Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
REGION VII – CENTRAL VISAYAS
Schools Division of Cebu Province

SIBONGA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

Sibonga, Cebu
GENERAL PHYSICS 1
LEARNER’S HOME TASK #: Q1-5-7
Name: ______________________________________ Yr. & Section: _________________________ Date:__________

I. MELC: Differentiate vector and scalar quantities

Perform addition of vectors
Rewrite a vector in component form

II. OBJECTIVES: Determine quantities that are scalar or vector.

Differentiate vector and scalar quantities.
Perform addition of vectors.
Expressing vector into its component form.

III. SUBJECT MATTER: Measurements

IV. PROCEDURE:

A. Readings:
The Scalars and Vectors
There are a lot of different mathematical quantities used in physics. Examples of these include acceleration,
velocity, speed, force, work, and power. These different quantities are often described as being either "scalar" or
"vector" quantities. Below we will discuss what these words mean as well as introduce some basic vector math.

What is a scalar?
A scalar is a quantity that is fully described by a magnitude only. It is described by just a single number.
What are some examples Scalar quantities?
There are plenty of scalar quantity examples, some of the common examples are:
Mass
Speed
Distance
Time
Area
Volume
Density
Temperature
What is a vector?
A vector is a quantity that has both a magnitude and a direction. Vector quantities are important in the study
of motion.
What are some examples of vector quantities?
Vector quantity examples are many, some of them are given below:
Linear momentum
Acceleration
Displacement
Momentum
Angular velocity
Force
Electric field
Polarization

Address:DepEd Cebu Province, IPHO Bldg,.Sudlon, Lahug, Cebu City

Telephone no.: 032-2556405
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What is the difference between a scalar and vector?
A vector quantity has a direction and a magnitude, while a scalar has only a magnitude. You can tell if a
quantity is a vector by whether or not it has a direction associated with it.

Addition of Vectors and its Component Form

An understanding of vectors is essential for an understanding of physics. A vector is a quantity that has two
aspects. It has a size, or magnitude, and a direction. In contrast, there a quantities called scalars that have only
size.
Take a look at the example below, it has two vectors. The arrow tells us its direction and the direction of the
resulting vector.
Figure 1:

In this module, the task of summing vectors will be extended to more complicated cases in which the vectors are
directed in directions other than purely vertical and horizontal directions. For example, a vector directed up and
to the right will be added to a vector directed up and to the left. The vector sum will be determined for the more
complicated cases shown in the diagrams below.
Figure 2:

There are a variety of methods for determining the magnitude and direction of the result of adding two or more
vectors. Our focus is to use the most common method which the Pythagorean Theorem.

The Pythagorean Theorem

The Pythagorean Theorem is a useful method for determining the result of adding two (and only two) vectors that
make a right angle to each other. The method is not applicable for adding more than two vectors or for adding
vectors that are not at 90-degrees to each other.

Conventions for Describing Directions of Vectors

Vectors can be directed due East, due West, due South, and due North. But some vectors 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. The two
conventions that will be discussed and used in this unit are described below:

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Telephone no.: 032-2556405
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The direction of a vector is often expressed as an angle of rotation of the vector about its "tail" from east, west,
north, or south. For example, a vector can be said to have a direction of 40 degrees North of West (meaning a
vector pointing West has been rotated 40 degrees towards the northerly direction) of 65 degrees East of South
(meaning a vector pointing South has been rotated 65 degrees towards the easterly direction).
The direction of a vector is often expressed as a counterclockwise angle of rotation of the vector about its "tail"
from due East. Using this convention, a vector with a direction of 30 degrees is a vector that has been rotated 30
degrees in a counterclockwise direction relative to due east. A vector with a direction of 160 degrees is a vector
that has been rotated 160 degrees in a counterclockwise direction relative to due east. A vector with a direction
of 270 degrees is a vector that has been rotated 270 degrees in a counterclockwise direction relative to due east.
This is one of the most common conventions for the direction of a vector and will be utilized throughout this unit.

Below is the Illustration in determining the vector direction.

Example 1:

An airplane heads due north at 100 m/s through a 30 m/s cross wind blowing from the east to the west. Determine
the resultant velocity of the airplane (relative to due north).

Solution:
North (the direction the engines are pushing) is perpendicular to west (the direction the wind is pushing). The
resultant of these two vectors is the hypotenuse of a right triangle. We use Pythagorean Theorem to find its
magnitude.
2 2
𝑣 2 = 𝑣𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑒 + 𝑣𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑
𝑣 2 = (100 𝑚⁄𝑠 )2 + (30 𝑚⁄𝑠 )2
𝑣 2 = 104 𝑚⁄𝑠
Using Trigonometry to Determine a Vector's Direction
The direction of a resultant vector can often be determined using trigonometric functions. Most students recall
the meaning of the useful mnemonic SOH CAH TOA from their course in trigonometry.

