Lecture 2: Units, physical quantities

and vectors (Part 2)

Objectives
Perform addition and multiplication on vectors
Differentiate scalar product and vector product

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2
Addition of vectors
LENGTH OF ARROW: MAGNITUDE
HEAD OF ARROW: DIRECTION

Blue arrow: resultant vector

(sum of two or more vectors)

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Addition of Option 1: add A and Option 2: add B and
vectors B, to get D, then add C, to get E, then add
How to find the sum C to D to get the R: A to E to get R:
of three vectors A, B
and C? Let us count
the ways!

Option 3: add A, B Option 4: add A, B

and C, to get R and C in any order
directly: to get R:
= + +
= + +

= 2 + 2

= 4
Illustrate this
Subtraction of vectors
To construct the vector difference A B, you can place the tail of
B at the head of A or place 2 vectors A and B head to head

Subtracting B to A is equivalent to adding B to A:

A + (-B) A-B

With A and B head to tail, With A and B head to head,

A-B is the vector from the A-B is the vector from the
tail of A to the head of -B tail of A to the tail of -B 5
Multiplication of vectors with a scalar
Multiplying a vector by a positive and negative scalar

Multiplying a vector by a
positive scalar changes
the magnitude of the
vector but not its direction

Multiplying a vector by a
negative scalar changes
its magnitude and
reverses its direction

Note: its important draw vectors in scale (e.g. 1cm:1km)

Example: Addition of vectors (graphical/analytical)
A cross-country skier skis 1.00km north and then
2.00km east on a horizontal snow field. How far and
in what direction is she from the starting point?

Solution 1: (graphical)
Drawing the vector
diagram to scale,
1division: 1km, by
careful measurement,
we found the distance
from starting point to
end point about 2.2km
and angle is about 63o.

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Example: Addition of vectors (graphical/analytical)
Solution 2:
(analytical, add 1.00km and 2.00km displacement vectors)
Using Pythagorean theorem, the resultant vector is:
= (1.00)2 +(2.00)2 = 2.24

1 2.00
= = 63.4 east of north
1.00

Analytical method yields

more accurate results!

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Addition and subtraction of vectors
(when written in component form)

Resultant vector: = +
Add/subtract components having the same unit
vector

EXAMPLE:
= 1m + m
= +

+ = + +
= +
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Products of Vectors
1. Scalar (dot) product
= cos = cos
= + +
Results to a scalar

Dot products of unit vectors can be 0 or 1:

=1
=1 Dot of same unit vectors = 1
=1
= =0
= = 0 Dot of different unit vectors = 0
= = 0 Because the product is a scalar:
direction does not matter 10
Products of Vectors
2. Vector (cross) product

= =

(magnitude) = sin
Cross product of unit vectors is a unit vector or 0:
=0
=0 Cross of same unit vectors = 0
=0 11
A helpful way to solve vector (cross) product

=
=
=
=
=
=
product is a vector - direction matters!
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Perform the following vector operations:
= +
=
Addition:
=+
Subtraction:
=
Scalar (dot) product:
=

Vector (cross) product:

=
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Summary
Scalar (dot) product Cross (vector) product
(magnitude) = sin
= cos = cos
= + +
dot products of unit vectors can be 0 or 1:
=1
=1
=1
= =0
= =0
= = 0
cross products of unit vectors are unit vectors

=
Resultant vector: = + +
=
= + + = 2 + 2 =
= + + =

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Answer to Seatwork dated 11 Aug.

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1.Determine the (unit) dimension of G

where Fgrav is in Newtons [N], m1 and m2 is

in kilograms [kg] and r is in meters [m].

Ans: unit of G is (a)

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2 and 3: Write vectors A and B in
bearing form
4 and 5: Write vectors A and B in
component form

Bearing form:

A = 3.60m, 70O North of East

B = 2.6m, 30O South of West

Component form:

A 3.60m cos 70.0i 3.60m sin 70.0 j

A 1.23mi 3.38mj

B 2.40m cos 30.0i 2.40m sin 30.0 j

B 2.08mi 1.20mj 17