Vectors

Vectors can be graphically represented by directed line segments. The length is chosen, according to some scale, to represent the magnitude of the vector, and the direction of the directed line segment represents the direction of the vector. For example, if we let 1 cm represent 5 km/h, then a 15-km/h wind from the northwest would be represented by a directed line segment 3 cm long, as shown in the figure at left. A vector in the plane is a directed line segment. Two vectors are equivalent if they have the samemagnitude and direction. Consider a vector drawn from point A to point B. Point A is called the initial point of the vector, and point B is called the terminal point. Symbolic notation for this vector is (read vector AB). Vectors are also denoted by boldface letters such as u, v, and w. The four vectors in the figure at left have the same length and direction. Thus they represent equivalent vectors; that is,

In the context of vectors, we use = to mean equivalent.

The length, or magnitude, of is expressed as | |. In order to determine whether vectors are equivalent, we find their magnitudes and directions.

Example 1 The vectors u,

, and w are shown in the figure below. Show that u =

= w.

Solution We first find the length of each vector using the distance formula: |u| = [2 - (-1)]2 + (4 - 3)2 = 9 + 1 = 10, | | = [0 - (-3)]2 + [0 - (-1)]2 = 9 + 1 = 10, |w| = (4 - 1)2 + [-1 - (-2)]2 = 9 + 1 = 10. Thus |u| = | = |w|.

The vectors u, ,and w appear to go in the same direction so we check their slopes. If the lines that they are on all have the same slope, the vectors have the same direction.We calculate the slopes:

Since u,

, and w have the

same magnitude and the same direction, u= = w.

Vectors Vectors can be graphically represented by directed line segments. The length is chosen, according to some scale, to represent the magnitude of the vector, and the direction of the directed line segment represents the direction of the vector. For example, if we let 1 cm represent 5 km/h, then a 15-km/h wind from the northwest would be represented by a directed line segment 3 cm long, as shown in the figure at left. A vector in the plane is a directed line segment. Two vectors are equivalent if they have the samemagnitude and direction. Consider a vector drawn from point A to point B. Point A is called the initial point of the vector, and point B is called the terminal point. Symbolic notation for this vector is (read vector AB). Vectors are also denoted by boldface letters such as u, v, and w. The four vectors in the figure at left have the same length and direction. Thus they represent equivalent vectors; that is,

In the context of vectors, we use = to mean equivalent. The length, or magnitude, of is expressed as | |. In order to determine whether vectors are equivalent, we find their magnitudes and directions.

Example 1 The vectors u, = w.

, and w are shown in the figure below. Show that u =

Solution We first find the length of each vector using the distance formula: |u| = [2 - (-1)]2 + (4 - 3)2 = 9 + 1 = 10, | | = [0 - (-3)]2 + [0 - (-1)]2 = 9 + 1 = 10, |w| = (4 - 1)2 + [-1 - (-2)]2 = 9 + 1 = 10. Thus |u| = | = |w|. The vectors u, ,and w appear to go in the same direction so we check their slopes. If the lines that they are on all have the same slope, the vectors have the same direction.We calculate the slopes:

Since u, same magnitude and the same direction, u= = w.

, and w have the

Keep in mind that the equivalence of vectors requires only the same magnitude and the same directionnot the same location. In the illustrations at left, each of the first three pairs of vectors are not equivalent. The fourth set of vectors is an example of equivalence. Suppose a person takes 4 steps east and then 3 steps north. He or she will then be 5 steps from the starting point in the direction shown at left. A vector 4 units long and pointing to the right represents 4 steps east and a vector 3 units long and pointing up represents 3 steps north. The sum of the two vectors is the vector 5 steps in magnitude and in the direction shown. The sum is also called theresultant of the two vectors. In general, two nonzero vectors u and v can be added geometrically by placing the initial point of v at the terminal point of u and then finding the vector that has the same initial point as u and the same terminal point as v, as shown in the following figure.

The sum is the vector represented by the directed line segment from the initial point A of u to the terminal point C of v. That is, if u = u+v= + = and v = , then

We can also describe vector addition by placing the initial points of the vectors together, completing a parallelogram, and finding the diagonal of the parallelogram. (See the figure on the left below.) This description of addition is sometimes called the parallelogram law of vector addition. Vector addition is commutative. As shown in the figure on the right below, both u + v and v + u are represented by the same directed line segment.

If two forces F1 and F2 act on an object, the combined effect is the sum, or resultant, F1 + F2 of the separate forces.

