EEE 305 – ELECTROMAGNETIC

FIELDS AND WAVES I

Instructor: Usman Mohammed
CHAPTER 1 VECTOR ANALYSIS
▪ 1.1 – Scalars and Vectors
▪ 1.2 – Vector Algebra
▪ 1.3 – The Rectangular Coordinate System
▪ 1.4 – Vector Components and Unit Vectors
▪ 1.5 – The Vector Field
▪ 1.6 – The Dot Product
▪ 1.7 – The Cross Product
▪ 1.8 – The Cylindrical Coordinates System
▪ 1.9 – The Spherical Coordinate System
▪ References

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 1.1 – SCALARS AND VECTORS
➢ The term scalar refers to a quantity whose value may be represented by a single (positive or negative) real
number.

➢ The 𝑥, 𝑦, and 𝑧 we use in basic algebra are scalars, as are the quantities they represent.

➢ If we speak of a body falling a distance 𝐿 in a time 𝑡, or the temperature 𝑇 at any point whose
coordinates are 𝑥, 𝑦, and 𝑧, then 𝐿, 𝑡, 𝑇, 𝑥, 𝑦, and 𝑧 are all scalars.

❖ Other examples: mass, density, pressure (but not force), volume, and voltage.

Displacement? Weight?

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➢ A vector quantity has both a magnitude and a direction in space.

❖ Magnitude → absolute value; the magnitude of any quantity is therefore always positive.
𝐀 = −3𝑖Ƹ Magnitude?
➢ We are concerned with two- and three-dimensional spaces only, but vectors may be defined in 𝑛-
dimensional space in more advanced applications.

➢ Examples: Force, velocity, acceleration, and a straight line from the positive to the negative terminal
of a storage battery.
Current?
➢ We will be dealing with scalar and vector fields.

➢ A field (scalar or vector) may be defined mathematically as some function that connects an
arbitrary origin to a general point in space.

Field → A quantity that has a value for each point in space and time.

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➢ Both scalar fields and vector fields exist.

➢ Scalar fields examples: Temperature and Density at any point in the earth.

➢ Vector fields examples:

o The gravitational and magnetic fields of the earth. Gradient?
o The voltage gradient in a cable. This is what?
o The temperature gradient in a soldering-iron tip are examples of vector fields.

The value of a field varies in general with both position and time.

➢ Vectors will be indicated by boldface type, for example, A.

In longhand: it is customary to draw a line or an arrow over a vector quantity to show its vector character.
Very Important!

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 1.2 – VECTOR ALGEBRA
Addition and Subtraction

➢ The addition of vectors follows the parallelogram law. Figure 1.1 shows the sum of two vectors, A and
B. It is easily seen that A + B = B + A, or that vector addition obeys the commutative law. Vector
addition also obeys the associative law,
A + (B + C)= (A + B)+ C

Fig. 1.1. Addition of Vectors.

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➢ The rule for the subtraction of vectors follows easily from that for addition, for we may always express A -
B as A + (-B); the sign, or direction, of the second vector is reversed, and this vector is then added to the
first by the rule for vector addition.

Multiplication and Division

➢ Vectors may be multiplied by scalars. The magnitude of the vector changes, but its direction does not when
the scalar is positive, although it reverses direction when multiplied by a negative scalar.

➢ Multiplication of a vector by a scalar also obeys the associative and distributive laws of algebra, leading to

(r + s)(A + B)= r(A + B) + s(A + B) = rA + rB + sA + sB

➢ Division of a vector by a scalar is merely multiplication by the reciprocal of that scalar. 𝐀

?
𝐁
Two vectors are said to be equal if their difference is zero, or A = B if A - B = 0.

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 1.3 – THE RECTANGULAR COORDINATE SYSTEM
➢ To describe a vector accurately, some specific lengths, directions, angles, projections, or components
must be given.
❖ There are three simple coordinate systems by which this is done:

1. Rectangular (Cartesian) Coordinate System

2. Cylindrical Coordinate System
3. Spherical Coordinate System

➢ In the rectangular coordinate system, we set up three coordinate axes mutually at right angles to
each other and call them the 𝑥, 𝑦, and 𝑧 axes.

➢ It is customary to choose a right-handed coordinate system.

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➢ If the right hand is used, then the thumb, forefinger, and middle finger may be identified, respectively,
as the 𝑥, 𝑦, and 𝑧 axes.

➢ Figure 1.2 shows a right-handed rectangular coordinate system.

