Prepared by Eng.

Ala'a Nabil Radman Physics

Prepared by Engineer Ala'a Nabil Radman

2019

0
Prepared by Eng. Ala'a Nabil Radman Physics

Physical quantities

Scalar

The physical quantities that have only magnitude.

Examples: Speed, Distance, Mass, temperature and Energy.

Vectors

The physical quantities that have magnitude and a direction.

Examples: Velocity, Displacement, Weight, Force, acceleration, Electric and Magnetic fields.

Properties of vectors
Equality of Vectors

The two vectors A and B are said to be equal if

• They have the same magnitude and point in the same direction.

Addition of Vectors
Graphical method:

The resultant vector R is the red vector that runs from the tail of A to the head of B

= +

Vector addition has two important properties

• Commutative law: + = +
• Associative law: +( + )=( + )+

The Negative of a Vector

The negative of a vector B is a vector with the same magnitude but in the opposite direction,
And named -

If B=3i+6j

-B=-(3i+6j)=-3i-6j

1
Prepared by Eng. Ala'a Nabil Radman Physics

Vector Components
• A vector in rectangular coordinates may be represented as

= Ax i + Ay j
Where

Ax is the component of a vector along x-axes

Ay is the component of a vector along y-axes

If A = 3 i + 6 j , then Ax = 3 and Ay = 6

Case 1:

Consider a vector lying in the xy-plane and making an angle θ with the positive x-axes

• x and y components of the vector

Ax = A cos θ
Ay = A sin θ

Case 2:

Consider a vector = Ax i + Ay j

• The magnitude: A = A + A

-1 y
• The direction: ϕ = tan ( )

Case 3:

Consider a vector = Ax i + Ay j + Az k

• The magnitude: A = A + A + A

Unit Vectors

A unit vector is a dimensionless vector that has a magnitude of exactly one and points in a
particular direction.
|i| = |j| = |k| = 1
• The magnitude of each unit vector equals unity

2
Prepared by Eng. Ala'a Nabil Radman Physics

Example 2.3

Two vectors are given as = 8 i + 3 j and = - 5 i - 7 j. Find the magnitude and the direction
of the vector sum = +
Solution
= (8 i + 3 j ) + (- 5 i - 7 j ) = 3 i - 4 j

Magnitude: R = √ + (− ) = √25 =5

-1
Direction: ϕ = tan ( ) = - 53.1o (Forth quadrant)

θ = 360 – 53.1 = 306.9 ≈307o

3
 Prepared by Eng. Ala'a Nabil Radman Physics

Multiplying Vectors

1- The Dot Product (or the Scalar Product)

The dot product of two vectors and , written as • . is defined geometrically

As the product of the magnitudes of and and the cosine of the angle between them.

• = AB cos θ
Where θ is the smaller angle between A and B.

• i . i = j . j = k . k = 1 otherwise 0
• Two vectors and are said to be perpendicular to each other if • = 0.
• The result of the dot product is scalar.

The dot product has two important properties

• Commutative law: . = .
• Associative law: .( + )= . + .

Example 2.4

Two vectors are given as = 8 i + 3 j and = - 5 i - 7 j. Find the angle between the two
vectors.
Solution

A • B = ( 8 i + 3 j ) • (- 5 i - 7 j ) = (8 * - 5) + ( 3 * - 7) = - 40 - 21 = - 61

A = √82 + 32 = √73 = 8.544

B = √(−5)2 + (−7)2 = √74 = 8.6023

.& '(
= Ө = Cos -1 ( 0.82995) ≈ 146.1o
&
Cos Ө = = 0.82995
).* × ).',

4
 Prepared by Eng. Ala'a Nabil Radman Physics

2- Cross Product (or the Vector Product)

The cross product of two vectors and . Written as × . The direction of the result is
perpendicular to the plane that contains both and , and can be determined by using the
right-hand rule.
× = AB sin θ

• i×i=j×j=k×k=0
• The result of the cross product is vector.

The cross product has the following properties

• × =- ×

• Two vectors and are said to be parallel or anti parallel if × = 0.

