Introduction to

vectors
Dr. Soumya Chatterjee
 Scalars and Vectors
Scalar: A scalar is a quantity that is determined by its magnitude. It takes on a
numerical value, i.e., a number.
Examples: time, temperature, length, distance, speed, density, energy, and
voltage.

Vector: A vector is a quantity that has both magnitude and direction.

Examples: acceleration, force, displacement etc.
 Coordinate systems
Coordinate system: has an origin and some mutually
perpendicular axes emanating from the origin.

Q
Point P: a location in space V P
{2, 3, 9}
V=Q-P
A vector of length 1 is called a unit vector.
y
1.5v
v y
z

-v
Left-hand system

Right-hand system x
x
z
 Component Form
The components of a vector from its
magnitude and direction 𝐅 = 𝑚𝐚
𝐹Ԧ = 𝑚𝑎Ԧ
𝑟𝑥 = 𝑟 cos 𝜃
𝑟𝑦 = 𝑟 sin 𝜃

Vector’s magnitude and direction y

from its components 𝑟Ԧ
ry
𝑟= 𝑟𝑥2 + 𝑟𝑦2 q
rx x
𝜃= tan−1 𝑟𝑦 /𝑟𝑥
 Vector addition
v1 v1-v2
Sum of two vectors
Subtraction of two vectors
Adding and subtraction of v2
corresponding components of two
vectors gives a new vector
v1+v2 v1+v2
v1
v1-v2

v1 v1

v2
v2 v2
 Example: Vector addition
For forces, this addition is the parallelogram law by which we obtain the resultant
of two forces in mechanics.
 Scalar or Dot Product of Two Vectors
The scalar product of two
vectors is written as
It is also called the dot
product
𝐀⋅𝐁

𝐀 ⋅ 𝐁 ≡ A B cos 𝜃
𝜃 is the angle between A and
B

Applied to work done

𝑊 = 𝐹Δ𝑟 cos 𝜃 = 𝐅Ԧ ⋅ ΔԦ𝐫
 Dot product
To show that: 𝐴Ԧ ⋅ 𝐵 = 𝐴𝑥 𝐵𝑥 + 𝐴𝑦 𝐵𝑦 + 𝐴𝑧 𝐵𝑧

𝐴Ԧ = 𝐴𝑥 𝑖Ƹ + 𝐴𝑦 𝑗Ƹ + 𝐴𝑧 𝑘෠
𝐵 = 𝐵𝑥 𝑖Ƹ + 𝐵𝑦 𝑗Ƹ + 𝐵𝑧 𝑘෠

𝐴Ԧ ⋅ 𝐵 = (𝐴𝑥 𝑖Ƹ + 𝐴𝑦 𝑗Ƹ + 𝐴𝑧 𝑘) ෠ ⋅ (𝐵𝑥 𝑖Ƹ + 𝐵𝑦 𝑗Ƹ + 𝐵𝑧 𝑘)
෠
෠ + 𝐴𝑦 𝑗Ƹ ⋅ (𝐵𝑥 𝑖Ƹ + 𝐵𝑦 𝑗Ƹ + 𝐵𝑧 𝑘)
= 𝐴𝑥 𝑖Ƹ ⋅ (𝐵𝑥 𝑖Ƹ + 𝐵𝑦 𝑗Ƹ + 𝐵𝑧 𝑘) ෠ + 𝐴𝑧 𝑘෠ ⋅ (𝐵𝑥 𝑖Ƹ + 𝐵𝑦 𝑗Ƹ + 𝐵𝑧 𝑘)
෠

𝑖Ƹ ⋅ 𝑗Ƹ = 0; 𝑖Ƹ ⋅ 𝑘෠ = 0; 𝑗Ƹ ⋅ 𝑘෠ = 0
𝑖Ƹ ⋅ 𝑖Ƹ = 1; 𝑗Ƹ ⋅ 𝑗Ƹ = 1; 𝑘෠ ⋅ 𝑘෠ = 1

𝐴Ԧ ⋅ 𝐵 = 𝐴𝑥 𝑖Ƹ ⋅ 𝐵𝑥 𝑖Ƹ + 𝐴𝑦 𝑗Ƹ ⋅ 𝐵𝑦 𝑗Ƹ + 𝐴𝑧 𝑘෠ ⋅ 𝐵𝑧 𝑘෠
= 𝐴𝑥 𝐵𝑥 + 𝐴𝑦 𝐵𝑦 + 𝐴𝑧 𝐵𝑧
 EXAMPLE: Dot Product
Component of a Force in a Given Direction
What force in the rope in the Fig. will hold a car of 5000 Kg in equilibrium if the
ramp makes an angle of 25° with the horizontal?
 Cross Product
→
𝐶 = 𝐴Ԧ × 𝐵 𝐵 sin 𝜃
𝐵

The cross product of two vectors says

something about how perpendicular they are. q 𝐴Ԧ

Magnitude: → 𝐴Ԧ sin 𝜃
𝐶 = 𝐴Ԧ × 𝐵 = 𝐴𝐵 sin 𝜃
y
q is angle between the vectors
j
Cross product of any parallel vectors = zero i
x
Cross product is maximum for k
z
perpendicular vectors
Cross products of Cartesian unit vectors: i

෠ 𝑖Ƹ × 𝑘෠ = −𝑗;Ƹ 𝑗Ƹ × 𝑘෠ = 𝑖Ƹ
𝑖Ƹ × 𝑗Ƹ = 𝑘; j k
𝑖Ƹ × 𝑖Ƹ = 0; 𝑗Ƹ × 𝑗Ƹ = 0; 𝑘෠ × 𝑘෠ = 0
 More about Cross Product
The quantity AB sinq is the area of the
parallelogram formed by A and B
The direction of C is perpendicular to the
plane formed by A and B
Cross product is not commutative