Fig. 1.2. Right-handed rectangular coordinate system.

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➢ A point is located by giving its 𝑥, 𝑦, and 𝑧 coordinates.

➢ Figure 1.3 shows points 𝑃 and 𝑄 whose coordinates are (1, 2, 3) and (2, -2, 1), respectively. Point 𝑃 is
therefore located at the common point of intersection of the planes x = 1, y = 2, and z = 3, whereas
point 𝑄 is located at the intersection of the planes 𝑥 = 2, 𝑦 = -2, and 𝑧 = 1.

Fig. 1.3. The location of points

𝑃(1, 2, 3) and 𝑄(2, -2, 1).

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 1.4 – VECTOR COMPONENTS AND UNIT VECTORS
➢ To describe a vector in the rectangular coordinate system, first consider a vector r extending outward from
the origin.
➢ A logical way to identify this vector is by giving the three component vectors, lying along the three
coordinate axes, whose vector sum must be the given vector.

➢ If the component vectors of the vector r are x, y, and z, then r = x + y + z. The component vectors are
shown in Figure 1.4.

Fig. 1.4. The component vectors x, y, and z of vector r.

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➢ The component vectors in Figure 1.4 have magnitudes that depend on the given vector (such as r),
but they each have a known and constant direction.

❖ This suggests the use of unit vectors having unit magnitude by definition; these are parallel to
the coordinate axes, and they point in the direction of increasing coordinate values.

➢ We reserve the symbol a for a unit vector and identify its direction by an appropriate subscript. Thus,
𝐚𝑥 , 𝐚𝑦 , and 𝐚𝑧 are the unit vectors in the rectangular coordinate system.

Note: 𝐚𝑥 → 𝑖,Ƹ 𝐚𝑦 → 𝑗,Ƹ 𝐚𝑧 → 𝑘෠

Fig. 1.5. The unit vectors of the rectangular coordinate

system have unit magnitude and are directed toward
increasing values of their respective variables.

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➢ If the component vector y happens to be two units in magnitude and directed toward increasing values
of y, we then write y = 2𝑗.Ƹ
෠
➢ A vector 𝐫𝑃 pointing from the origin to point P(1, 2, 3) is written 𝐫𝑃 = 𝑖Ƹ + 2𝑗Ƹ + 3𝑘.

➢ The vector from P to Q(2, -2, 1) is obtained by applying the rule of vector addition. This rule shows that
the vector from the origin to P plus the vector from P to Q is equal to the vector from the origin to Q.

➢ The desired vector from P(1, 2, 3) to Q(2, -2, 1) is therefore

𝐑 𝑃𝑄 = 𝐫𝑄 - 𝐫𝑃 = (2 - 1)𝑖Ƹ + (-2 - 2)𝑗Ƹ + (1 - 3)𝑘෠ = 𝑖Ƹ - 4𝑗Ƹ - 2𝑘෠

Fig. 1.6. The vector 𝐑 𝑃𝑄 is equal to the vector

difference 𝐫𝑄 - 𝐫𝑃 .

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Note: Vectors having the same magnitude and pointing in the same direction are equal.

➢ In discussing a force vector F, or any vector other than a displacement-type vector such as r, the
problem arises of providing suitable letters for the three component vectors.

➢ The problem is most often avoided by using component scalars, simply called components, 𝐹𝑥 , 𝐹𝑦 , and 𝐹𝑧 .
❖ The components are the signed magnitudes of the component vectors.

෠ The component vectors are 𝐹𝑥 𝑖,Ƹ 𝐹𝑦 𝑗,Ƹ and 𝐹𝑧 𝑘.

➢ We may then write F = 𝐹𝑥 𝑖Ƹ + 𝐹𝑦 𝑗Ƹ + 𝐹𝑧 𝑘. ෠

෠ The magnitude of B written |B| or simply

➢ Any vector B then may be described by B = 𝐵𝑥 𝑖Ƹ + 𝐵𝑦 𝑗Ƹ + 𝐵𝑧 𝑘.
B, is given by

Equation (1.1)

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➢ Consequently, a unit vector in the direction of the vector B is

Equation (1.2)

Example 1.1: Specify the unit vector extending from the origin toward the point G(2, -2, -1).

Solution 1.1: We first construct the vector extending from the origin to point G,

G = 2𝑖Ƹ − 2𝑗Ƹ − 𝑘෠

We continue by finding the magnitude of G,

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