1

Introduction
A vector is an object that has both a magnitude and a direction. Geometrically, we can picture a
vector as a directed line segment, whose length is the magnitude of the vector and with an arrow
indicating the direction. The direction of the vector is from its tail to its head.

Two vectors are the same if they have the same magnitude and direction. This means that if we take
a vector and translate it to a new position (without rotating it), then the vector we obtain at the end of
this process is the same vector we had in the beginning.
Two examples of vectors are those that represent force and velocity. Both force and velocity are in a
particular direction. The magnitude of the vector would indicate the strength of the force or the speed
associated with the velocity.
We denote vectors using boldface as in a or b. Especially when writing by hand where one cannot
easily write in boldface, people will sometimes denote vectors using arrows as in a or b , or they
use other markings. We won't need to use arrows here. We denote the magnitude of the
vector a by a. When we want to refer to a number and stress that it is not a vector, we can call the
number a scalar. We will denote scalars with italics, as in a or b.




Part 1
2


1.Brief History
The parallelogram law for the addition of vectors is so intuitive that its origin is unknown. It may have
appeared in a now lost work of Aristotle (384--322 B.C.), and it is in the Mechanics of Heron (first
century A.D.) of Alexandria. It was also the first corollary in Isaac Newtons (1642--1727) Principia
Mathematica (1687). In the Principia, Newton dealt extensively with what are now considered vectorial
entities (e.g., velocity, force), but never the concept of a vector. The systematic study and use of
vectors were a 19th and early 20th century phenomenon.
Vectors were born in the first two decades of the 19th century with the geometric representations of
complex numbers. Caspar Wessel (1745--1818), Jean Robert Argand (1768--1822),Carl Friedrich
Gauss (1777--1855), and at least one or two others conceived of complex numbers as points in the
two-dimensional plane, i.e., as two-dimensional vectors.
In 1827, August Ferdinand Mbius published a short book, The Barycentric Calculus, in which he
introduced directed line segments that he denoted by letters of the alphabet, vectors in all but the
name. After a good deal of frustration, Hamilton was finally inspired to give up the search for such a
three-dimensional "number" system and instead he invented a four-dimensional system that he called
quaternions. At about the same time that Hamilton discovered quaternions, Hermann Grassmann
(1809--1877) was composing The Calculus of Extension (1844), now well known by its German title,
Ausdehnungslehre. During the middle of the nineteenth century, Benjamin Peirce (1809--1880) was
far and away the most prominent mathematician in the United States, and he referred to Hamilton as,
"the monumental author of quaternions.
James Clerk Maxwell (1831--1879) was a discerning and critical proponent of quaternions. William
Kingdon Clifford (1845--1879) expressed "profound admiration" for Grassmanns Ausdehnungslehre
and clearly favoured vectors, which he often called steps, over quaternions. The development of the
algebra of vectors and of vector analysis as we know it today was first revealed in sets of remarkable
notes made by J. Willard Gibbs (1839--1903) for his students at Yale University. Vectors are now the
modern language of a great deal of physics and applied mathematics and they continue to hold their
own intrinsic mathematical interest.









2. List down 5 vector quantities.
Velocity
Acceleration
3

Force
Weight
Torque

3. Situation that involve application of vectors
Let's say that a rolling billiard ball is moving toward a glancing collision with a stationary billiard ball.
On impact, the moving ball transfers some of its momentum to the stationary ball, and both roll away
from the collision in different directions. Following the impact, both balls have velocity and hence
momentum. In fact, the sum of the momentum vectors of the two balls after the collision is equal to
the first ball's momentum vector before the collision, ignoring small losses due to friction as well as
sound and heat energy produced during the impact.

So, with an understanding of vectors, billiards players can predict where both balls will go following a
collision, allowing them to sink more target balls while keeping the cue ball safely on the table.










Part 2

4

A Boeing 737 aircraft maintains a constant velocity of 800 kilometres per hour due South. The velocity
of the jet stream is 100 kilometres per hour in the Northeast direction.
1. Sketch the given vectors, with initial points at the origin, as accurately as possible on your graph
paper. Scale your axes.

(Refer to Graph 1a)

2. (a) Determine the angle, , in degrees, for each vector measured in an anticlockwise
direction from the positive x-axis. Then, state the magnitude of each vector.
Let

B be the vector of Boeing 737 aircraft,

jet be the vector jet stream.

