CHAPTER 1.

4: SCALAR AND VECTOR

SCALAR AND VECTOR

Scalars

Scalars are quantities which have

magnitude without direction

Examples of scalars
• temperature • time
• mass • amount
• kinetic energy • density
• charge
Vector
A vector is a quantity that has both
magnitude (size) and direction

it is represented by an arrow whereby

– the length of the arrow is the magnitude, and
– the arrow itself indicates the direction

The symbol for a vector is a letter

A
with an arrow over it
Example
Two ways to specify a vector
y
It is either given by A
A
• a magnitude A, and θ

• a direction θ x

Or it is given in the
x and y components as y Ax A
• Ax Ay
• Ay x
 y Ax A Ax = A cos θ
A Ay
θ Ay = A sin θ
x

The magnitude (length) of A is found

by using the Pythagorean Theorem

2 2
│A │ =√ ( A + A )
x y
The length of a
vector clearly
does not
 y Ax A
A Ay
θ
x

The direction of A can be

stated as
tan θ = Ay /
Ax
θ =tan-1 (Ay / Ax)
Some Properties of Vectors
Equality of Two Vectors

Two vectors A and B may be

defined to be equal if they have
the same magnitude and point in
the same directions. i.e. A = B
A
A B A B

B
Negative of a Vector

The negative of vector A is

defined as giving the vector sum
of zero value when added to A .
That is, A + (- A) = 0. The vector
A and –A have the same
magnitude but are in opposite
A

directions.
-
A
Scalar Multiplication
The multiplication of a vector A
by a scalar α
- will result in a vector B

B = α A
- whereby the magnitude is changed
but not the direction
• Do flip the direction if α is negative
 B = α A

If α = 0, therefore B = α
A = 0, which is also known
as a zero vector
β (α A) = α β A = α (β A)

(β +α )A = α A + β A

Example
 Vector Addition
The addition of two vectors A and B
- will result in a third vector C called the resultant

C = A+B
Geometrically (triangle method of addition)
• put the tail-end of B at the top-end of A
• C connects the tail-end of A to the C
top-end of B B

We can arrange the vectors as A

we like, as long as we maintain Example
More than two vectors?

x4
x5
Σ xi x3

x2Σ xi = x1 + x2 + x3 + x4 + x
x1

Example
Vector Subtraction
Equivalent to adding the negative vector

C A
= B B
C A+ A
= (-B)
-
A-
B
B
Example
Rules of Vector Addition
commutative

A+B=B+A

B A
A+
B
A A+
B
B
associative

(A + B) + C = A + (B + C)

B
B
B+ C
A A+ C A C
B
A + (B +
(A + B) C)
+C
distributive

m(A + B) = mA + mB

m
B
B
m(A +
A+ m B)
A B A
Parallelogram method of addition
(tailtotail)

A+
A
B

The magnitude of the resultant depends on

the relative directions of the vectors
 Unit Vectors
a vector whose magnitude is 1 and
dimensionless
the magnitude of each unit vector equals
a unity; that is, │ i│= │j │= │k│= 1

〉
and defined as
〉

i a unit vector pointing in the x direction

〉

j a unit vector pointing in the y direction

〉

k a unit vector pointing in the z direction

Useful examples for the Cartesian
unit vectors [ i, j, k ]
- they point in the direction of the
x, y and z axes respectively
y

i x
k
z
Component of a Vector in 2-D

vector A can be resolved into two components

Ax and Ay

y- axis

A
Ay
θ
x- axis
Ax

A = Ax + Ay
The component of A are
y-
│Ax│ = Ax = A axis
cos θ
│Ay│ = Ay = A A
A
Thesin θ
magnitude of A θ y

A x-
A = √Ax + Ay
2 2
x axis
The direction of A
tan θ = Ay / Ax
θ =tan-1 (Ay / Ax)
Example
The unit vector notation for the vector A
is written

A = Axi + Ayj
y- axis

Ay

A
j
θ

i x- axis
Ax

Example
Component of a Vector in 3-D

vector A can be resolved into three components

Ax , Ay and Az

z- axis
Az
A = Axi + Ayj +
Azk k A

j Ay y-
i axis
Ax
x- axis
if

A = Axi + Ayj +
Azk
B = Bxi + Byj +
Bzk
A + B = C sum of the vectors A
and B can then be obtained as
vector C
C = (Axi + Ayj + Azk) + (Bxi +
Byj + Bzk)
C = (A +C
Cxix + Byxj)i+
+ (Ay + By)j Example
+
Dot product (scalar) of two vectors

The definition:

A
A · B = │A││B │cos θ θ

B
Dot product (scalar product)
properties:
if θ = 90 (normal vectors) then the dot
0

product is zero

|A · B| = AB cos 90
and=i 0
·j=j·k=i·k=0

if θ = 00 (parallel vectors) it gets its maximum

value of 1

|A · B| = AB cos 0and
= 1i · j = j · k = i · k = 1
the dot product is commutative

A+B=B+A

Use the distributive law to evaluate the dot product

if the components are known

A · B = (Axi + Ayj + Azk) · (Bxi + Byj

+ Bzk)
A. B = (AxBx) i.i + (AyBy) j.j +
(AzBz) k.k
Example
Cross product (vector) of two vectors
The magnitude of the cross
product given by
│C │= │A x B│ = │A││B │sin
C θB

