Vectors

This is one of the most important

chapters in the course.
Learning objectives
• Scalars Versus Vectors
• The Components of a Vector
• Adding and Subtracting Vectors
• Unit Vectors
• Position, Displacement, Velocity,
and Acceleration Vectors
• Relative Motion

PowerPoint presentations are compiled from Walker 3rd Edition Instructor CD-ROM
and Dr. Daniel Bullock’s own resources
 Scalars and Vectors
• Scalar  has only magnitude (size)
– 5 seconds (time)
– 10 kg (mass)
– 13.6 eV (energy)
– 10 m/s (speed)
• Vector  has both magnitude (size) and
direction
– 10 m/s North (velocity)
– - 5 m/s2 (acceleration)
– 4.5 Newtons 370 North of West (force)
 Vectors
• Vector has tail (beginning) and tip (end)
• A position vector describes the location of a
point
• Can resolve vector into perpendicular
components using a two-dimensional coordinate
system:
tip

tail
 Vectors
• Length, angle, and components can be calculated from
each other using trigonometry:
opp Ay
sin   
hyp A
adj Ax
cos   
hyp A
opp Ay
tan   
adj Ax
• Length (magnitude) of the vector A is given by the
Pythagorean theorem
 2 2 2 2
A  adj  opp  Ax  Ay
 Vectors
• Signs of vector components
Adding and Subtracting Vectors
• Adding vectors graphically: Place the tail of the second
at the head of the first. The sum points from the tail of
the first to the head of the last.
Adding Vectors Using Components:
1. Find the components of each vector to
be added.
2. Add the x- and y-components separately.
3. Find the resultant vector.
Adding and Subtracting Vectors
• Subtracting Vectors: The negative of a
vector is a vector of the same magnitude
pointing in the opposite direction. Here, D
= A – B.
 Unit Vectors
• Unit vectors are dimensionless vectors of
unit length.
• Multiplying unit vectors by
scalars: the multiplier
changes the length, and the
sign indicates the direction.
 Vector Addition
A motor boat is moving 15 km/hr relative to the water.
The river current is 10 km/hr downstream.
How fast does the boat go (relative to the shore)
upstream and downstream?

Boat Upstream Vector

 Vector Addition
A motor boat is moving 15 km/hr relative to the water.
The river current is 10 km/hr downstream.
How fast does the boat go (relative to the shore)
upstream and downstream?

Boat Upstream Vector

Boat Downstream Vector

 Vector Addition
A motor boat is moving 15 km/hr relative to the water.
The river current is 10 km/hr downstream.
How fast does the boat go (relative to the shore)
upstream and downstream?

Boat Upstream Vector

Boat Downstream Vector

Current Vector = 10 km/hr downstream

 Boat Velocity Upstream
Upstream: Place vectors head to tail,
net result, 5 km/hr upstream
  
s a  b
 Boat Velocity Upstream
Upstream: Place vectors head to tail,
 Boat Velocity
Upstream: Place vectors head to tail,
net result, 5 km/hr upstream

Start

Finish

Difference
 Boat Velocity
Downstream: Place vectors head to tail,
 Boat Velocity
Downstream: Place vectors head to tail,
net result,
 Boat Velocity
Downstream: Place vectors head to tail,
net result, 25 km/hr downstream

  
s a  b

   
Commutative law

a  b b  a
 Forces On An Airplane
When will it fly?
Gravity
Propulsion

Net Force?
 Forces On An Airplane
When will it fly?
Gravity
Propulsion

Net Force
Plane Dives to the Ground
 Forces On An Airplane
When will it fly?
Gravity
Propulsion
Lift

Net Force?
 Friction
When will it fly?
Gravity
Propulsion
Lift

Net Force = 0 up or down

Plane rolls along the runway like a car because of propulsion.

 Forces On An Airplane
When will it fly?
Gravity
Propulsion
Lift

Net Force
Plane Flies as long as Lift >
Gravity
 Friction
When will it fly?
Gravity
Propulsion
Lift
Air Resistance

Net Force = 0
Equilibrium
 Flight
When will it fly?
Gravity
Propulsion
Lift
Air Resistance

Net Force
Plane Flies as long as Lift >
Gravity
AND Propulsion > Air Resistance
Adding (and subtracting) vectors by components
  
Let’s say I have two vectors:
A  Ax x  Ay y
I want to calculate the vector   
sum of these vectors: B  Bx x  B y y
   
A  B Ax  Bx x  Ay  B y  y
Let’s say the vectors have the following values:
    
A  Ax x  Ay y 3 x  4 y
    
B  Bx x  B y y  5 x  8 y
     
A  Ax x  Ay y 3 x  4 y 
y
    
B Bx x  B y y  5 x  8 y B
   
A  B Ax  Bx x  Ay  B y  y A
 
3  5x  4  8y 
  x
 2x  12y 
y
B
Our result is consistent
with the graphical method!
A
What’s the magnitude

x of our new vector?
 
