What is a vector?

A vector quantity requires both

magnitude and direction to be
defined.
A vector quantity can be
represented by an
arrow- tipped line segment.
The magnitude and
direction of the vector are
indicated by the length and
direction of the arrow.
g
E
f

How fast is this boat
moving?
Speed relative to the water
8 m/s
Current 3 m/s
How fast is this boat moving?
Speed relative to the water
7 m/s
Current 3 m/s
Vector addition is used to
find the answer.
Vectors are added by placing
the tail of one vector at the
head of another vector.
8 m/s
3 m/s
For the first boat.
The sum of these two
vectors is called the
resultant vector.
5 m/s
7 m/s 3 m/s
For the second boat.
The resultant vector is
now 10 m/s.
10 m/s
Given the 2 vectors
a and b.
b
The resultant, or sum,
will be vector r.
a
r
b a
The resultant vector is
always drawn from the tail
of the first vector to the
head of the last.
r
b
a
If vectors are not in the proper
position they can be translated,
moved, as long as the length and
direction are not changed.
a
r
Vector r is the resultant of
vectors a and b.
Vectors a and b have been
translated into head to tail
alignment.
b
a
Given vectors a and b.
What will the resultant be?
a
b
r
a
b
r
Trigonometric functions are used
when working with vectors. This
method uses properties of the
right triangle and three of the trig
functions.
Chapter 3
An alternative is graphical
addition of vectors.
A student walks from his
house to his friends house
(a), then from his friends
house to the school (b). The
students resultant
displacement (c) can be
found by using a ruler and a
protractor.
Right Triangle
Side a
Side b
Side c
Hypotenuse
c a b
2 2 2
A
B
C
c
A
B
C
a
b
sin A
opposite
hypotenuse
a
c
c
A
B
C
a
b
cos A
adjacent
hypotenuse
b
c
c
A
B
C
a
b
tan A
opposite
adjacent
a
b
Draw the resultant of the two
vectors below. What will be its
general direction?
Parallelogram
method
A plane is heading North at
400 km/h. The wind is
blowing toward the West at
50 km/h. What is the
planes true velocity?
How do we solve this
problem?
Draw the
vectors.
400 km/h
50 km/h
r
400 km/h
50 km/h
Now use the
Pythagorean
theorem to find r.
r
400
km/h
50 km/h
r
What is the direction?
r a b
r
r km hr
2 2 2
2 2 2
50 400
4031
= +
= +
= . /
400
km/h
50 km/h
Use the inverse
tangent function to
find the angle.
A
A
opposite
adjacent
A
A
o
=
|
\

|
.
|
=
|
\

|
.
|
= =

tan
tan
tan ( . ) .
1
1
1
50
400
0125 71
r
400
km/h
50 km/h
403.1 km/h 7.1
o
W
of N
r
N
S
E
W
What is the basic
direction of this
vector?
N of W
N
S
E
W
What is the basic
direction of this
vector?
E of S
N
S
E
W
What is the basic
direction of this
vector?
N of E
100 N 0
o
50 N 90
o
Two forces act on a box as
shown below. What is the
resultant?
First translate the 50 N
force to proper location.
100 N 0
o
50 N 90
o
Now draw the resultant
from the tail of the first
vector to the head of the
second.
100 N 0
o
50 N 90
o
Use Pythagorean Theorem
r a b
2 2 2
r
2 2 2
50 100
2
12500 r
=
r 111 8 . N
100 N 0
o
50 N 90
o
To find the direction of the
resultant use the inverse
Tan function.
u=
|
\

|
.
|=

Tan
1
50
100
266 .
The resultant, r, is
111.8 N at 26.6
o
N of E.
100 N 0
o
50 N 90
o
I went for a walk the other
day. I went four avenues east
(0.80 miles), then twenty-four
streets south (1.20 miles),
then one avenue west
(0.20 miles), and finally eight
streets north (0.40 miles).

What distance did I travel?

What's my resultant
displacement?

When it is necessary to
subtract a vector then
add its opposite.
It is possible to separate a
vector into two right angle
component vectors.
Component Vectors: Two or
more vectors the sum of which
produces a single vector, called
the resultant vector.
The process of finding the
magnitude and direction of a
component vector is called
vector resolution.
Vectors a and b are
components of r.

r
b
a
You are moving the box below
by pulling with force r.
This means that:
r = a + b

r
a
b
What is the affect of
vector b on the box?

r
a
b
What
does b
cause?
What does vector a do?

r
a
b
What is the force in the direction
of the motion?
You pull a wagon with a rope.
40
o
Draw the component vector to
complete the right triangle.
40
o
Use the cos function to
find X.
40
o
X
40
o
X
Cos A
adjacent
hypotenuse
Cos 40
x
100N
x 100Ncos40
x 76.6N
In general two formula
are helpful in finding
components.
Y
X
R
X = R cos
Y = R sin

Any object that is kicked,
thrown, hit, or dropped is
called a projectile.
The path followed by a
projectile is the trajectory.

What force(s) act on a rock
that is dropped from a cliff?
Will the rock
accelerate?
Yes the acceleration is g.
The rock=s trajectory
is a straight line.
Now the rock is thrown
horizontally from the cliff.
What force(s) act on the
rock?
Will the rock
have any
acceleration?
Yes the acceleration is g.
g
In both cases,
whether the rock is
dropped or thrown
horizontally the
force is down.
What will be the rock=s
trajectory?
Describe the rocks velocity.
Hint, there are two.
V
x
V
y
How are the
Velocities different?
V
x
V
y
Since there is NO horizontal
force V
x
is constant.
Since gravity is acting
Vertically V
y
is accelerating.

When we have right angle
components, and one
component is accelerating
the trajectory is a parabola.
V
x
V
y
Since V
x
is a constant the
following equations apply:
X= V
x
t
Since V
y
is accelerated
Galileo=s equations apply.
v v at
y f y i , ,
= +
A A A y v t a t
y i
= +
,
1
2
2
If the object is in free fall the
value of acceleration is g.
Given a ball that is dropped
and one that is thrown
horizontally. Which one will hit
the ground first?
Two Balls Falling
They will both hit at the
same time. Why?
Two Cannon
What will happen if the two
cannon shoot at each other
at the same time?
A ball is dropped from the top of a
boats mast as the boat is moving.
What will you see?
C:\Program Files\IP2\MyExperiments\BOAT-
BAL.IP
Air Drop
The hunter aimed along the rifle at
the monkey in the distant tree.
When the gun fired the frightened
monkey fell out of the tree.
What happened to the monkey?
Monkey and Hunter