θ
the vector product creates a new
A
vector
this vector is normal to the plane
defined by the
original vectors and its direction is
Cross product (vector product)
properties:
if θ = 00 (parallel vectors) then the cross
product is zero

|A x B| = AB sin 0and
= 0i x i = j x j = k x k = 0

if θ = 900 (normal vectors) it gets its maximum

value

|A x B| = AB sin 90
and=i 1
xi=jxj=kxk=1
the relationship between vectors i , j and k can
be described as

ixj =-jxi =k
jxk=-kxj=i
kxi=-ixk=j

Example
Measurement and Error
THE
END
Vectors are represented by an arrow

A
-
B

A
B
A
θ
Conceptual Example *

If B is added to A, under what

condition does the resultant vector A
+ B have the magnitude equal to A +
B?
Under what conditions is the resultant
vector equal to zero?
Example (1Dimension)
x1 + x2

x1 x2
x1 + x2 = 8
x1 = 5

x2 = 3 ∆ x = x2 - x1
x2

x1
∆ x = x2 - x1 = 2

MORE EXAMPLE
Example 1 (2 Dimension)
If the magnitude of vector A and B
are equal to 2 cm and 3 cm
respectively , determine the
magnitude and direction of the
resultant vector, C for A
a) A + B
b) 2A + B
B

SOLUTION
Solution

a) |A + B| = √A2 + B2b) |2A + B| = √(2A)2 + B2

= √22 + 32 = √42 + 32
= 3.6 cm = 5.0 cm
The vector directionThe vector direction
tan θ = B / A tan θ = B / 2A
θ = 56.3 θ = 36.9

MORE EXAMPLE
Example 2 (A Vacation Trip)

A car travels 20.0 km due north

and then 35.0 km in a direction 600
west of north. Find the magnitude
and direction of the car’s resultant
displacement.

SOLUTION
Solution
The magnitude of R can be
obtained using the law of cosines
as in figure 0
Since θ =180 – 600 = 1200 and
C2 = A2 + B2 – 2AB cos θ, we find
that B
60
C = √A + B – 2AB cos θ
2 2

C
C = √202 + 352 – 2(20)(35) cos θ β A
1200
C = 48.2 km

Continue
The direction of C measured from
the northerly direction can be
obtained from
sin β sin θ the sines law
=
B C
B 35.0
sin β = sin θ = sin 120 = 0.629
0

C 48.2
β = 38.90
Therefore, the resultant displacement
of the car is 48.2 km in direction
38.90 west of north
Conceptual Example *

If one component of a vector is not

zero, can its magnitude be zero?
Explain.

MORE EXAMPLE
Conceptual Example *

If A + B = 0, what can you say about

the components of the two vectors?
Example 1

Find the sum of two vectors A and B

lying in the xy plane and given by
A = 2.0i + 2.0j and B =
2.0i – 4.0j

SOLUTION
Solution
*
Comparing the above expression for A
with the general relation A = Axi + Ayj ,
we see that Ax= 2.0 and Ay= 2.0.
Likewise, Bx= 2.0, and By= -4.0
C = A + B +the
Therefore, (2.0 + 2.0)i +vector
resultant (2.0 - C
4.0)j
is =
4.0i -2.0j by using Equation
obtained
C = 4.0
x C = -2.0
y
or
The magnitude of C given by equation
C = √Cx2 + Cy2 = √20 = 4.5
Exercise
Find the angle θ that C makes with the
positive x axis
Example

A particle undergoes three

consecutive displacements d1 = (1.5i
+ 3.0j – 1.2k) cm,
d2 = (2.3i – 1.4j – 3.6k) cm d3 = (-1.3i
+ 1.5j) cm. Find the component and
its magnitude.
Solution
R = d1 + d2 + d3

= (1.5 + 2.3 – 1.3)i + (3.0 – 1.4 +

1.5)j + (-1.2 – 3.6 + 0)k
= (2.5i + 3.1j – 4.8k) cm
That is, the resultant displacement
has component
Rx = 2.5 cm Ry = 3.1 cm and Rz =
-4.8 cm
Its magnitude is
R = √R 2
+R 2
+R 2
Example - 2D [headtotail]
(2, 2)

x1 + x2 = (1, 0) + (2, 2)
(1, 0) = (3, 2)

x1 + x2
x2

x1
Example - 2D [tailtotail]
(2, 2)

x2 x1 + x2
(x2)
(1, 0)

x1

x1 + x2 = (1, 0) + (2, 2)
= (3, 2)

x1 - x2?
Example of 2D (subtraction)
(2, 2)

(1, 0)
x1 + x2

x2

x1
Example -2D for subtraction
(2, 2)

x1 - x2 = x1 + (-x2)
(1, 0)
x1 - x2 = (1, 0) - (2, 2)
= (-1, -2)

x1
x1 - x2 -x2
Not given the components?

2√2 m X1 = (1, 0)
45o X2 = (x2E , x2N )
= (2√2cos(45o), 2√2sin(45o))
= (2, 2)
1m

Cosine rule:
1m a2=b2 + c2 - 2bccosA
45o = 1 + 8 - 2√2(1/ √2)
x1
2√2 am= √5 m
x1 - x2 -x2