A  B   2  12
2 2

 4  144  148 12.2

 
How would you find the angle, , the y
vector makes with the y-axis?
  
 
A  B  2x  12y A+ B

opp = 2
 
y x

 adj = 12


x

opp 2 1 1 1 0
tan       tan 9.5
adj 12 6 6
Multiplying vectors by scalars:
  
A  Ax x  Ay y
  
a A a Ax x  a Ay y
  
So if the vector A was: A 3x  4 y and
 it was multiplied by
 
the scalar, a = 5 then the new vector:a A 5 3x  5 4y
 
15x  20 y
Scalar Product: (aka dot product):
   
a b  a b cos 
angle between
mag. of a the vectors
mag. of b
 Scalar Product: (aka dot product):
   
a b  a b cos 
vectors scalars
he dot product is the product
f two quantities:
1) mag. of one vector
2) scalar component of the
second vector along the
direction of the first

       
a b (a x x  a y y  a z z ) (bx x  by y  bz z )
a x bx  a y by  a z bz
Vector Product (aka cross product)
The vector product produces a new vector who’s magnitude
is given by:     
c a b  a b sin 
The direction of the new vector is given by the,
“right hand rule”

Mathematically, we can find the direction using

matrix operations.
   
a a x x  a y y  a z z
   
b bx x  by y  bz z
  
x y z
  The cross product
a b  a x ay az is determined from
three determinants
bx by bz
   
x y z The determinants are used to find the
  components of the vector
a b  a x ay az
bx by bz

1st : Strike out the first column and first row!

2nd : Cross multiply the four components – and subtract:

a y bz  a z by x - component

3rd : Strike out the 2nd column and first row

  
x y z 4th : Cross multiply the four components,subtract, and
  multiply by -1:
a b  a x ay az
bx by bz  a x bz  a z bx  y - component
    5th: Cross out the last column and first row
x y z
  6th : Cross multiply and subtract four elements
a b  a x ay az
bx by bz a x by  a y bx z-component

So then the new vector will be:

     
c a b a y bz  a z by x  a x bz  a z bx  y  a x by  a y bx z
We’ll look more at the scalar product when we talk about angular
momentum.
  
Example: a 2x  3 y
  

b  4 x  2 y
 
x y z
    
a b  2 3 0 2 2 3  4x  2 0 0  4 y  2 2 3  4z
4 2 0
  
4   12x  0 y  4   12z
 
16x  16z
   
Example: a 2x  3 y
  
b  4 x  2 y
  
x y z
    
a b  2 3 0 3 0 0 2x  2 0 0  4 y  2 2 3  4z
4 2 0
  
0x  0 y  4   12z

16z

Notice the resultant vector is in the z – direction!

 Position, Displacement, Velocity,
and Acceleration Vectors
Average velocity vector:

So vav is in the same

direction as Δr.
 Position, Displacement, Velocity,
and Acceleration Vector
• Average acceleration vector is in the
direction of the change in velocity:
 Position, Displacement, Velocity,
and Acceleration Vector
• Instantaneous velocity vector is tangent to
the path:
 Position, Displacement, Velocity,
and Acceleration Vector
• Velocity vector is always in the direction of
motion; acceleration vector can point
anywhere:
 Relative Motion
• The speed of the passenger with respect
to the ground depends on the relative
directions of the passenger’s and train’s
speeds:
 Relative Motion

This also works in two dimensions:

 Chapter 3 Summary
• Scalar: number, with appropriate units
• Vector: quantity with magnitude and direction
• Vector components: Ax = A cos θ, By = B sin θ
• Magnitude: A = (Ax2 + Ay2)1/2
• Direction: θ = tan-1 (Ay / Ax)
• Graphical vector addition: Place tail of second
at head of first; sum points from tail of first to
head of last
 Chapter 3 Summary
• Component method: add components of
individual vectors, then find magnitude and
direction
• Unit vectors are dimensionless and of unit
length
• Position vector points from origin to location
• Displacement vector points from original
position to final position
• Velocity vector points in direction of motion
• Acceleration vector points in direction of
change of motion
• Relative motion: v13 = v12 + v23