Chapter 1

VECTORS
AND
GALILEAN TRANSFORMATIONS

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Vectors
Consider Newtons second law

In vector notation it is written as

Thus Vectors are used to write the Physical laws in
compact and simple forms
Scalar only magnitude
Vectors both magnitude and direction

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Consider a vector A

That is the length of A is written as

It follows that

Or

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Addition of 2 vectors
Consider 2 vectors A and B, Then A + B is

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Subtraction of vectors
Consider 2 vectors A and B, then A B is considered as
A + ( B)

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Laws of vectors
Some laws of vectors are as follows

Proof of commutative law of vector addition

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Multiplication of vectors:
Scalar product or Dot product
The scalar product of A and B is defined as follows
where is the angle between them
as shown.

Also
Or B is perpendicular to A
i.e. Cos = 0.
And
Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Vector product or Cross product

The vector product of A and B is combined to form a third vector
c, i.e
Then
where is the angle between them
Also
And

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Base vectors
Base vectors are the unit vectors along the 3 axes as shown
Their properties are

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Any vector in terms of base vectors

Now the cross product may be

defined as follows

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Example 1
A sailor in a small sailboat encounters shifting winds. She
sails 2.00 km east, then 3.50 km southeast, and then an
additional distance in an unknown direction. Her final
position is 5.80 km directly east of her starting point. Find
the magnitude of the third leg of the journey

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Solution
Consider the diagram

ors

A
2.0 km

length
2
3.5
C
5.8

x-comp
2
3.5Cos 45
CX
5.8

finish

45

y- comp
0
B
-3.5Sin 45
3.5 km
CY
0

AX + BX +CX
= RX - AX - BX and CY = RY - AY BY

US CX = 5.8-2-3.5Cos45= 1.33Km
CY = 0-0+3.5Sin 45= 2.47Km

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

To find the direction

1.332 2.47 2 7.98

Distance= 7.98 2.81km
2.47 km

1.33 km

2.47
tan
1.07 radian
1.33
180
1.07 radian
61.69o

north of east.

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Displacement and Position

vector
The displacement defines a vector S with coordinates

The position vector r is defined as

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Velocity and acceleration

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Example

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Uniform circular motion

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Angular velocity and

acceleration

The acceleration is directed radially inwards and is

known as centripetal acceleration.

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Formal solution of kinematical

equations

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Example

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Motion in Plane Polar Coordinates

transformation from rect to polar co-ord are x=rcos and

sin and z=z
Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

The unit vectors in terms of Cartesian coordinate unit vectors

are

In Cartesian coordinate
In Polar coordinates
Substituting for
Thus, we get
If
Then
Also
Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Velocity in polar coordinates

In Cartesian coordinate

In Polar coordinates

The second term is the tangential component of velocity ie in

tangential direction
along unit vector
Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Use the following result:

And

But
Thus
Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Similarly
Thus velocity in polar coordinates is

Or

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Acceleration in polar coordinates

Acceleration is

Further simplifying

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Special cases

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Galilean Transformation
Consider an inertial system (x, y, z) at rest and another (x, y, z) is
translating uniformly in +x direction with velocity v. Let the origin
coincide at t = 0

Where,

These equations are known as Galilean

transformations.

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Example
For example, the problem

Where F is the force between the bodies,

depends only on their separation

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Consider x, y is the earth system

X, y is the space craft system
And v is the relative velocity.
In x, y system, the force on m1 is
However,

Hence,

Thus,
Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

dv
F ma m
dt

mdv Fdt
m dv

4t
1

i 3tj dt

4t 3 3t 2
mv
i
j
3
2

1
0

4 3
5 v i j
3
2
4 3
v i
j
15 10
Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

dv
dv dr
dv
F m
m
mv
dt
dr dt
dr
dr 4t 3 3t 2
m

i
j
dt
3
2
1
4t 3 3t 2
mdr 0 3 i 2 j dt

t4 t3
t4 t3
mr i j r i
j
3
2
15
10

3
4
3
r v

6
.
67

10
k

150 150
Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus

Thank you

Prof S. Karthiyayini, BITS Pilani, Dubai Campus