VECTORS

Learning Outcomes:
• Explain the different aspects of vectors
• Solve problems involving vectors quantities using graphical and
analytical method.
VECTORS
• Many important quantities have a direction associated with a them
and cannot be described by a single number.
• Such quantities play an essential role in many of the central topics of
physics, including motion, electricity and magnetism.
• A physical quantity described by a single number is a scalar quantity.
• A vector quantity has both magnitude and direction in space.
VECTORS
• Example of a simple vector quantity,
displacement.
• Displacement is a change in position of a
point
• Displacement is a vector quantity as we must
state how far the particle moves, in what
direction.
• A displacement is always a straight-line
segment directed from the starting point to
the ending point, even if the path is curved.
• Displacement versus distance
Problem 1:
• A book is moved once around the perimeter of a tabletop with the
dimensions 1.0 m by 2.0 m. The book ends up at its initial position.
a) What is its displacement? b) What is the distance traveled?

Answer:
a) Zero
b) 6 meters
Vectors
• A vector quantity is represented by a single letter such as D, F, V in
boldface italic type with an arrow above them.
• The arrow is a reminder that vector qty has direction.
• When showing any vector, we draw a line with an arrowhead at its
tip.
• The length of the line shows the vector’s magnitude and direction of
line represents the direction of the vector.
• If two vectors have the same direction, they are parallel.
Vectors
• If two vectors have the same magnitude
and the same direction, they are
equal.(no matter where they are located
in space)
• The negative of a vector is one that has
the same magnitude as the original
vector but in the opposite direction.
• When two vectors have opposite
direction, regardless if their magnitudes
are the same or not, we say they are
antiparallel.
Vectors
• The magnitude of a vector quantity (in the case of a displacement
vector, its length) by the same letter used for the vector, but in light
italic type with no arrow on top, rather than boldface italic with an
arrow (which is reserved for vectors).
( 
) 
Magnitude of A = A or A
• By definition, the magnitude of a vector quantity is a scalar quantity
(a number) and is always positive
• When drawing diagrams with vectors, we'll generally use a scale
similar to those used for maps.
• For example, a displacement of 5 km might be represented in a
diagram by a vector 1 cm long
Vector Addition
• The vector sum of vectors A and B is called the resultant vector C.
  
C = A+ B
• The boldface plus sign emphasizes that adding two vector quantities
requires a geometrical process and not as same as adding two scalar
quantities
Vector Addition
• A common error is to conclude that if C = A + B , the magnitude C
should just equal the magnitude of A plus B .
• The magnitude of a vector sum depends on the magnitudes of A
and B and the angle between A and B
VECTOR ADDITION
• GRAPHICAL METHOD
- triangle or polygon method
- parallelogram method
VECTOR ADDITION

• ANALYTICAL METHOD
- pythagorean theorem
-law of cosine and law of sine
- component method
Problem 2:
A cross-country skier skis 1.00 km north and then 2.00 km east on a
horizontal snow field.
How far and in what direction is she starting from the starting point?
Problem 2:
• IDENTIFY
The problem involves combining displacements, so we can solve it
using vector addition. The target variables are the skier's total distance
and direction from her starting point. The distance is just the
magnitude of her resultant displacement vector from the point of
origin to where she stops, and the direction we want is the direction of
the resultant displacement vector.
Problem 2:
• SET-UP
Diagram shows scale diagram of
skier’s displacements. The direction
from the starting point by the angle
. By careful measurement we find
that the distance from the starting
point is about 2.2 km and that  is
about 63. But we can calculate a
much more accurate result by
adding the 1.00-km and 2.00-km
displacement vectors.
Problem 2:
• EXECUTE
• (a) The vectors in the diagram form a right triangle; the distance from
the starting pt is equal to the length of the hypotenuse. We find this
length by using the Pythogoras theorem:

(1.00 km )2 + (2.00 km )2 = 2.24 km

By definition of tangent function
opposite side 2.00 km
tan  = =
adjacent side 1.00 km
 = 63.4
Problem 2:
We can describe the direction as 63.4° east of north or 90° - 63.4° =
26.6° north of east. Take your choice!

