VECTORS

Introduction

1
 Introduction to Vectors
• Definition of vectors.
• Properties of vectors.
• Elementary operations on vectors.
• Angle between 2 vectors
• Cartesian components of vectors in two
dimensions
• Cartesian components of vectors in three
dimension
• Resultant and Component Vectors.
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DEFINITION

3
 Definition
• SCALAR: something with magnitude
only.
• VECTOR: something with magnitude
and direction.

4
Consider the sketch below

Each of the directed line segments in the sketch represents the same
vector.
In each case the vector starts at a specific point then moves 2 units to
the left and 5 units up.
and each of the directed line segments in the sketch are called 5
representations of the vector.
 Directed line segments
• Magnitude is the length of line
segment.
• Arrow is the direction from O to A.
A

O
So O is as important as A
6
 Definition - analytical
• Analytically, we usually express vectors in
component form.
• We do this by considering the vector with the
v~ point
origin as its initial v1, vand
2
write the
v~  ofv1,its
coordinates v2 ,terminal
v3 point.
• For example, in 2D,
and in 3D,

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 v1,notation,
• Be careful to distinguish vector v2
from the notation we use to represent
 
v1, v2
coordinates of points,

• The vector denotes a magnitude and a

direction of a quantity while the point denotes a
location in space.
• So don’t mix the notations up!
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 Magnitude
• A 2D vector in component form has
magnitude
v~  v1  v2
2 2

• A 3D vector in component form has

magnitude
v~  v1  v2  v3
2 2 2

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 Example 1
Find the component form of the vector
with (4,2,-1) as its initial point and
(-2,3,0) as its terminal point.
Solution
The component form of the vector is given by

 2  4,3  2,0  1   6,1,1

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 Elementary
Operations on
Vectors

11
 Equality of vectors
Two vectors are equal if the two
vectors have same magnitude and
same direction
c
~ d
~

cd
~ ~
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 Negative vectors
a~
Vector is the negative
b~
vector of if they have the
same magnitude but opposite direction.

a~   b~
a
~ b Note:
b~   a~
~

|-a|= |a|.
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Resultant of two displacement
vectors
P

O Q
  
Sum (resultant) of OP and PQ is OQ (obvious!)
Needs end of previous vector to coincide with the
next.
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 Example 2
A
D

B
C

Simplify    
AB  BC  DC  AD
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 Adding vectors
Vectors are added in the same way as
‘journeys’

• Triangle Law
P
  
OP  PQ  OQ
O Q
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 Adding vectors
• Parallelogram law

b
a+b
a

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 Subtracting vectors
Just add the negative
a – b = a + (-b)
b
Graphically: a

a-b -b
-b

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 Properties of addition
• Commutativity
p+q = q+p

• Associativity
(p+q)+r = p +(q+r)

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 Scalar multiplication
Multiply vector by scalar
• Direction stays same
• Magnitude stretched by given scalar
• Negative scalar reverses direction
• Parallel vectors: a = k b , where k is a
scalar

a -a
2a
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 EXAMPLE 3
Diagrams below show the 2 vectors u~ , v~
Use the given vector u , v to draw the
indicated vectors. ~ ~

u  1.5cm
v  2cm ~
~

a) u  v b) 2 u  v
~ ~ ~ ~

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SOLUTION:
By Triangle Law
2u
~

a) u  v v
~ ~
v
~

u b) 2 u  v
~ ~ ~

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 
EXAMPLE 5 : Given OABC is a parallelogram, OA  a ,
  ~

and OB  b, OC  c .
~ ~

Find the following vectors in terms of a~ , b~ , c~

A
B

 
a) AB b) CA
O C

SOLUTION:   
   b) CA  CO OA
a) AB  AO OB  
    OC  OA
  OA  OB
  c a
  a b ~ ~
~ ~
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  
Example 6 : ABCD is a parallelogram. Given AP  2 PB
and point Q is the midpoint of DC. Given that

AB  6u find in terms of u
~ ~

a) AP

b) QC

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SOLUTION:
Step 1 : Draw the diagram P
A
 B

AB  6u 2
~ 1

 2  D Q C
a) AP  AB  1 
3 b) QC  DC
2
2
 (6 u ) 1 
 AB
3 ~
 
2
 4u 1
~  6u
2 ~
 3u
~ 25
 Unit vectors
• A unit vector is a vector of unit length, i.e. |a| = 1.
• Unit vector  a
a
a

• The vectors i, j and k are the unit vectors along

the x, y and z axes, respectively.