Example 2 Forces of 15 newtons and 25 newtons act on an object at right angles to each other. Find their sum, or resultant, giving the magnitude of the resultant and the angle that it makes with the larger force. Solution We make a drawing this time, a rectangle using v or to represent the resultant. To find the magnitude, we use the Pythagorean theorem: |v|2 = 152 + 252 Here |v| denotes the length, or magnitude, of v. |v| = 152 + 252 |v| 29,2. To find the direction, we note that since OAB is a right triangle, tan = 15/25 = 0,6. Using a calculator, we find , the angle that the resultant makes with the larger force:

 = tan- 1(0,6) 31 The resultant force. has a magnitude of 29,2 and makes an angle of 31 with the larger

Pilots must adjust the direction of their flight when there is a crosswind. Both the wind and the aircraft velocities can be described by vectors. Example 3 Airplane Speed and Direction. An airplane travels on a bearing of 100 at an airspeed of 190 km/h while a wind is blowing 48 km/h from 220. Find the ground speed of the airplane and the direction of its track, or course, over the ground. Solution We first make a drawing. The wind is represented by vector of the airplane by vectors. The angle between v and is called a drift angle. and the velocity

. The resultant velocity vector is v, the sum of the two

Note that the measure of COA = 100 - 40 = 60. Thus the measure of CBA is also 60 (opposite angles of a parallelogram are equal). Since the sum of all the angles of the parallelogram is 360 and COB and OAB have the same measure, each must be 120. By the law of cosines in OAB, we have |v|2 = 482 + 1902 - 2.48.190.cos120 |v|2 = 47,524 |v| = 218 Thus, |v| is 218 km/h. By the law of sines in the same triangle, 48/sin = 218/sin120, or sin = 48.sin120/218 0,1907 11 Thus, = 11, to the nearest degree. The ground speed of the airplane is 218 km/h, and its track is in the direction of 100 - 11, or 89. Given a vector w, we may want to find two other vectors u and v whose sum is w. The vectors u and v are called components of w and the process of finding them is called resolving, or representing, a vector into its vector components. When we resolve a vector, we generally look for perpendicular components. Most often, one component will be parallel to the x - axis and the other will be parallel to the y - axis.

For this reason, they are often called the horizontal and vertical components of a vector. In the figure below, the vector w = is resolved as the sum of u = and v = .

The horizontal component of w is u and the vertical component is v. Example 4 A vector w has a magnitude of 130 and is inclined 40 with the horizontal. Resolve the vector into horizontal and vertical components. Solution We first make a drawing showing horizontal and vertical vectors u and v whose sum is w.

From ABC, we find |u| and |v| using the definitions of the cosine and sine functions: cos40 = |u|/130, or |u| = 130.cos40 100, sin40 = |v|/130, or |v| = 130.sin40 84. Thus the horizontal component of w is 100 right, and the vertical component of w is 84 up.
More Sharing ServicesShare on favoritesShare on facebookShare on twitter

Vectors quantities are physical quantities that have both magnitude and direction. To uniquely specify these quantities we need a reference point and reference lines, i.e. we need a coordinate system. The most commonly used coordinate systems are rectangular, Cartesian coordinate systems. Other widely used coordinate systems are cylindrical and spherical coordinate systems.

We choose a Cartesian coordinate system by choosing a fixed point, called the origin and three directed lines, which pass through the origin and are

perpendicular to each other. These lines are called the coordinate axes of the three-dimensional, rectangular, (Cartesian) coordinate system and are labeled the x-, y-, and z-axis.

A point P is specified by three numbers, its x, y, and z coordinates. The coordinates of the point P in the diagram above are (a, b, c). Once we have picked a coordinate system, a physical vector quantity can be represented by a mathematical vector.

Example: The displacement vector

The simplest physical vector quantity to visualize is probably the displacement vector. Assume an object is displaced, its position changes from point P1 to point P2. The point P1 has coordinates (x1, y1, z1) and the point P2 has coordinates (x2, y2, z2). The distance between points P1 and P2 is

. This follows from the Pythagorean theorem. The distance d1 is the magnitude of the displacement vector d1. The direction of the displacement d1 vector is the directed line segment from the P1 to P2. We call this directed line segment a geometrical or graphical representation of the vector d1. We draw an arrow head at P2 to indicate that the line segment starts at the P1 and ends at P2.

The length of the arrow is proportional to the magnitude of the displacement vector d1. The triple of real numbers d1x=(x2-x1), d1y=(y2-y1), d1z=(z2-z1) are called the Cartesian components of d1. The displacement vector d1 is uniquely specified by a triple of real numbers. This triplet is the algebraic representation of d1. A geometrical or graphical representation of d1 is directed line segment from P1 to P2. Assume the object is displaced again from point P2 with coordinates (x2, y2, z2) to point P3 with coordinates (x3, y3, z3). The distance between P2 an P3 is the magnitude of the displacement vector d2 whose Cartesian components are d2x=(x3-x2), d2y=(y3-y2), and d2z=(z3-z2).