Evaluate:
It's good practice to check the results of a vector addition problem by
making measurements on a drawing of the situation. The answers we
found by calculation are very close to the cruder results we found by
measurement . If they were substantially different, we would have to
go back and check fot errors.
Law of Cosine
• Law of Cosine
- is used to find one side of a triangle when two sides are known and
the included angle
To find unknown side c :
Law of Sine
• Law of Sine
- is used to find when two angles and one opposite side is given
or two sides and an opposite angle is given.
Problem 3:
Given the following forces:

𝑭𝟏 = 54 N 60⁰ N of E

𝑭𝟐 = 60 N due E

Find the magnitude and the direction of the resultant of the two forces.
Solution:
Given: F2 = 60 N due E
F1 = 54 N 60 ⁰ N of E

R
F1

β α 60⁰
F2

Target : Resultant Force , magnitude and direction

Solution
Use cosine law to find for the resultant force:

𝑅2 = 𝐹1 2 + 𝐹2 2 − 2𝐹1 𝐹2 cos 𝛼

𝑅2 = (54𝑁)2 +(60𝑁)2 -2(54N)(60N)cos 120

𝑅 = 9756 𝑁
R = 98.8 N
Solution
Use sine law to find for the direction of resultant force:
𝑆𝑖𝑛 𝛽 𝑆𝑖𝑛 120
=
𝐹1 𝑅

𝐹1
𝑆𝑖𝑛 𝛽 = sin 120
𝑅
54 𝑁
𝑆𝑖𝑛 𝛽 = sin 120
99 𝑁

𝑆𝑖𝑛 𝛽 = 0.472377
𝛽 = 𝑠𝑖𝑛−1 (0.47)
𝛽 = 28.2 °
Solution
Magnitude and direction of resultant force

= 98.8 N 28. 2⁰ N of E
Components of Vector
• Measuring a diagram offers only very limited accuracy, and
calculations with right triangles work only when the two vectors are
perpendicular.
• So we need a simple but general method for adding vectors. This is
called the method of components.
• To define the components of a vector, we start by creating a
rectangular coordinate system
• Draw the vector with its tail O at the origin
Components of Vector
• We can represent any vector lying in
the xy-plane as the sum of a vector
parallel to the x-axis and a vector
parallel to the y-axis.
• These two vectors are labeled
𝐴𝑥 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐴𝑦 in the Figure, they are
called the component vectors of
vector 𝑨 and their vector sum is equal
to 𝑨. In symbols,
𝑨 = 𝐴𝑥 + 𝐴𝑦
Components of Vector
• For any vector whose magnitude and direction are known we can
easily calculate for its rectangular components.
•  is measured in the positive counter-clockwise direction
Ax Ay
= cos  and = sin 
A A
Ax = A cos  and Ay = A sin 

A = Ax + Ay
2 2

Ay Ay
tan  = and  = arctan
Ax Ax
Example 1
What are the x- and y-components of vector D? The magnitude of the
vector is D = 3.00 m and the angle ∝ = 45°.
Example 1: Solution
Identify
The magnitude and direction of a vector are given, and we are asked to
find its components.

Set-up
We need to be careful because the angles are not measured from the
+x-axis toward the +y-axis.
Example 1: Solution

Execute
The angle between D and the positive x-axis is a (the Greek letter
alpha), but this angle is measured toward the negative y-axis. So the
angle we must use = - ∝ = - 45°.

𝐷𝑥 = 𝐷 cos 𝜗 = 3.00 𝑚 cos −45° = +2.1 𝑚

𝐷𝑦 = 𝐷 sin 𝜗 = 3.00 𝑚 sin −45° = −2.1 𝑚
Example 2

What are the x- and y-components of vector E? The magnitude of the

vector is E = 4.50 m and the angle 𝛽 = 37.0°.
Example 2: Solution

Identify
The magnitude and direction of a vector are given, and we are asked to
find its components.

