 i
P
51.96 j Q 30.64 j - 6.84 j
R

30 i
 S = -14.5 i + 75.76 j

- 25.71 i
- 18.79 i
- 6.84 j
R
30.64 j
Q

75.76 j S
P
51.96 j

30 i
- 14.5 i
 Dot Product of Vectors
 Dot product of any two vectors,
A  B is defined as the product of their magnitudes
and the cosines of the angle between them.

 Dot product of the vectors A and B can be write as:

A  B  A B cos   AB cos 
OR
A  B  Ax Bx  Ay B y  Az Bz

A

B
 Dot Product of the unit vectors

Unit Vector: iˆ  iˆ  ˆj  ˆj  kˆ  kˆ  (1)(1) cos 0 o  1

iˆ  ˆj  iˆ  kˆ  ˆj  kˆ  (1)(1) cos 90 o  0

 i  i = |i| |i| cos 0o = 1 ii jj kk

 j  j = |j| |j| cos 0o = 1
 k  k = |k| |k| cos 0o = 1 ij jk
 i  j = j  i = |i| |j| cos 90o = 0
 j  k = k  j = |j| |k| cos 90o = 0 ki

 k  i = i  k = |k| |i| cos 90o = 0

 Example 2.3
 Given two vectors P = 60 N, N 60o E
= 60 cos 30 i + 60 sin 30 j = 51.96
i + 30 j
 And Q = 5 m, N 20o E = 5 cos
70 i + 5 sin 70 j = 1.71 i + 4.70 j

P
Q

70o
30o
 P = 60 N, N 60o E = 51.96 i + 30 j
 Q = 5 m, N 20o E = 1.71 i + 4.70 j
 The dot product, P.Q = PQ cos θ where θ = angle

between the two vectors

 Hence P.Q = 60 N(5 m).cos 40o = 229.81 Nm or
 P.Q = (51.96 i + 30 j).(1.71 i + 4.70 j)
 = (51.96)(1.71)i.i + (51.96)(4.7)i.j + (30)(1.71)j.i
+ (30)(4.7)j.j

P
Q
40o
 P.Q = 60 N(5 m) cos 40o = 229.81 Nm or
 P.Q = (51.96 i + 30 j).(1.71 i + 4.70 j)
 = (51.96)(1.71)i.i + (51.96)(4.7)i.j +
(30)(1.71)j.i + (30)(4.7)j.j
 = 88.85(1) + 244.21(0) + 51.3(0) +
141(1)
 = 229.85 Nm
 Result of a dot product is a scalar
 Cross Product of Vectors
 Vector or Cross Product of two vectors, A x B is defined as
the product of their magnitudes and the sines of the angle
between them.
A  B  A B sin   AB sin  nˆ
 Cross product has a direction, and direction of n̂ is given by
the right-hand rule.

 The direction is the advance direction

of right-hand screw when turned from
A to B through angle .

 Assume that the axis of the screw is

normal to the plane of vector A and B.
 Cross Product in the unit vector

iˆ  iˆ  0
ixi j xj kxk
ˆj  ˆj  0
kˆ  kˆ  0
because sin 0 o  0 ixj
k jxk
i

iˆ  ˆj  kˆ iˆ  kˆ   ˆj
ˆj  kˆ  iˆ kˆ  ˆj  iˆ j

kˆ  iˆ  ˆj ˆj  iˆ   kˆ
kxi
 Cross Product using determinant form

iˆ ˆj kˆ
A  B  Ax Ay Az
Bx By Bz

A  B  ( Ay Bz  Az B y )iˆ  ( Az Bx  Ax Bz ) ˆj  ( Ax By  Ay Bx )kˆ
 Example 2.4
 Given two vectors P = 60 N, N 60o E
= 60 cos 30 i + 60 sin 30 j = 51.96
i + 30 j
 And Q = 5 m, N 20o E = 5 cos
70 i + 5 sin 70 j = 1.71 i + 4.70 j

P
Q

70o
30o
 Past Sem Questions
1) .

2) .

3) .
MOTIO N IN 1 D & 2 D
49