Lecture 01

Vector Analysis

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Outline

1 Scalars

2 Vectors
Negative of a vector

3 Four Vector Operations

Addition of Two Vectors
Multiplication by a Scalar
Dot (or Scalar) Product of Two Vectors
Cross (or Vector) Product of Two Vectors

4 Vector Algebra: Component Form

Addition of Two Vectors
Multiplication by a Scalar
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Outline (contd.)

Dot Product of Two Vectors

Cross Product of Two Vectors

5 Triple products
Scalar triple product
Vector triple product

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Scalars

Scalars have magnitude only. They are specified by a number with a

unit (e.g. 100 C) and obey the rules of arithmetic and ordinary algebra.
Examples: mass, temperature, charge, electric potential, work, energy
etc.

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Vectors

Vectors have both magnitude and direction (5m, north) and obey the
rules of vector algebra. Examples: displacement, velocity, force,
momentum, torque, electric field, magnetic field etc In diagrams,
vector is denoted by arrow: the length of the arrow is proportional to
the magnitude of the vector, and the arrowhead indicates its direction.
In texts, we shall denote a vector by putting an arrow over the letter
 
(~A,~B, and so on). The magnitude of a vector ~A is written ~Aor more
 

simply A.

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Vectors:- Negative of a vector

Minus ~A (−~A) is a vector with the same magnitude as ~A but of

opposite direction [Figure 1].

Figure 1

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Four Vector Operations:- Addition of Two Vectors

Place the tail of ~B at the head of ~A ; the sum, ~A +~B, is the vector
from the tail of ~A to the head of ~B

Figure 2

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Four Vector Operations:- Addition of Two Vectors (contd.)

Triangle Law of Vector Addition

If two sides of a triangle taken in the same order represent the
two vectors in magnitude and direction, then the third side in the
opposite order represents the resultant of two vectors.

Figure 3

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Four Vector Operations:- Addition of Two Vectors (contd.)

Parallelogram Law of Vector Addition If two vectors are

represented in magnitude and direction by the two sides of a
parallelogram drawn from a point, then their resultant is given in
magnitude and direction by the diagonal of the parallelogram
passing through that point.

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Four Vector Operations:- Addition of Two Vectors (contd.)

  p
R = ~P + ~Q = P2 +Q2 +2PQ cosθ
 

Q sinθ
tanβ =
P + Q cosθ
Addition is commutative: ~A +~B = ~B +~A
   
Addition is associative: ~A +~B +~C = ~A + ~B + ~C

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Four Vector Operations:- Multiplication by a Scalar

Multiplication of a vector by a positive scalar a multiples the

magnitude but leaves the direction unchanged.( If a is negative,
the direction is reversed)

Figure 4
 
Scalar multiplication is distributive: a ~A +~B =a~A + a~B

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Four Vector Operations:-
Dot (or Scalar) Product of Two Vectors

The dot product of two vectors is defined by

~A ·~B ≡ AB cos θ (1)

and is a scalar. Here θ is the angle they form when placed

tail-to-tail as shown in Figure 5. For example, work done by a
force i.e. W = ~F ·~S

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Four Vector Operations:-
Dot (or Scalar) Product of Two Vectors (contd.)

Figure 5

The dot product is commutative: ~A ·~B = ~B ·~A

 
The dot product is distributive: ~A · ~B + ~C = ~A ·~B +~A · ~C

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Four Vector Operations:-
Dot (or Scalar) Product of Two Vectors (contd.)

Geometrically, ~A ·~B is the product of B times the projection of ~A

h i
along ~B. ~A ·~B = B(A cos θ )

If the two vectors are parallel, then ~A ·~B = AB. If two vectors are
perpendicular, then ~A ·~B = 0.

For any vector ~E,

~E ·~E = E2
p
⇒ E = ~E ·~E

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Four Vector Operations:-
Dot (or Scalar) Product of Two Vectors (contd.)

Example 1:
Let ~C = ~A − ~B [Figure 6], and
Solution:
calculate ~C · ~C
   
~C · ~C = ~A −~B · ~A −~B

= ~A ·~A −~A ·~B −~B ·~A +~B ·~B

∴ C2 = A2 + B2 − 2AB cos θ

Figure 6 This is the law of cosines.