Angle of

B = 270 Angle of

jet = 45
Magnitude of

B, |

|= 800kmh
-1
Magnitude of

jet, |

| = 100kmh
-1


(b) Express each vector above in the form xi + yj and = (

).. Use exact values (surds) for

each vector and show your working.

Answer:

B = -80 ,

B = (

)
|

|= 100 =
100 = , since it is Northeasterly direction

= , hence

= 5000 =

= 5000 =
Answer:

jet = ,

jet = (

)
3. The actual course of the plane is the sum of the two given vectors as stated in question 2(a)
above. This is called the resultant vector.

(a) Would you use the Triangle Law or the Parallelogram Law to find this sum? Explain your choice.

5

Triangle Law. The second vector is used when starting at the terminus of first vector and it
joins the base of the first vector to the terminus of the second vector, therefore completing a
triangle, to get the resultant vector.


(b) (i) Based on your choice in 3(a), draw the resultant vector, by using a suitable scale.

(Refer to Graph 3b)

(ii) Hence, find the magnitude and direction of the resultant vector from 3(b) above.

732.71kmh
-1
The direction of the resultant vector,

, from the positive -axis is 275.5 .

4. (a) By using another method, find the magnitude of the resultant vector.
Show your working.

Resultant vector,

R
=

B
+

jet

R
= ( )
|

| =

= 732.71km
-1



























(b) Find the bearing of the resultant vector, , in degrees. Give your answer correct to one
decimal place.

6

x 100
= 5.54
The direction of resultant vector,

= from the positive -axis is 270 + 5.54

= 275.54

7

Part 3

An aircraft is h km above the ground at point P when it starts to land on point A with angle of
depression of 39
o
.

(a) Calculate the velocity of the aircraft when it descends from point B to point A. State your
assumption(s).


Assume that the aircraft maintains a constant velocity of 90kmh
-1
to point C.
Let |

| be velocity of the aircraft.

=

|

|

| =

= 115.81 km/h


(b) Based on Diagram 4 and your answer in PART 3(a), calculate the horizontal component and the
vertical component of vector.

= 90
|

| =

= 72.88km/h

= -72.88
8

(c) If the aircraft eventually lands on point A within the range 7 - 8 minutes, what is the
range of the values of h? Give your answers correct to two decimal places.

Distance BA at 7 minutes = 115.81 x

= 13.51km




Distance BA at 8 minutes = 115.81 x

= 15.44km

Hence, 8.50km BP 9.72km


=

BP = x 15.44
= 9.72km

=

BP = x 13.51
= 8.50 km
9

Further Exploration

An aircraft will land on the runway due south at constant velocity 90 km h
-1
. At the same time, the
wind blows at 20 km h
-1
from the direction North 60
o
East. Assume that you are the pilot, you have to
set the direction and speed of the aircraft so that it can land on the runway safely. Explain how you
obtain the direction and speed of the aircraft. Show your working.










10




Finding the Magnitude:
Magnitude =

=
= 81.85 km/h
Finding the value of :

x 90
= 72.22
Direction = S(180- 60- 72.22)E
= S47.78E
Finding the direction:
11

Conclusion
Vectors can be directed to East, West, South, and North. Except for some vectors that are directed
northeast (at a 45 degree angle); and some vectors are even directed northeast, yet more north than
east. Thus, there is a clear need for some form of a convention for identifying the direction of a vector
that is not due East, due West, due South, or due North. There are a variety of conventions for
describing the direction of any vector.

As conclusion, vectors can be represented by the use of a scaled vector diagram. The diagram have
vector arrow to represent the vector and has an obvious tail and arrowhead. The magnitude of a
vector can be represented by the length of the arrow. A scale is indicated (such as, 1 cm = 5 miles)
and the arrow is drawn the proper length according to the chosen scale. The arrow points in the
precise direction as described by the use of some convention. The most common convention is that
the direction of a vector is the counter clockwise angle of rotation which that vector makes with
respect to due East.
12

Reflection
This additional mathematics project teaches me how to apply vector In real life, i will
encounter most of vector application in most of my life. Moreover, it teaches me to how to
work with people and the discussions during this project bring me close to understand the
important uses and benefit of vectors. It also teaches me how to think critically and not giving
up before trying whatever option there is. Apart from that, know I now that in distance and
magnitude the numbers can be calculated using the formula that I learn during this project.
Vectors are useful and it needs to be expose more to the student so their interest on
additional mathematics increase. During this project I spend many times looking for
resources in the internet. Thankfully, the internet has all the information that is needed for
me to complete this additional mathematics project and I can finish the project In time. This
also helps me to revise for the upcoming examination.