Today in Physics 217: vector analysis

Vectors:
‰ have direction
‰ have magnitude
Vector operations include
‰ vector addition
‰ vector multiplication by a scalar
‰ the dot product
‰ the cross product
Vector components
Vector transformation
Second-rank tensors
L01-1
 Vector operations

Vector addition: a)
B
‰ Adding two vectors
A
produces a third vector:
AB C
‰ Vector addition is C=A+B
commutative:
AB C B A b) C=B+A
‰ Vector subtraction is
equivalent to adding the
opposite of a vector: A
B
AB A   B 

L01-2
 Vector operations (continued)
Vector multiplication by a scalar:
‰ The result of vector
multiplication by a scalar is a a) b)
vector. aA (a > 0)
‰ The magnitude of the resulting A A
vector is the product of the
magnitude of the scalar and
the magnitude of the vector.
‰ The direction of the resulting
vector is the same as the
direction of the original vector
if a > 0 and opposite to the
direction of the original vector
if a < 0. aA (a < 0)
‰ Vector multiplication is
distributive: a  A  B  aA  aB
L01-3
 Vector operations (continued)

The dot product (scalar

product):
‰ The results of the dot
product is a scalar:
A
A˜B A B cos T AB cos T

‰ The dot product is

commutative:
T
A˜B B˜ A B

‰ The dot product is

distributive:
A ˜B  C A ˜ B  A ˜C
L01-4
 Vector operations (continued)
Cross product (vector product):
‰ The result of the cross product is
a vector perpendicular to the two
original vectors. C
• Magnitude:
C A u B AB sin T B
• Direction: use right-hand
rule
‰ The cross product is not T
commutative:
A u B B u A A
‰ The cross product is distributive:
Au B  C Au B  AuC

L01-5
 Vector components

A vector can be identified by

specifying its three Cartesian
components: z axis
A Ax xˆ  Ay yˆ  Az zˆ A

Unit vectors
y axis
Vector operations:
‰ To add vectors, add like
components.
‰ To multiply a vector by a x axis
scalar, multiply each
component.
L01-6
 Vector components (continued)

‰ To calculate the dot product

of two vectors, multiply like
components and add: z axis
A ˜ B Ax Bx  Ay By  Az Bz A
‰ To calculate the cross
product of two vectors,
evaluate the following y axis
determinant:

xˆ yˆ zˆ
x axis
Au B Ax Ay Az
Bx By Bz
L01-7
 Vector transformation

‰ The components of a
vector depend on the
choice of the coordinate
system. z' z
‰ Different coordinate
system will produce A
different components for
the same vector. T'
‰ The choice of coordinate y'
system being used can
significantly change the I T
y
complexity of problems in
electrodynamics.

L01-8
 Vector transformation (continued)
The coordinates of vector A in
coordinate system S are related to
the coordinates of vector A in
coordinate system S’: z' z
§ Ayc · § cos I sin I · § Ay ·
¨¨ ¸¸ ¨ ¸¨ ¸ A
A
© zc ¹ © sin I cos I ¹ ¨© Az ¸¹

The rotation considered here leaves T'

the x axis untouched. The x y'
coordinate of vector A will thus not
change: I T
y
§ Axc · §1 0 0 · § Ax ·
¨ ¸ ¨ ¸¨ ¸ I
A
¨ yc ¸ ¨ 0 cos I sin I ¸ ¨ Ay ¸ { R ˜ A
¨¨ ¸¸ ¨ 0  sin I cos I ¸¹ ¨© Az ¸¹
A
© zc ¹ ©
L01-9
 Vector transformation (continued)

Coordinate transformation resulting from a rotation around

an arbitrary axis can be written as:

§ Axc · § Rxx Rxy Rxz · § Ax · § Rxx Ax  Rxy Ay  Rxz Az ·

¨ ¸ ¨ ¸¨ ¸ ¨ ¸
¨ Ayc ¸ ¨ Ryx Ryy Ryz ¸ ¨ Ay ¸ ¨ Ryx Ax  Ryy Ay  Ryz Az ¸
¨¨ ¸¸ ¨ ¸¨ ¸ ¨ ¸
A
© zc ¹ ¨ Rzx Rzy Rzz ¸ © Az ¹ ¨ Rzx Ax  Rzy Ay  Rzz Az ¸
© ¹ © ¹

or, more compactly, with x denoted as 1, y as 2, z as 3:

3
Aic ¦ Rij A j
j 1

L01-10
 Vector transformation (continued)

The rotation matrix R is an example of a unitary

transformation: one that does not change the magnitude of
the object on which it operates:
I
Ac R ˜ A and Ac A.
3
If R is unitary,then ¦ Rij Rik G jk ,
i 1

­ 1 if j k
where G jk ® (the Kroneker delta),
¯0 otherwise
as you will make plausible in this week’s homework.
L01-11
 Second-rank tensors

Vectors are first-rank tensors, having three independent

components
I that can be represented by a column matrix. An
object T with nine independent components that can
multiply a vector and produce a vector result,
I
B T˜A

are called second-rank tensors. They behave as follows under

rotations: 3 3
Tijc¦¦ Rik R jlTkl
k 1l 1

L01-12