ECOR 1101 Mechanics I

Sections C and F

Jack van den Berg

Lecture 02 – Vectors
(Chapter 2 – Sections 2.1-2.4)

January 8, 2015
Scalars and Vectors

 Scalar: A scalar is completely described by its

magnitude (can be positive or negative)
 Examples mass, volume, length, time
 Vector: A vector has more than one attribute
or characteristic to describe it.
 Magnitude (Size)
 Direction (Angle)
 Sense (Tension/Compression)
 Point of Application (Location)

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 Vector
Magnitude = Size
Direction = Angle Line of
P of A = Location Action
Sense = T or C

Head = sense

r ce Sense: Push or Pull ?

Fo Tension or Compression ?
Tail = Point of Application
Length = Magnitude

Direction Angle

Reference

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Vector Notation

 Vectors can be represented by a variety

of notations:
 Bold face type lettering (A)
 Letter with an arrow over top (A)
 Underlined letters (A)
 Two letters denoting origin and end and an
arrow over top (AB)

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Vector Operations

 Multiplication of a vector
by a scalar P
 Multiplication by a +ve
scalar increases 3P
magnitude by scalar
value. Sense remains
unchanged. P

 Multiplication by –ve -3P

scalar increases
magnitude by scalar
value. Sense changes.

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Vector Operations

 Division of a vector by a
scalar P
 Division by a +ve scalar
decreases magnitude by P/3
scalar value. Sense
remains unchanged. P
 Division by –ve scalar
decreases magnitude by P/(-3)
scalar value. Sense
changes.

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 Vector Operations - Addition
 Vectors obey the parallelogram law of
vector addition.
 When two vectors, A and B are added
they form a resultant vector C.
 The general rule is:
 Join the tails of A and B at a point (O)
to make them concurrent.
O
 From head of B draw a line parallel to
A. Then draw a line from head of A
parallel to B so they intersect at point
(P) and form a parallelogram. P
C
 The diagonal of the parallelogram (O-P) O
represents the resultant vector C.

C
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 Vector Operations - Addition
 Vectors can also be added by
using the triangle rule - a special
case of the parallelogram law of
vector addition.
 For the two vectors, A and B,
the general rule is: C
 Draw vector A and then from the O
head of A draw vector B in a C
“head-to-tail” fashion
 The resultant vector C extends
from the tail of A to the head of C
B.
C
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 Vector Operations - Addition
Collinear vectors
If two vectors A and B are
collinear, i.e. both have the
same line of action, the
parallelogram law of vector
addition reduces to algebraic C
sum (or scalar sum) of their
magnitudes. O
C

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Vector Operations - Subtraction

 The resultant R′ of the difference

between two vectors A and B can be
expressed as:
R′ = A – B = A + (-B)

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Forces

 A Force is a vector quantity.

 It has a specified magnitude, sense, direction and
point of application as do vectors.
 In statics, we often have two forces (or
components of a force) and are required to
find their resultant (force)
 Or we have a resultant force and are required
to resolve the force into its component forces

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Addition of Multiple Forces
 Forces can be added and
subtracted in the same
manner as vector by the
parallelogram law or
triangle rule
 If more than two forces
(vectors) are to be added,
successive applications of
the parallelogram law can
be used.
FR=F1+F2+F3 = ((F1+F2)+F3)
Does FR= F2+F3+F1 ?

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Sample Problem
 Given vectors Q, R and S. Show that:
 (S + Q + R) = (R + Q + S) = (Q + R + S)

+R
Q
S+
R
O

S
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System of Coplanar Forces

 An arbitrary force, F, can be resolved into two

coplanar components, Fu and Fv, along any two
axes u and v by the parallelogram law of
vector addition or the triangle rule

F = Fu + F v

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Sine and Cosine Laws

Using the triangle rule of vector addition, the

sine and cosine laws can be used to determine
the direction and magnitude of the resultant
force, respectively.

Sine Law A
c
A B C
 
sin a sin b sin c b

Cosine Law C
B
C A 2  B 2  2 AB cos c
a

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Scalar Notation

 When the forces are resolved along the x and y axes

the components are called rectangular
 Scalar Notation
The components of the force can be expressed in
Scalar Notation using the parallelogram law.
F can be resolved along x and y axes.
The magnitudes of the components can be calculated
with the angle or by using the slope of the force F

Fx  F cos  a
Fx  F  
Fy  F sin  c
b
Fy   F  
c

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Cartesian Vector Notation

 Components of a Forces can also be expressed in Cartesian

Vector Notation using unit vectors i and j in the x and y
axes, respectively.
 In Cartesian Vector Notation, F can be expressed as a vector
as:
F =Fx i + Fy j
Fx and Fy are scalar quantities representing the magnitude
of the components of the force, F.
The unit vectors i and j designates the directions along x and
y axes

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Resultant of Coplanar Forces
 Using either the Scalar or Cartesian
Vector notation, the resultant of
forces can be determined
 First resolve forces into their
components (rectangular)
 Using scalar algebra, sum collinear
vectors
FR = (F1x – F2x + F3x)i +
(F1y + F2y – F3y)j
= (FRx) i + (FRy) j

(+) FRx = F1x – F2x + F3x

(+) FRy = F1y + F2y – F3y

FR = FRx + FRy

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Resultant of Coplanar Forces

 The magnitude of the

resultant force is given
as:
FR  FRx2  FRy2

 While the direction of

the resultant force is
given as:   tan 1  FRy 
F 
 Rx 

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Sample Problem – 2.35

The contact point

between the femur and
tibia bones of the leg is
at A. If the vertical
force of 175 lb is
applied at this point,
determine the
components along the x
and y axes

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Sample Problem 2.35

Fy

13

12
5 

Fx
F
12

Fx 5 5 5
  Fx  F  67.3 lb 13
F 13 13
x

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Sample Problem – 2.48

Determine the
magnitude and direction
measured
counterclockwise from
the positive x axis of
the resultant force
acting on the ring at O
if FA = 750 N and =45o.

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 Solution 1 – Cartesian Vector
Notation

FAy = FAcos45o=530.33

FAx = FAsin45o=530.33
FBx = FBcos30o=692.82

FBy = FBsin30o=400

F  FAx  FBx i  FAy  FBy j

F  530.33  692.82i  530.33  400.00 j  1223.15i  130.33 j

F  1223.152  130.332  1230.1 N  1.23 103 N  1.23 kN

 130.33 
  tan 1    6.08
o

 1223.15 
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 Solution 2 – Sine and
Cosine Laws

45o 60
o

FB
F

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