𝑜𝑝𝑝𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑣𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑑
𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃 = =
𝑎𝑑𝑗𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑣𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑒

30𝑚/𝑠
𝑡𝑎𝑛𝜃 = 100𝑚/𝑠

𝜃 = 17°

This 17° are on the west side of north, so the final

answer is…

𝑣 = 104 𝑚⁄𝑠 , 17° 𝑤𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑡ℎ

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Telephone no.: 032-2556405
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Addition of Three or More Right Angle Vectors
As our first example, consider the following vector addition problem:

Example 2:
A student drives his car 6.0 km, North before making a right hand turn and driving 6.0 km to the East. Finally, the
student makes a left hand turn and travels another 2.0 km to the north. What is the magnitude of the overall
displacement of the student?

Like any problem in physics, a successful solution begins with the development of a mental picture of the situation.
The construction of a diagram like that below often proves useful in the visualization process.
Figure 3:

When these three vectors are added together in head-to-tail fashion, the resultant is a vector that extends from
the tail of the first vector (6.0 km, North, shown in red) to the arrowhead of the third vector (2.0 km, North, shown
in green). The head-to-tail vector addition diagram is shown below.
Figure 4:

As can be seen in the diagram, the resultant vector (drawn in black) is not the hypotenuse of any right triangle -
at least not of any immediately obvious right triangle. But would it be possible to force this resultant vector to be
the hypotenuse of a right triangle? The answer is Yes! To do so, the order in which the three vectors are added
must be changed. The vectors above were drawn in the order in which they were driven. The student drove north,
then east, and then north again. But if the three vectors are added in the order 6.0 km, N + 2.0 km, N + 6.0 km,
E, then the diagram will look like this:
Figure 5:

After rearranging the order in which the three vectors are added, the resultant vector is now the hypotenuse of a
right triangle. The lengths of the perpendicular sides of the right triangle are 8.0 m, North (6.0 km + 2.0 km) and
6.0 km, East. The magnitude of the resultant vector (R) can be determined using the Pythagorean Theorem.
𝑑 2 = (8𝑘𝑚)2 + (6𝑘𝑚)2
𝑑 2 = 64𝑘𝑚2 + 36𝑘𝑚2
𝑑 2 = 100𝑘𝑚2
𝑑 = 10𝑘𝑚
Solving for the angle
6𝑘𝑚
𝜃 = tan−1 8𝑘𝑚
𝜃 = 36.87°
Thus, the actual displacement of the student is 10km, 36.87° east of north

Address:DepEd Cebu Province, IPHO Bldg,.Sudlon, Lahug, Cebu City

Telephone no.: 032-2556405
Email Address:[email protected]
 B. Exercises for Skill Subjects/Analysis Questions using HOTS for content subjects
Exercise 1:
Directions: Given below is a list of quantities. Categorize each quantity as being either a
vector or a scalar.
1. 20 degrees Celsius
5 mi., North
256 bytes
5m
30 m/sec, East
4000 ories
2. A mountain climbing expedition establishes a base camp and two intermediate camps, A and B.
Camp A is 11,200 m east of and 3,200 m above base camp. Camp B is 8400 m east of and 1700 m
higher than Camp A. Determine the displacement between base camp and Camp B.
3. Gabriel is walking from lunch to his PE class. He exits the lunchroom and walks 43 m west. He then
turns and walks 72 m north down the hallway leading to the locker room. Determine the magnitude
and direction of Gabriel's resultant displacement.

C. Assessment/Application:
Directions: Solve the following problems and draw its equivalent figure.

1. Mac and Tosh are doing the Vector Walk Lab. Starting at the door of their physics classroom, they walk
2.0 meters, south. They make a right hand turn and walk 16.0 meters, west. They turn right again and
walk 24.0 meters, north. They then turn left and walk 36.0 meters, west. What is the magnitude of their
overall displacement?
2. Claire de Iles is shopping. She walks 16 m to the end of an aisle. She then makes a right hand turn and
walks 21 m down the end aisle. Determine the magnitude of Claire's resultant displacement.
3. During the Vector Addition lab, Mac and Tosh start at the classroom door and walk 40.0 m, north, 32.5
m east, 15.5 m south, 68.5 m west, and 2.5 m, north. Determine the magnitude and direction of the
resultant displacement of Mac and Tosh.
4. On her trip from home to school, Karla drives along three streets after exiting the driveway. She drives
1.85 miles south, 2.43 miles east and 0.35 miles north. Determine the magnitude of Karla's resultant
displacement.

______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________

Student’s name & signature Parent’s signature Teacher’s signature

Date accomplished: ___________________ Date submitted: ___________________

Address:DepEd Cebu Province, IPHO Bldg,.Sudlon, Lahug, Cebu City

Telephone no.: 032-2556405
Email Address:[email protected]