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 CARTESIAN
COMPONENTS

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In general, if the coordinate of point P is (x, y) then the

1. The position vector of point P is


OP  x i  y j
~ ~

2. The magnitude /modulus / length of OP

OP  x y
2 2

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Example 9:
From the diagram, coordinate of
point A is(2,-3), therefore : y

a) The position vector :


OP  2 i  3 j x
~ ~
O
b) The magnitude
 A
OA  (2)  (3)
2 2

 4  9  13
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 EXAMPLE 10:

Given a  4 i  3 j , b  5 i  j and c  h i  (h  k ) j
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ ~

a) Find 2 a 2 b b) Determine 2 a 2 b
~ ~
~ ~

SOLUTION:

a) 2 a  2 b b) 2 a  2 b
~ ~
~ ~
 2(4 i  3 j )  2(5i  j )
~ ~
 8 i  6 j  10 i  2 j  (2)  (8)
2 2

~ ~
 (8  10) i  (6  2) j
~ ~
=
~ ~
 4  64  68
 2 i  8 j 30
~ ~
Example 11:

(i) Write down in form of a i  b j  c k

~ ~ ~

the vector represent by OP
if P is a point with coordinates P(1,0,-3) .

SOLUTION : (i) OP  i  3k
~ ~

(ii) Given point Q with coordinates Q(1,-2,-7),

,
what is the position vector of point Q ?
.

Solution: (ii) OQ  i  2 j  7 k
~ ~ ~
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 
(iii) Find the modulus of OQ

SOLUTION : (iii) OQ  i  2 j  7 k
~ ~ ~

OQ  (1)  (2)  (7)  54
2 2 2

 96
 9 6
3 6
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  
(iv) Find 3 OP  2 OQ and its magnitude.
SOLUTION : (iv)
 
3 OP  2 OQ  3( i  3 k )  2( i  2 j  7 k )
~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 3 i  9 k  2 i  4 j  14 k
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 (3  2) i  4 j  (9  14) k
~ ~ ~
 i  4 j 5 k
~ ~ ~
 
Therefore : 3 OP  2 OQ  1  4  5 2 2 2

 1  16  25  42
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EXAMPLE 14
Given that a = 2i – 4j + 2k and
b = 3i + 4j – 5k .
Find the unit vector in the direction
of v given that v = a + 2b

SOLUTION :
v  a  2b
~ ~ ~
v  (2i  4 j  2k )  2(3i  4 j  5k )
~
v  2i  4 j  2k  6i  8 j  10k
~ 34
 v  2i  4 j  2k  6i  8 j  10k
~
 8i  4 j  8k
So, the unit vector in the direction of v
^ v 8i  4 j  8k
v ~

8  4  (8)
~ 2 2 2
v
~

8i  4 j  8k

144
8 4 8
 i j k 35
12 12 12
 

EXAMPLE 15 : Given OA  2 i 3 j
 ~ ~
OB  4 i  9 j
~ ~

 OC  8 i  5 j
(a) Find AB ~ ~

(b) Find the unit vector of AB
  
(c) Find the position vector OE where BE  3 EC

36
SOLUTION : (a)
  
AB  AO OB  (2  4) i  (3  9) j
~ ~ ~
 2i  6 j
~
  ~

  OA OB
 (2 i  3 j )  (4 i  9 j )
~ ~ ~ ~
 2 i  3 j  4 i  9 j
~ ~ ~ ~

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SOLUTION : (b)

From answer part (a) AB  2 i  6 j
~ ~

So, the unit vector of AB is

 AB 2i  6 j 2i  6 j
AB  
 
AB 2 6
2 2
40

2i 6j
 
40 40
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 SOLUTION : (c)
 
BE  3 EC
   
BO  OE  3( EO OC )
   
 OB  OE  3( OE  OC )
   
 OB  OE   3 OE  3 OC
   
3OE  OE  OB  3 OC 39
    
3OE  OE  OB  3 OC

4 OE  (4i  9 j )  3(8i  5 j )

4 OE  4i  9 j  24i  15 j

4 OE  28i  24 j
 28i  24 j
OE   7i  6 j
4
40
EXAMPLE 16
Given that a = 6i + ( p – 10 )j + ( 3p – 5 )k
and that a  = 11 , find the possible values of p .

SOLUTION : Given a  11
~

6   p  10  3 p  5  11
2 2 2

36  p  20 p  100  9 p  30 p  25  11
2 2

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 10 p  50 p  161  11
2

10 p  50 p  161  11
2 2

10 p  50 p  40  0
2


10 p  5 p  4  0
2

 p  1 p  4  0
p 1; p4
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 ANGLE BETWEEN TWO VECTORS

The angle between two vectors is :

The angle between their directions when

the lines representing them either
both converge or both diverge.