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Four Vector Operations:-
Cross (or Vector) Product of Two Vectors

The cross product of two vectors is defined by

~A ×~B = AB sin θ n̂ (2)

is a vector as an example of torque [~τ =~r × ~F]. Here n̂ is a unit

vector pointing perpendicular to the plane of ~Aand~B The
direction of n̂ is determined by using right-hand rule: let your
fingers point in the direction of the first vector and curl around
(via the smaller angle) toward the second; then your thumb
indicates the direction ofn̂. In Figure 7, ~A ×~B points into the
page; ~B ×~A points out of the page.
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Four Vector Operations:-
Cross (or Vector) Product of Two Vectors (contd.)

Figure 7

The cross product is not commutative: ~A ×~B 6= ~B ×~A

 
The cross product is distributive: ~A × ~B + ~C = ~A ×~B +~A × ~C

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Four Vector Operations:-
Cross (or Vector) Product of Two Vectors (contd.)

Geometrically, ~A ×~B gives the area of the parallelogram

generated by ~A (or A) and ~B (or B) (Figure 7).

If the two vectors are parallel, then ~A ×~B = 0.

 
If two vectors are perpendicular, then ~A ×~B = AB.
 

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Vector Algebra: Component Form

Let î, ĵ, and k̂ be unit vectors parallel to x, y, and z axes respectively
(Figure 8).

Figure 8

Vectors ~A and ~B can be expressed in terms of basis vectors î, ĵ, and k̂ as
~A = Ax î + Ay ĵ + Az k̂ and ~B = Bx î + By ĵ + Bz k̂

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Vector Algebra: Component Form:-
Addition of Two Vectors

~A +~B = (Ax + Bx )î + (Ay + By )ĵ + (Az + Bz )k̂

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Vector Algebra: Component Form
Multiplication by a Scalar

a~A = (aAx )î + (aAy )ĵ + (aAz )k̂

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Vector Algebra: Component Form
Dot Product of Two Vectors

~A ·~B = (Ax î + Ay ĵ + Az k̂) · (Bx î + By ĵ + Bz k̂)

= Ax Bx + Ay By + Az Bz

Since î · î = ĵ · ĵ = k̂ · k̂ = 1; and î · ĵ = ĵ · k̂ = k̂ · î = 0
q
For any vector ~A: A = Ax 2 + Ay 2 + Az 2

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Vector Algebra: Component Form
Cross Product of Two Vectors

~A ×~B = (Ax î + Ay ĵ + Az k̂) × (Bx î + By ĵ + Bz k̂)

= (Ay Bz − Az By ) î + (Az Bx − Ax Bz ) ĵ + (Ax By − Ay Bx ) k̂

 
 î ĵ k̂ 

 
= Ax Ay Az 
 
Bx By Bz 

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Vector Algebra: Component Form
Cross Product of Two Vectors (contd.)

Since,

î × î = ĵ × ĵ = k̂ × k̂ = 0

î × ĵ = k̂, ĵ × k̂ = î, k̂ × î = ĵ

ĵ × î = −k̂, k̂ × ĵ = −î, î × k̂ = −ĵ

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Triple products:-Scalar triple product

The scalar triple product of three vectors ~A, ~B and ~C is defined as

~A · (~B × ~C)

For a parallelepiped generated by ~A,~B and ~C

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Triple products:-Scalar triple product (contd.)

 
~A · (~B × ~C) = ~B × ~C (A cos θ )

= Area of the base of parallelepiped × Altitude of the parallelepiped

= Volume of the parallelepiped generated by ~A, ~B and ~C

∴ Geometrically, ~A · (~B × ~C) is the volume of the parallelepiped

generated by ~A,~B and ~C
~A · (~B × ~C) = ~B · (~C ×~A) = ~C · (~A ×~B)

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Triple products:-Scalar triple product (contd.)

In component form,
 
A A A 
 x y z
~A · (~B × ~C) = Bx By Bz 
 
 
 
Cx Cy Cz 

The dot and cross can be interchanged: ~A · (~B × ~C) = (~A ×~B) · ~C

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Triple products:-Vector triple product

The vector triple product of three vectors ~A, ~B and ~C is defined as

~A × (~B × ~C)

The vector triple product can be simplified by the BAC-CAB

rule:

~A × (~B × ~C) = ~B(~A · ~C) − ~C(~A ·~B)

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End of Lecture 01
Thank you

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