[Ch - 2]-[ Vectors and Equilibrium ] - Comprehensive Notes for F.Sc.

Physics - [ Ijaz Talib ] - [01]

COMPREHENSIVE NOTES
FOR F.SC & BS PHYSICS
By
Ijaz Talib
PhD (Physics) Scholar
Assistant Professor of Physics
Govt. Postgraduate College, Toba Tek Singh

CHAPTER – 1
VECTORS AND EQUILIBRIUM

2.0 Types of Physical Quantities

Physical Quantities: “The quantities which can be measured physically

are called as physical quantities”. There are two types of physical quantities.

(i) Scalar Quantities / Scalars: “The physical quantities which require

only magnitude with proper units for their complete description are called as
scalar quantities or scalars”.

Examples: mass, speed, time, temperature, area, volume, distance, density, energy,
work, power, moment of inertia, time period, frequency, wavelength, electric flux,
magnetic flux, electric charge, electric current, electric potential difference (or voltage),
electrical resistance etc.

(ii) Vector Quantities / Vectors: “The physical quantities which

require magnitude with proper units as well as direction for their complete
description are called as vector quantities or vectors”.

Example: 5 N force towards north (here 5 is magnitude, N is unit, and “towards

north” is direction).  force is a vector quantity / vector.

Other Examples: position ( r ) , displacement, velocity, acceleration, momentum,

force, weight, tension, electric field, magnetic field, angular position, angular
displacement, angular velocity, angular acceleration, angular momentum, torque etc.
 [Ch - 2]-[ Vectors and Equilibrium ] - Comprehensive Notes for F.Sc. Physics - [ Ijaz Talib ] - [02]

Note-1: Manipulation of Scalars and Vectors: Scalars are manipulated

(added, subtracted, multiplied and divided) by ordinary rules of arithmetic. However,
vectors cannot manipulated by ordinary rules of arithmetic. Rather, the manipulation of
vectors is done by vector algebra.

Note-2: Special Case of Parallel and Anti-parallel vectors : When two

vectors are parallel or antiparallel, only then they can be added or subtracted by
ordinary rules of arithmetic.

2.1-(i) Representation of a Vector

i) Symbolic Representation: Symbolically, a vector is represented by a

small or a capital letter with an arrow or a bar on it.
 
Examples: Position is represented 
by r or r , velocity is represented by v or v ,

acceleration by a or a , force by F or F etc.
However, in text books, a vector may also be represented by a bold face letter such as r,
v, a, F etc.

ii) Graphical Representation: Graphically, a vector is represented by a

directed line segment with an arrowhead at its one end. Now
a) The end of the directed line segment with an arrowhead is called as the head of the
vector while the other end is called as the tail of the vector.
b) The length of the line gives the magnitude of the vector according to a chosen scale,
while the arrow head indicates the direction of the vector.

Example: A 20 N force towards north can represented graphically as follows.

Scale: 1cm: 10 N

iii) Mathematical Representation: Mathematically, a vector A is

represented as

A  A Â

Where A is the magnitude of A and  is a unit vector that gives the direction of A .

Note-1: Alternative Names of Magnitude: The magnitude of a vector is

 [Ch - 2]-[ Vectors and Equilibrium ] - Comprehensive Notes for F.Sc. Physics - [ Ijaz Talib ] - [03]

also called as modulus, mod or absolute value.

Note-2: Geographical Direction Indicator: Conventionally, in all maps,

North direction is taken upward. The other directions are as shown.

Note-3: Alternative Representation of Magnitude: The magnitude of A

can be indicated by A or simply by light face A .

2.1-(ii) Rectangular/Cartesian Coordinate System

OR Frame of Reference

“A set of three reference lines which are perpendicular to one another and have a
common point of intersection is called as rectangular coordinate
system/Cartesian coordinate system/frame of reference”. The three mutually
perpendicular lines are called as coordinate axes or reference axes, and their
common point of intersection is called as origin (O).

Direction of a vector in 3-dimensions (3D) : In 3 dimensions (3D), the

direction of a vector is represented by 3 angles (,  and ) made by it with X, Y and Z-
axes respectively.

Direction of a vector in 2-dimensions (2D) : In 2 dimensions (2D), the

direction of a vector is represented by the angle () made by it with positive X-axis in
positive sense (in anticlockwise direction) .
 [Ch - 2]-[ Vectors and Equilibrium ] - Comprehensive Notes for F.Sc. Physics - [ Ijaz Talib ] - [04]

Note-1: XY-Coordinate System: In 2-dimensions, usually (but not necessarily)

horizontal reference line is named as X-axis (with positive direction towards right and
negative direction towards left) and vertical reference line is called as Y-axis (where
upward direction is taken as positive and downward direction is taken as negative).

Note-2: Positive and Negative Sense of Angle in 2D: In 2-dimensions, the

angle made by a vector with positive X-axis in anti-clockwise (ACW) direction is taken
as positive, while that in clockwise (CW) direction is taken as negative.

2.1-(iii) Addition of Vectors by Head to Tail Rule

(Graphical Method)

In this method, the vectors to be added are drawn in such a way that head of the first
vector coincides with the tail of the second vector, the head of the second vector
coincides with the tail of the third vector and so on until all the vectors are drawn. Now
the vector that joins the tail of the first vector to the head of the last vector is called
as resultant vector (R) .

Illustration:

Note that

Note-1: Resultant Vector has the same effect as the combined effect of all the
vectors which were added.

Note-2: Addition of Vectors is Commutative:

It is clear from the figure that the resultant vector remains
the same even if the order of vectors is changed. This
implies that addition of vectors is independent of the
order of vectors, i-e,
ABBA
so addition of vectors is said to be commutative.
 2.1-(iv) Negative of a Vector

“A vector whose magnitude is equal to that of A but direction is opposite to that of

A is called as negative vector of A (or simply negative of A ) and is denoted by - A
”. The negative of any vector can be obtained by multiplying it by -1.

2.1-(v) Subtraction of Vectors

When B is to be subtracted from A , we take negative of B (i-e, - B ) and then add it into
A . Hence
Subtractio n of B from A  Addition of - B into A
A - B  A  (-B)

Note: Subtraction of vectors is non-commutative.