PHYSICS IN LIFE SCIENCES

Scalars and vectors: how to

describe physical quantities
Related textbook chapter: 3.5, Appendix C.
 Key concepts
• What is scalar? What is vector?
• Vector algebra:
– Scalar-vector products
– Vector summation, tip-to-tail rule
– Vector subtraction
– Scalar product of vectors
– Cross product of vectors, right-hand rule
How do we describe a physical
object (like a person)
Age: 12 years (time)
Height: 1.34m (length)
Weight: 38kg (mass)

What do they have in

common?

A scalar is a quantity described by a

single number (plus the unit).
 Other scalar quantities…
A thermometer An electric meter

measures temperature

measures energy
 Scalar algebra
• Same as the algebra of numbers.
• Summation: a+b (a, b must have the same
unit).
• Subtraction: a-b (a, b must have the same
unit).
• Multiplication: ab (the units of a and b
combine)
• Division: a/b
• The outcomes are still scalars.
 The change of a scalar is still a
scalar
• If a scalar quantity is changing with space
or time, the difference between two points
is still a scalar.
 Quantity that carries a direction:
position
What is the position of Shanghai
(relative to Singapore)?
•It is 4600 km away from
Singapore. (magnitude)
•It’s to the NE of Singapore
(direction).

Quantities like position

have both a magnitude
and a direction. They are
called vectors.
A vector is represented by an arrow.
Example of vector quantity: velocity

Separation angle

Magnitude of velocity: speed.

Direction of velocity: elevation angle,
separation angle.
Example of vector quantity: force

What determines how far you can throw the ball?

•How hard you push. (magnitude of force)
•In what direction you push. (direction of force)
 Conventions of writing a vector
z •In figures, a vector is represented
 by an arrow.
v •In text, a vector is written as a
y letter with an arrow on top or a
bold letter (v).
x

•A vector = its magnitude & its direction.


•The magnitude of a vector is a scalar. It is written as v
or simply v (non-bold without the arrow on top).
•Two vectors are equal only if they have both the same
magnitude and the same direction.
The magnitude of a vector is a
scalar
What is the position of Shanghai
(relative to Singapore)?
•It is 4600 km away from
Singapore. (magnitude)
•It’s to the NE of Singapore
(direction).

The magnitude of position

is the straight line distance,
which is a scalar.
 Equal Vectors

The starting point and ending point of a vector don’t matter.

 Unequal Vectors
Same direction, but different magnitude.


 v4
v5

 
v4 v5
 Unequal Vectors
Same magnitude, but different direction.

 
F1 F2

 
F1  F2
Vector algebra: Multiplying or
Dividing a Vector by a Scalar
• The result is still a vector.
• The magnitude of the vector is multiplied
or divided by the absolute value of the
scalar.
• A positive scalar does not affect the
direction of vector.
• A negative scalar reverses the direction of
the vector.
Multiply a vector with a scalar
A
 A
A

A
A

A
A

A
A

A
 Multiply a vector by zero?

It becomes a zero vector – a point instead of an

arrow.

Vector 0

•A zero vector has no defined direction.

•Or, it can assume any direction.
 Vector algebra: new problem
 
A B

• Summation: A+B = ?
• Subtraction: A-B = ?
• Multiplication: AB = ? (only two special
forms will be introduced)
• Division: A/B = ? (not to be introduced)
• Are the results still vectors?
 Vector summation

B
 
A A  
 A B
B

How
 to define
 Connect the ending pointof A
( A  B) ? with the starting point of B

Vectors have a characteristic way of adding up:

tip-to-tail rule
 It’s only natural
Starting from home, a man walks 8 km towards east,
then 6 km towards north. What’s his position from his
home now?
Total
movement
   Second
A B B movement


First movement: A

Does it make any difference if he walks 6 km towards

north first, then 8 km towards east?
Symmetry of vector summation

B
   
A   BA A
A B

B
first A then B first B then A
A+B B+A
   
A  B B  A
•Vector summation is commutative.
•You are free to change the order of vectors.
 Adding more vectors
• Apply “tip-to-tail rule” repetitively.
• The resultant is drawn from the starting point
of the first vector to the ending point of the
last vector.

Three-vector summation
 More Vectors
• Just repeat the tip-to-tail
rule.
• The resultant is still
drawn from the starting
point of the first vector to
the ending point of the
last vector.
• The order of the vectors
does not matter!

Four-vector summation
 Vector subtraction: two ways

 
A  B A   B
Find –B and use tip-to- Put the tail of B and A
tail rule. together and draw a
vector from the tip of B
  to tip of A.
A B
   
  B C A  B
A B  
 B A
     
B  C A  C A  B
Vector summation and subtraction
Summation: Tip-to-tail Subtraction: Tip-to-tip
 
A B   
  B A B
A B

A
 The change of a vector is still a
vector
•If a vector quantity is changing with space
or time, the difference between two points is
still a vector.
  
V V2  V1


V1

V2
 Question
• Which of the following diagrams is correct?
   
(A) A B (B) A B
   
A B  A B
   
A B A B
(C) (D)
   
A B A B
Answer: (D).
 Another way to draw vector
summation: parallelogram rule

  
C A  B
 
B  A

•The parallelogram rule is equivalent to the tip-

to-tail rule.
•Vector A and B are called “components” of C.
 Orthogonal components
y   
V Vx  V y

Vy

Vx
x

Vx , Vy are perpendicular to each other, hence they are

called “orthogonal components” of V.
 2  2 2
Pythagorean theorem: Vx  V y  V
Vector summation using components
y
 
V1y+V2y
 V1  V2
V1 V1y
V2y 
V2
x
V1x V1x+V2x V2x

• First, find or setup an orthogonal coordinate

system.
• Write the vectors in terms of orthogonal
components.
• Add corresponding components up  result.
• It works for subtraction as well!
 The product of two vectors
• Scalar product A·B, also called inner
product or dot product, generates a scalar.

• Cross product A×B, also called outer

product, generates another vector.
 Scalar product

A Definition:
   
θ A B  A B cos 

B

Properties:
A · B = B · A (symmetric)
A · (B1 + B2) = (A · B1) + (A · B2) (associative)

A, B perpendicular  A · B = 0
We will use it when we learn “work and energy”.
 Cross product
 Definition of C=A×B:
A Define magnitude
1) |C| = |A| |B| sin θ
θ
 Define direction
B
   2) C is perpendicular to
C  A B both A and B.
3) The directions of
A, B, C follow the
right hand rule.
 Right Hand Rule (RHR)

 must be less than 180o.

• Using your left hand would give the wrong

result!
Propertiesof cross product
  
A B A A

θ θ
 
  B B
A B
A × B =  B × A (Anti-symmetric!)
A × (B1 + B2) = (A × B1) + (A × B2) (associative)

A, B parallel or anti-parallel  A × B = 0
We will use it when we learn “magnetic force”.
 Question
• If vector A points towards west and vector
B points towards south, the cross product
A×B points:
(A) towards northwest.
(B) towards southwest.
(C) upward.
(D) downward.

Use the RHR correctly and the answer is (C).

 Break
• Next: Description of motion.