43
a c

 

d
b

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 Cosine Laws a c

 b

i) Formula to find length of side:

c  a  b  2ab cos 
2 2 2

ii) Formula to find angle:   cos 1 a  b  c 

 2 2 2

 
 2ab 
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EXAMPLE 17

Find the angle between the vectors a and b given that

a  3, b  8 and a b  7

SOLUTION --- step 1 :draw the diagram

a a b 3 7
~ ~
~
  8
b
~

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 step 2 : use cosine law

1 3  8  7 
 2 2 2
  cos   3 7
 2(3)(8) 
 8
 24 
1
 cos  
 48 

  60  
or 
3

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RESULTANT
AND
COMPONENT
VECTORS

48
 Resultant Vector
• When two (or more) vectors are added, the single
equivalent vector is called the resultant vector.

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 Resultant Vector – Example 18
• A heavy crate being pulled along by two ropes. The unit
in which the forces in the ropes are measured is in
Newton (N). Find the magnitude and direction of the
resultant force.
30 N

40 N

50
 Resultant Vector
SOLUTION
• By using the Pythagoras Theorem

Resultant Force
Resultant
Force =  ( 302 + 402 )
30N
=  2500
40N
= 50 N
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Resultant Vector – Example 19

• A light aircraft is flying in still air at 180 km/h on a

bearing of 52o. A steady wind suddenly springs up,
blowing due south at 70 km/h. Find the velocity of
aircraft over the ground.
SOLUTION By using the Cosine Law ,
N

VG2 = 1802 + 702 – 2(180)(70)cos52

180
km/h 52 70 km/h
52 due = 37300 – 15514.67
south
W E
VG = 147.59 km/h
? km/h

S
52
 Components Vectors
Two vectors can be combined into a single resultant
vector

It is often very useful to reverse this process; that is,

to replace a vector by an equivalent pair of vectors.

This process is called

resolving a vector into components

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 Component vectors in the
direction of the coordinate axes
y

P
B


O x
A   
By the triangle law of addition: OP  OA  AP
 
But AP  OB
  
So OP  OA OB
54
Component vectors in the direction of the
coordinate axes
By Using trigonometry:
OA
 cos   OA  OP cos 
OP
OB
 sin   OB  OP sin 
 OP
So OA  OP cos  i ( horizontal component )

OB  OP sin  j ( vertical component )

Giving OP  (OP cos  ) i + (OP sin  ) j

OP cos  OP sin  are called the

and
components of along the coordinate axes. 55
 Component vectors in the
direction of the coordinate axes
Example 20
A plane takes off at an angle of 30o to the runway at a
50 km/h.

a) Find the horizontal and vertical components

of the plane’s velocity

b) What difference is there between the components

found in part (a) and the horizontal and vertical
Components of the velocity of the plane as it returns
to the base at the same speed?

56
 Component vectors in the
direction of the coordinate axes
SOLUTION

Horizontal component = 50 cos 30

50 km/h
= 43.30 km/h
Vertical
30 component
Vertical Component = 50 sin 30
Horizontal
component
= 25 km/h
The horizontal and vertical components of the
the same but they
velocity of the plane are
have opposite sign. 57
 Resultant from sum of
components
• it is possible to choose two mutually perpendicular
directions and find the components of all forces in these
two directions.

• By finding the algebraic sum of these components the

resultant of the system can be found in both magnitude
and direction.

58
 Resultant from sum of
components
Eg. 6

Example 23

Find the resultant of the following forces, giving the

answer in the form ai + bj:

(2i + 4j) N, (5i – 7j) N and ( -2i – j) N.

SOLUTION

Resultant force = 2i + 4j + 5i – 7j + ( -2i – j )

=5i -4j

59
 Resultant from sum of
components
Example 24

Forces of 6 N, 3 N and 4 N act as shown in the diagram.

Find the magnitude and the direction of the resultant of
these forces.

SOLUTION
y
Let :
3N
Horizontal force , FH 4N
80o
70o
FH1 = 6 N x
6N
FH2 = 3 cos 70O = 1.03 N
FH3 = - 4 cos 10O = - 3.94 N

Vertical force , FV
FV1 = 6 sin 0O = 0 N
FV2 = 3 sin 70O = 2.82 N
60
FV3 = 4 sin 10O = 0.69 N
 Resultant from sum of Eg. 7
components
Resultant of the three forces = Total FH + Total FV
= 3.09 i + 3.51 j

Magnitude of the resultant of the three forces :

3.09  3.51
2 2
 4.68N
Direction of these forces :

 3.51 
  tan 1
  48.64

North of East
 3.09 

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