• Distributive law: ×( + )= × + ×
• The derivative of × with respect to any variable such as t is:
- - -
( × )= × + ×
-. -. -.

i×j=k,j×i=-k

k×i =j,i×k =-j

j×k =i,k×j=- i

5
Prepared by Eng. Ala'a Nabil Radman Physics

Example 2.5

Two vectors are given as = 8 i + 3 j and = - 5 i - 7 j.

a) Find the cross product A × B.

b) Verify that × =- ×

Solution
a)
A × B = ( 8 i + 3 j ) × (- 5 i - 7 j ) = - 56 (i × j) - 15(j × i) = - 56 (k) – 15 ( - k)
A × B = - 56 k + 15 k = - 41 k
b)
B × A = (- 5 i - 7 j ) × ( 8 i + 3 j ) = - 15 (i × j) – 56 (j × i) = – 15 (k) - 56 ( - k)
B × A = - 15 k + 56 k = 41 k therefore × =- ×

6
Prepared by Eng. Ala'a Nabil Radman Physics

Exercises
13

Two vectors are given as = 2 i + 3 j and = 4 i - 3 j.

a) Find the magnitude and the direction of the vector sum = +

b) Find the magnitude and the direction of the vector difference / = -

Solution
a) = (2 i + 3 j) + (4 i - 3 j ) = 6 i

Magnitude: R = 6
Direction: ϕ = 0o (along x-axes)

b) S = (2 i + 3 j) - (4 i - 3 j ) = - 2 i + 6 j

Magnitude: S = √ (− ) + 1 = √40 = 6.3

-1 '
Direction: ϕ = tan ( ) = - 71.6o (Second quadrant)

θ = 180 – 71.6 = 108.4o

14

Two vectors are given as = - i + j + 4 k and = 3 i - 4 j + k.

Find

a) +

b) -

c) A vector such that + + =0

Solution
a) + = (- i + j + 4 k) + (3 i - 4 j + k ) = 2 i - 3 j + 5 k

b) - = (- i + j + 4 k) - (3 i - 4 j + k ) = - 4 i + 5 j + 3 k

c) + + =0 =- - =-( + )

=-( + ) = - (2 i - 3 j + 5 k ) = - 2 i + 3 j - 5 k

7
Prepared by Eng. Ala'a Nabil Radman Physics

15

Vector has a magnitude of 3 units and lies along the negative x-axis. Vector has a
magnitude of 6 units and makes an angle 30◦ with the positive x-axis.
a) Find the scalar product . without using the concept of components
b) Find the scalar product . by using the concept of components

Solution
a)
Θ = 180 – 30 = 150o

A . B = AB cos θ = 3* 6* cos150 = -15.59 (units)

b)
Vector components: = - 3 i (units)
Vector components: Bx = 6 cos 30 = 5.196 and By = 6 sin 30 = 3
= 5.196 i + 3 j (units)

A . B = (- 3 i ) (5.196 i + 3 j ) = -3 * 5.196 = -15.59

. (units)

16
Show that for any vector :
a) A . A = A
2

b) A × A = 0

Solution
Assume that =2i+3j
a)

A . A = (2 i + 3 j ) . (2 i + 3 j ) = 2*2 + 3*3 = 4 + 9 = 13 ---------- (1)

A=√ + = √13 A2 = 13 --------- (2)

Therefore (1) = (2)
b)
A × A = ( 2 i + 3 j ) × ( 2 i + 3 j ) = 6 (i × j) + 6 (j × i) = 6 (k) + 6 ( - k)
A×A=6k-6k=0

8
Prepared by Eng. Ala'a Nabil Radman Physics

18
For the vectors in Fig. shown bellow, find the following

a) A . B , b) A . C c) B . C , d) A × B , e) A × C and f) B × C

Solution
Vector components: = 3 i (along positive x-axes)
Vector components: = 4 j (along positive y-axes)

-1
Vector components: θC = tan ( ) = 53.13o

Cx = - 5 cos 53.13 = - 3 and Cy = -5 sin 53.13 = - 4

=-3i-4j

a) A . B = (3 i ) . ( 4 j ) = 0

b) A . C = (3 i ) . ( - 3 i - 4 j ) = 3 * - 3 = - 9

c) B . C = (4 j ) . ( - 3 i - 4 j ) = 4 * - 4 = - 16

d) A × B = (3 i ) × ( 4 j ) = 12 ( i × j) = 12 (k) = 12 k

e) A × C = (3 i ) × ( - 3 i - 4 j ) = - 12 ( i × j) = -12 (k) = - 12 k

f) B × C = (4 j ) × ( - 3 i - 4 j ) = - 12 ( j × i) = -12 (- k) = 12 k