VECTORS

Why do we need vectors?

During the process of understanding and analysing laws of nature physicists have deviced several interesting and usefull physical quantities. These quantities are used to describe natural phenomena scientifically which has developed as a universal language. Nature communicates with man using this language. Proper understanding of this language is indispensible for any student of science.

Why do we need vectors?

Some physical quantities can be completely described by specifying their magnitude in proper units. Some others require specification of magnitude as well as direction for their complete description. The former are called Scalars and the latter are called Vectors.

Examples of Scalars
If you meaure the temperature of your room using a thermometer you express it as a number having a unit like celsious , Farenheit etc. These numbers can be combined using ordinary laws of arithmatic.

Examples of Scalars
If you meaure the weight of potatos using a Kichen Balance you express it as a number having a unit like kilogram , pound etc. These numbers can be combined using ordinary laws of arithmatic.

Examples of Scalars
If you meaure your wrist size using a tape measure you express it as a number having a unit like centimetre, inch etc. These numbers can be combined using ordinary laws of arithmatic.

Commonly used Scalars

Quantity Mass Distance travelled Speed Time interval Unit Kilogram Metre
Metre/second

Quantity Unit Energy Power Joule Watt

Second

Electric Volt Potential Temperature Celsius

Examples of Vectors
In a football game the ball is passed from the initial position A to final position D as shown. The actual distance the ball has travelled is the distance AB + distance BC + distance CD which is a number and hence a scalar expressed in length units. But the displacement is the distance measured along the line AD. It has a magnitude (distance AD), a length unit, and a direction (along the line AD). Hence it is a vector.

Mathematics to help you...

Mathematical idea behind vector manipulations is called vector analysis. In order to develop mathematical methods to handle vectors we use displacement vector as a handy prototype. Methods so developed can be conveniently used in handling other vectors like velocity, force, electric field etc. without any change in spite of the fact that they are different quantities. Maths is powerful...

Commonly used Vectors

Quantity Force
Displacement

Unit newton Metre

Metre/second

Quantity Unit
Acceleration
Electric dipole moment

m/s

Coul-m

Velocity
Electric field vector

Magnetic Tesla field Volt/Metre Position Metre

Vector

How will you represent a Vector?

Simplest representation of a vector is a directed line segment (arrow) with the length of the segment representing the magnitude of the vector (in suitable scale) and the direction of the arrow head pointing towards the direction of the vector. For example force acting on a 10 kg. Mass on the surface of the earth (g=10m/s2, scale 10N=1cm.) can be represented by a vertically downward arrow of 10cm. length.

When are two vectors equal?

Two vectors are said to be equal only if they have same magnitude and direction. Thus when we say a vector changes it means that magnitude, direction or both changes. In graphical representation two equal vectors are represented by two parrallel arrows of same length. If two vectors have equal magnitude and opposite direction one is said to be the negative of the other (A and -A).

Graphical representation
Vector A Vector A and Vector B are equal in magnitude and direction hence they are equal Vector D and Vector C are equal and opposite hence D is the negative of C Vector P is represented by the arrow OT. The point O is called the initial point or origin and the point T is called the terminal point or Terminus. The distance between initial point and terminal point represents the magnitude of the vector (the length being taken after pre-fixing a convenient scale.)

Vector B

Vector C Vector P D = -C

Algebraic operations on vectors...

As in ordinary algebra operations like Addition, Subtraction, multiplication with a number, multiplication among themselves etc. are defined. They form the rules of vector algebra.

Adding two parallel vectors

If you add two parallel vectors ie. two vectors in same direction the resulting vector is another vector in the same direction having magnitude equal to the sum of the magnitudes. Obviously the rule can be extented to any number of parallel vectors.

Let us do it...
Velocity Vector A 6m/s |A| indicates magnitude of A |A| = 6m/s |B| = 4m/s |A+B| = 10m/s

Velocity Vector B 4m/s

Velocity Vector A 6m/s + Velocity Vector B 4m/s

C=A+B

Let us do it...
P=3
|P|= 3 |Q|= 4 |R|= 6 |P+Q+R| = 13

Q=4

R=6 P+Q+R=S S

Resultant of Vectors...

Two or more vectors [system of vectors] when applied produces a cobined effect. A single vector which produces the same effect as that of the system of vectors is called resultant of the system of vectors. To find the resultant we add all the members of the system of vectors according to the rules of vector algebra.

Adding equal vectors

A A A A+A+A = 3A

Thus multiplication of a vector by an integer n giving nA is equivalent to addition of n equal vectors. This idea can be generalised to mA where m is any scalar positive or negative. This is called multiplication of a vector by a scalar. Multiplication by positive scalars do not change the direction. Magnitude gets multiplied by the scalar. Multiplication by negative numbers give vectors in the opposite direction with magnitude multiplied by the scalar.

Subtracting two parallel vectors

If you subtract one parallel vector from another the resulting vector is another vector in the same direction as that of the larger vector having magnitude equal to the difference of the magnitudes.

Let us do it...
Force Vector A 6 N Force Vector B 4 N

C=A-B 2m/s

|A| = 6 N |B| = 4 N |A-B| = 2 N

C=A-B

The direction of the resultant in this case will be the direction of Vector having larger magnitude

5N 10 N 15 N

Dimension of a Vector...

If all the vectors in the system are parallel we have a system of vectors in one dimension. If all the vectors in the system are not parallel and if they all lie in the same plane [coplanar vectors] we have a system of vectors in two dimension. A system of vectors in which one ore more of the vectors do not lie in the plane it is called a three dimensional system of vectors.

How to specify direction using angle with the horizontal ?

So far we were dealing with parallel vectors. They are all one dimensional cases where the direction can be specified by a sign either + or after fixing a suitable convention. Most popular convention is to assign + to vectors towards right or up and to vectors towards left or down. But vectors in two or three dimension [ vectors which are not parallel] demands a more mathematical approach.

How to specify direction using angle with the horizontal ?...

Vertical direction (vd) Direction of the vector can be specified by taking the angle made by the vector with the horizontal in the anticlockwise direction.

Horizontal direction (hd)

How to determine magnitude ?...

Magnitude of the vector can be determined by measuring the horizontal distance and the vertical distance [both are scalars] and using Pythagoras theorem.

Vertical direction

Horizontal distance

Horizontal direction

Vertical distance

Addition of vectors Triangle law

Displace one of the vectors (second vector) such that the tail (origin or initial point) of it coincide with the head (terminus or final point) of the other (first vector). Draw a vector connecting the tail of the first vector and head of the second vector. This vector represents the sum both in magnitude and direction.