The displacement vector d2 is uniquely specified by a triple of real numbers. This triplet is the algebraic representation of d1. A geometrical or graphical representation of d2 is directed line segment from P2 to P3. In fact, every displacement vector is uniquely specified by a triple of real numbers. These triples can be manipulated according to the rules prescribed for mathematical vectors.

Example: The force vector (units: N) Assume an object is being pushed up a hill. A force F is acting on the object, this force has a magnitude and a direction. The force is can be represented algebraically by a two-dimensional vector F = (Fx, Fy). Graphically it is represented by an arrow pointing along a line that makes an angle of =30o with the x-axis. The length of the arrow is proportional to the magnitude of the force. The projections of this arrow onto the x- and y-axes represent the x- and y-components of the force.

In spherical coordinates a vector is specified by its length and the angles the vector makes with the x- and z-axis. If we restrict ourselves to the x-y plane then the spherical coordinate system reduces to the polar coordinate system in two dimensions and a vector is specified by its length and the angle the vector makes with the x-axis. We change from polar coordinates two rectangular coordinates using Fx = F cos, Fy = F sin F is uniquely specified by a pair of numbers (Fx, Fy). This pair of numbers is the algebraic representation of F. A geometrical or graphical representation of F is directed line segment from the origin to the point in the x-y plane with coordinates (Fx, Fy). If we double the force, the length of the vector increase by a factor of 2. The components are all multiplied by a factor of 2. If we increase or decrease the force by an arbitrary factor c, the length and the components are multiplied by c. Multiplying a vector quantity by a positive real number changes is magnitude, but not its direction. Multiplying by a negative number changes the magnitude and reverses the direction.

Adding Vectors Graphically

Vectors are physical quantities which have both magnitude and direction. The Steps for adding vectors graphically : 1. 2. 3. We first draw the first vector Next the tail of the second vector is placed at the end(head) of the first vector Add the two vectors to get the resultant vector.

Lets see an example of graphically adding the two vectors u = (3,4) and v = (4,1):

Consider the vectors u = (3, 4) and v = (4, 1) in the plane. From the component of addition of vectors we know that the sum of these two vectors is u + v = (7, 5) . Graphically, we see that this is the same as the result we get by "picking up" one of the vectors (without changing its direction or magnitude), placing its end at the other (unmoved) vector's tip, and drawing an arrow from the origin to the new tip location for the displaced vector.

How to Add Vectors Graphically?

Back to Top

Adding two vectors : Adding two vectors $\vec{A}$ and $\vec{B}$ graphically can be seen like two step walks, with the vector sum being the vector distance from the beginning to the end point. Representing the vectors by arrows drawn with the length equal to the magnitude of the vector, the beginning of vector $\vec{B}$ is placed at the end of vector $\vec{A}$. The vector sum $\vec{R}$ = $\vec{A}$ + $\vec{B}$ can be drawn as the vector from the beginning to the end point.

Adding three vectors: Adding three vectors $\vec{A}$ , $\vec{B}$ and $\vec{C}$ graphically can be seen like three step walks, with the vector sum being the vector distance from the beginning to the end point. Representing the vectors by arrows drawn with the length equal to the magnitude of the vector, the beginning of vector$\vec{B}$ is placed at the end of vector $\vec{A}$ and the beginning of vector $\vec{C}$ is placed at the end of vector $\vec{B}$.The vector sum $\vec{R}$ =$\vec{A}$ + $\vec{B}$ + $\vec{C}$ can be drawn as the vector from the beginning to the end point.

Adding four vectors: Adding four vectors $\vec{A}$, $\vec{B}$ , $\vec{C}$ and $\vec{D}$ graphically can be seen like four step walks, with the vector sum being the vector distance from the beginning to the end point. Representing the vectors by arrows drawn with the length equal to the magnitude of the vector, the beginning of vector $\vec{B}$ is placed at the end of vector $\vec{A}$ . The beginning of vector $\vec{C}$ is placed at the end of vector $\vec{B}$ and the beginning of vector $\vec{D}$ is placed at the end of vector $\vec{C}$. The vector sum $\vec{R}$ = $\vec{A}$ + $\vec{B}$ + $\vec{C}$ + $\vec{D}$ can be drawn as the vector from the beginning to the end point.

Atomic Bomb Nuclear Weapon