Applied Physics

NS (1001)
 Vectors
• Vectors and their components
• Unit Vector , adding vector by components
• Multiplying Vectors
 Scalars
Not all physical quantities involve a direction. Temperature,
pressure, energy, mass, and time, for example, do not “point” in
the spatial sense. We call such quantities scalars, and we deal
with them by the rules of ordinary algebra. A single value, with a
sign (as in a temperature of 40°F), specifies a scalar

Examples of Scalar
Quantities:
 Length
 Area
 Volume
 Time
 Mass
 Vectors
A vector has magnitude as well as direction, and vectors follow certain
(vector) rules of combination, which we examine in this chapter. A vector
quantity is a quantity that has both a magnitude and a direction and thus can be
represented with a vector.

Examples of Vector
Quantities:
 Displacement
 Velocity
 Acceleration
 Force
 Vectors
The simplest vector quantity is displacement, or change of position. A
vector that represents a displacement is called, reasonably, a
displacement vector.
 Adding Vectors
Geometrically
Suppose that, as in the vector diagram of Fig. 3-
2a, a particle moves from A to B and then later
from B to C.We can represent its overall
displacement (no matter what its actual path)
with two successive displacement vectors, AB and
BC.
The net displacement of these two displacements
is a single displacement from A to C.We call AC
the vector sum (or resultant) of the vectors AB
and BC. This sum is not the usual algebraic sum.
We can represent the relation among
the three vectors in Fig. 3-2b with the
vector equation
 Properties of Vector
Addition
Vector addition, defined in this way, has two important
properties.
1. Commutative Law
2. Associative Law
Properties of Vector
Addition
Vector Subtraction
Components of Vectors
Components of Vectors
Check points
 Unit Vector
A unit vector is a vector that has a magnitude of exactly 1 and points in a
particular
direction. It lacks both dimension and unit. Its sole purpose is to point—that
is, to specify a direction.
The unit vectors in the positive directions of the x, y, and z axes are
labeled , , and , where the hat is used instead of an overhead arrow as for
other vectors (Fig. 3-13).The arrangement of axes in Fig. 3-13 is said to be a
right-handed coordinate system.
Unit Vector

The quantities ax and ay are vectors,

called the vector components
of .The quantities ax and ay are scalars,
called
the scalar components of :a (or, as
before, simply its components).
 ADDING VECTORS BY
COMPONENTS
We can add vectors geometrically on a sketch or directly on a vector-capable
calculator. A third way is to combine their components axis by axis.

o subtract, we add (a ) and (–b) by components, to

Check points
Example
MULTIPLYING VECTORS
 MULTIPLYING VECTORS
There are three ways in which vectors can be multiplied, but none is exactly
like
the usual algebraic multiplication.

Multiplying a Vector by a Scalar

Multiplying a Vector by a Vector

 Dot Product
The dot product says
something about how
parallel two vectors are.
The dot product (scalar
product) of two vectors can
be thought of as the

projection of one onto the B
direction of the other.
 
Components ( A cos  ) B 
A B  AB cos   A

A iˆ  A cos   Ax A( B cos  )

 
A B  Ax Bx  Ay B y  Az Bz
Projection of a Vector: Dot
Product

The dot product says

something about how
parallel two vectors are.
The dot product (scalar
product) of two vectors can
be thought of as the 
B Projection is zero
projection of one onto the
direction of the other.

  
A B  AB cos  
 A
Components A iˆ  A cos   Ax
 
A B  Ax Bx  Ay B y  Az Bz
The Scalar Product
The Scalar Product
The Vector Product
  
Vector Product

C  A B 
 B
B sin 

The cross product of two vectors says 

something about how perpendicular they are.  A

   A sin 
Magnitude: C  A B  AB sin 
y

◦  is smaller angle between the vectors j i

◦ Cross product of any parallel vectors = zero x
k
◦ Cross product is maximum for perpendicular z
vectors
◦ Cross products of Cartesian unit vectors: i

iˆ  ˆj kˆ; iˆ kˆ  ˆj; ˆj kˆ iˆ

j k
iˆ iˆ 0; ˆj  ˆj 0; kˆ kˆ 0
 Vector Product
Direction: C perpendicular to
both A and B (right-hand
rule)
◦ Place A and B tail to tail
◦ Right hand, not left hand
◦ Four fingers are pointed
along the first vector A
◦ “sweep” from first vector A    
into second vector B through A B B A ?
the smaller angle between
them
◦ Your outstretched thumb    
points the direction A B - B A

   
A B B A ?
Vector Product
The quantity ABsin 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

   
A B - B A
The distributive law
      
A ( B  C )  A B  A C
The derivative of cross product  
d   dA   dB
obeys the chain rule
Calculate cross product dt
 dt

A B  B  A 
dt
 
A B ( Ay Bz  Az B y )iˆ  ( Az Bx  Ax Bz ) ˆj  ( Ax B y  Ay Bx )kˆ
Commutative property
Check points
Example: Finding the Components of an
Acceleration Vector
Example: Finding the Components of an
Acceleration Vector
Example Finding the Direction of Motion
Example Finding the Direction of Motion
Example 3.5 Run Rabbit Run!
Examples