𝐴Ԧ × 𝐵 = −𝐵 × 𝐴Ԧ

The distributive law 𝐴Ԧ × (𝐵 + 𝐶)

Ԧ = 𝐴Ԧ × 𝐵 + 𝐴Ԧ × 𝐶Ԧ

The derivative of cross product

𝑑 𝑑𝐴Ԧ 𝑑𝐵
obeys the chain rule Ԧ
𝐴×𝐵 = × 𝐵 + 𝐴Ԧ ×
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
Calculate cross product

𝐴Ԧ × 𝐵 = (𝐴𝑦 𝐵𝑧 − 𝐴𝑧 𝐵𝑦 )𝑖Ƹ + (𝐴𝑧 𝐵𝑥 − 𝐴𝑥 𝐵𝑧 )𝑗Ƹ + (𝐴𝑥 𝐵𝑦 − 𝐴𝑦 𝐵𝑥 )𝑘෠

 Derivation
To show that 𝐴Ԧ × 𝐵 = (𝐴𝑦 𝐵𝑧 − 𝐴𝑧 𝐵𝑦 )𝑖Ƹ + (𝐴𝑧 𝐵𝑥 − 𝐴𝑥 𝐵𝑧 )𝑗Ƹ + (𝐴o𝑥 𝐵𝑦 − 𝐴𝑦 𝐵𝑥 )𝑘෠

𝐴Ԧ = 𝐴𝑥 𝑖Ƹ + 𝐴𝑦 𝑗Ƹ + 𝐴𝑧 𝑘෠
𝐵 = 𝐵𝑥 𝑖Ƹ + 𝐵𝑦 𝑗Ƹ + 𝐵𝑧 𝑘෠

෠ × (𝐵𝑥 𝑖Ƹ + 𝐵𝑦 𝑗Ƹ + 𝐵𝑧 𝑘)
𝐴Ԧ × 𝐵 = (𝐴𝑥 𝑖Ƹ + 𝐴𝑦 𝑗Ƹ + 𝐴𝑧 𝑘) ෠
෠ + 𝐴𝑦 𝑗Ƹ × (𝐵𝑥 𝑖Ƹ + 𝐵𝑦 𝑗Ƹ + 𝐵𝑧 𝑘)
= 𝐴𝑥 𝑖Ƹ × (𝐵𝑥 𝑖Ƹ + 𝐵𝑦 𝑗Ƹ + 𝐵𝑧 𝑘) ෠ + 𝐴𝑧 𝑘෠ × (𝐵𝑥 𝑖Ƹ + 𝐵𝑦 𝑗Ƹ + 𝐵𝑧 𝑘)
෠

෠ 𝑖Ƹ × 𝑘෠ = −𝑗;Ƹ 𝑗Ƹ × 𝑘෠ = 𝑖Ƹ
𝑖Ƹ × 𝑗Ƹ = 𝑘;
𝑖Ƹ × 𝑖Ƹ = 0; 𝑗Ƹ × 𝑗Ƹ = 0; 𝑘෠ × 𝑘෠ = 0

𝐴Ԧ × 𝐵 = 𝐴𝑥 𝑖Ƹ × 𝐵𝑦 𝑗Ƹ + 𝐴𝑥 𝑖Ƹ × 𝐵𝑧 𝑘෠ + 𝐴𝑦 𝑗Ƹ ⋅ 𝐵𝑥 𝑖Ƹ + 𝐴𝑦 𝑗Ƹ ⋅ 𝐵𝑧 𝑘෠
+𝐴𝑧 𝑘෠ ⋅ 𝐵𝑥 𝑖Ƹ + 𝐴𝑧 𝑘෠ ⋅ 𝐵𝑦 𝑗Ƹ
EXAMPLE: Cross product
Rotation of a Rigid Body
v=w×r
 EXAMPLE: Cross Product
Moment of a Force
The vector m=r×p
is called the moment vector or vector moment of p about Q. Its magnitude is
m. If m ≠ 0, its direction is that of the axis of the rotation about Q that p has the
tendency to produce. This axis is perpendicular to both r and p.
 Scalar triple product
An (oblique) box with edges a, b, c has volume equal to the absolute value of the scalar
triple product (a b c) = a • (b × c) = (a × b) • c.
The volume of that box equals the height h = |a||cos β| times the area of the base, which is
the area |b × c| of the parallelogram with sides b and c. Hence the volume is
|a||b × c||cos β | = |a • (b × c)|

Geometric interpretation of a scalar triple product

 Properties and Applications of Scalar Triple Products

The dot and cross can be interchanged:

𝒄𝟏 𝒄𝟐 𝒄𝟑
(a b c) = a • (b × c) = (a × b) • c = 𝒂𝟏 𝒂𝟐 𝒂𝟑
𝒃𝟏 𝒃𝟐 𝒃𝟑

Geometric interpretation. The absolute value |(a b c)| of is the volume of

the parallelepiped (oblique box) with a, b, c as edge vectors (Fig. given before).

Linear independence. Three vectors in R3 are linearly independent if and only

if their scalar triple product is not zero.
Homework problems:
1. Find dot product of u, v , where, u = 〈3, −4,1〉 and v = 〈5,2, −6〉, then find the
angle formed by and u and v.
2. Find cross product of u, v , where, u = 〈3, −4,1〉 and v = 〈5,2, −6〉.
3. Let, u = 〈1,4, −5〉, v = 〈−4,3, −1〉 and w = 〈7, −2, −3〉. Find,
i) (u × w).v ii) (u × w) × v
4. Given three points C = (1,3,1) D = (2,5, −3) E = (−4,1,8). Find (a) the angle in
degrees at vertex C, and (b) find the area within the triangle formed by the three
points.