Chapter 2: Vectors

From Textbook “Physics for Scientists and Engineers

(with Modern Physics)”, Serway & Jewett, Thomson
PHYV101 Slides by Prof Tim Gibbon Brooks/Cole Publishers 1

After this section you should be able to…

a) Distinguish between vectors and scalars.

b) Resolve vectors into components.
c) Explain and use unit vectors.
d) Calculate the resultant magnitude and direction of
a number of vectors.
e) Solve problems on the above.

Refer to material from MATHS PRIMER WORKSHOP

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Vectors and Scalars
l A scalar quantity is completely specified by
a single value with an appropriate unit and
has no direction.
l A vector quantity is completely described by
a number and appropriate units plus a
direction.

Vector Example
l A particle travels from A to
B along the path shown by
the dotted red line
l This is the distance
traveled and is a scalar
l The displacement is the
solid line from A to B
l The displacement is
independent of the path
taken between the two
points
l Displacement is a vector

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Components of a Vector,
Introduction
l A component is a
projection of a vector
along an axis
l Any vector can be
completely described by
its components
l It is useful to use
rectangular
components
l These are the projections
of the vector along the x-
and y-axes

Vector Component
Terminology
! ! !
l A x and A y are the component vectors of A
l They are vectors and follow all the rules for
vectors
l Ax and Ay are scalars, and
! will be referred to
as the components of A

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Components of a Vector
l Assume you! are given
a vector A
l It can be expressed in
terms of two
! other !
vectors, A x and A y
l These three vectors
form a right triangle
! ! !
l A = Ax + Ay

Components of a Vector, 2
l The y-component is
moved to the end of
the x-component
l This is due to the fact
that any vector can be
moved parallel to itself
without being affected
l This completes the
triangle

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Components of a Vector, 3
l The x-component of a vector is the projection along
the x-axis
Ax = A cos θ
l The y-component of a vector is the projection along
the y-axis
Ay = A sin θ
l This assumes the angle θ is measured with respect
to the x-axis
l If not, do not use these equations, use the sides of the
triangle directly

Components of a Vector, 4
l The components are the legs of the right triangle
whose hypotenuse is the length of A
A
A = Ax2 + Ay2 and θ = tan −1 y
Ax
l May still have to find θ with respect to the positive x-axis

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Components of a Vector, final
l The components can
be positive or negative
and will have the same
units as the original
vector
l The signs of the
components will
depend on the angle

Unit Vectors
l A unit vector is a dimensionless vector with
a magnitude of exactly 1.
l Unit vectors are used to specify a direction
and have no other physical significance

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Unit Vectors, cont.
l The symbols
î , ĵ, and k̂
represent unit vectors
l They form a set of
mutually perpendicular
vectors in a right-
handed coordinate
system
l Remember, ˆi = ˆj = kˆ = 1

Unit Vectors in Vector Notation

l Ax is the same as Ax î
and Ay is the same as
Ay ĵ etc.
l The complete vector
can be expressed as
!
A = Ax ˆi + Ay ˆj

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Adding Vectors Using Unit
Vectors
! ! !
l Using !R = A + B
l Then R = Ax ˆi + Ay ˆj + Bx ˆi + By ˆj
( )( )
!
R = (Ax + Bx )ˆi + (Ay + By )ˆj
!
R = Rx ˆi + Ry ˆj
l and so Rx = Ax + Bx and Ry = Ay + By
Ry
R = Rx2 + Ry2 θ = tan−1
Rx

Process for adding vectors

1) Calculate the X component and the Y
component of each vector
2) Sum all the X components
3) Sum all the Y components
4) Calculate the magnitude and direction of
the resultant vector using:
Ry
R = Rx2 + Ry2 θ = tan−1
Rx

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Example 3.5 – Taking a Hike
l A hiker begins a trip by first walking 25.0 km
southeast from her car. She stops and sets up her
tent for the night. On the second day, she walks
40.0 km in a direction 60.0° north of east, at which
point she discovers a forest ranger’s tower.

(Question A) Determine the components of the hiker’s

displacement for each day.
(Question B) Determine the components of the hiker’s
resultant displacement for the trip. Find an expression for
in terms of unit vectors.
(Question C) Calculate both the magnitude and the direction
for the resultant vector describing the trip

Example 3.5
l (A) Determine the components
of the hiker’s displacement for
each day. !
A

Solution: We conceptualize the problem by drawing a

sketch as in the figure above. If we denote the !
displacement
! vectors on the first and second days by A
and B respectively, and use the car as the origin of
coordinates, we obtain !the vectors shown in the figure.
Drawing the resultant R , we can now categorize this
problem as an addition of two vectors.

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Example 3.5
l We will analyze this
problem by using our new
knowledge of vector !
components. Displacement A
has a magnitude of 25.0 km
and is directed 45.0° below
the positive x axis.

From Equations 3.8 and 3.9, its components are:

Ax = A cos( −45.0°) = (25.0 km)(0.707) = 17.7 km
Ay = A sin( −45.0°) = (25.0 km)( −0.707) = −17.7 km
The negative value of Ay indicates that the hiker walks in the
negative y direction on the first day. The signs of Ax and Ay
also are evident from the figure above.

Example 3.5
l The second !
displacement B has a
magnitude of 40.0 km
and is 60.0° north of
east.

Its components are:

Bx = B cos 60.0° = (40.0 km)(0.500) = 20.0 km
B y = B sin 60.0° = (40.0 km)(0.866) = 34.6 km

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 Example 3.5
l (B) Determine the
components of the hiker’s
!
resultant displacement R for !
R
the trip.
! Find an expression
for R in terms of unit
vectors.
! ! !
Solution: The resultant displacement for the trip R = A + B
has components given by Equation 3.15:
Rx = Ax + Bx = 17.7 km + 20.0 km = 37.7 km
Ry = Ay + By = -17.7 km + 34.6 km = 16.9 km
In unit-vector
! form, we can write the total displacement as
R = (37.7 ˆi + 16.9ˆj) km

Example 3.5
l (C) Using the Equations
below, we find that the
resultant vector has a
magnitude of 41.3 km and is
directed 24.1° north of east. !
R

Ry
R = Rx2 + Ry2 θ = tan−1
Rx
!
Let us finalize. The units of R are km, which is reasonable for a
displacement. Looking at the graphical representation in the
figure above, we estimate that the final position of the hiker is at
about
! (38 km, 17 km) which is consistent with the !components
of R in our final result. Also, both components of R are positive,
putting the final position in the first quadrant of the coordinate
system, which is also consistent with the figure.

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Problem

Answer:

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