Set-up
The x-axis isn’t horizontal nor is the y-axis vertical. In general, any
orientation of the x- and y-axes is permissible, just so the axes are
mutually perpendicular. Here angle  is angle between 𝐸 and the
positive y-axis, not positive x-axis, so we cannot use this angle in our
equation
Example 2: Solution

Execute
Instead, 𝐸 defines the hypotenuse of a right triangle; the other two
sides of the triangle are the magnitudes of Ex and Ey, the x- and y-
components of 𝐸 . The sine of  is the opposite side (magnitude of Ex)
divided by the hypotenuse (magnitude of E), and cosine of  is the
adjacent side (magnitude of Ey) divided by hypotenuse (magnitude of
E). Both components of 𝐸 are positive, so
Example 2: Solution

Evaluate
Had we used the equation directly and written
Ex = E cos 37.0 and Ey = E sin 37.0, our answers for Ex and Ey would
have been reversed.
In order to use the equation , you must first find the angle between 𝐸
and the positive x-axis, measured toward the positive y-axis; this is  =
90.0 −  = 90.0 − 37.0 = 53.0. Then Ex = E cos  and Ey = E sin .
You can substitute the values of E and  into the equation to show that
the results for Ex and Ey are the same as given above.
Vector Addition: Component Method
To find the resultant vector:
IDENTIFY and SET UP:
1. Decide what your target variable is.
2. It may be the magnitude of the vector sum, the direction, or both.
3. Draw the individual vectors being summed and the coordinate axes
being used.
4. In the drawing, place the tail of first vector at the origin of
coordinates, place tail of second vector at the head of first vector,
and so on.
5. Draw the vector sum from the tail of the first vector to the head
of the last vector.
6. From the drawing, make a rough estimate of the magnitude and
direction of 𝑅 , you’ll use the estimates to check your calculations
later
Vector Addition: Component Method

EXECUTE:
1. Find the x- and y-components of each individual vector
and record your results in a table.
2. If a vector is described by its magnitude A and its angle
, measured from the +x-axis toward the +y-axis, then
the components given by
Ax = A cos  Ay = A sin 
3. The components could be positive or negative,
depending on how the vector is oriented (that is, what
quadrant  lies in.
Vector Addition: Component Method

4. Use the following sign table as a check:

Quadrant I II III IV
Ax + - - +
Ay + + - -

5. If angles of vectors are given in other way, use a different

reference direction, convert them to the angle measured
from the +x-axis as described above.
Vector Addition: Component Method

6. Add individual x-components algebraically, including

signs, to find Rx, the x-component of the vector sum. Do
the same for the y-components to find Ry.
7. Magnitude R and direction  of the vector sum given by

R = Rx 2 + R y 2
Ry
 = arctan
Rx
Vector Addition: Component Method

EVALUATE:
1. Check your results for magnitude and direction of the
vector sum by comparing them with the initial rough
estimates made from the drawing.
2. Remember that R is always positive and  is measured
from the positive x-axis. Value of  found with a
calculator may be the correct one or may be off by 180°.
3. If calculations disagree totally with estimates from
drawing, check whether calculator is set in “radians” or
“degrees” mode. If in “radians” mode, entering angles in
degrees will give nonsensical answers.
Problem 4

Three players on a reality TV show are brought to the center of a large,

fIat field. Each is given a meter stick, a compass, a calculator, a shovel,
and (in a different order for each contestant) the following three
displacements:
72.4 m, 32.0⁰ east of north
57.3 m, 36.0⁰ south of west
17.8 m straight south
The three displacements lead to the point where the keys to a new
Porsche are buried. Two players start measuring immediately, but the
winner first calculates where to go. What does she calculate?
Problem 4: Solution

Identify
The goal is to find the sum (resultant)
of the three displacement.

Set-up
Calculate the angle from +x axis
A: 90 ⁰ – 32⁰ = 58 ⁰
B: 180⁰ + 36⁰ = 216⁰
C: 270⁰
Problem 4: Solution
Execute
Calculate the components of each displacement
Problem 4: Solution
Evaluate
Our calculated answers for R and  are not too different from our
estimates of 10 m and 40 west of north; that’s good! Note that  =
−51, or 51 south of east, also satisfies the equation for . But since
the winner has made a drawing of the displacement vectors, she
knows that  = 129 is the only correct solution for the angle.
Problem 5:

• Three displacements are 𝑨 = 200 m due south, 𝐵 = 250 m due west,

and 𝑪 = 150 m at 30.0° east of north. Find the resultant of the three
displacements.
References
• Physics by Paul E. Tippens

• University Physics by Young and Friedman

• Physics Principles with Applications by Douglas C. Giancoli