Fundamentals of Physics (SC501005)

Chapter 1 Vectors

1)   Classify the following physical quantities into either scalar or vector: mass, weight,
force, pressure, volume, displacement, distance, velocity, speed, acceleration,
temperature, momentum, area, and time.

2)   Consider figure 1. Find the resultant vector of    𝐴  with the magnitude of 4 and  𝐵  with
the magnitude of 3.  
 
A
 
  1500 B
 
 
 
 
Figure 1. Problem 2

3)   A man drives 4 km north and subsequently 3 km east. Find the magnitude and direction
of the man’s resultant displacement.

4)   The angle between the two arbitrary vectors is 110o where the magnitude of the first is
20 with the angle 40◦ with respect to the resultant. Find the magnitudes of the second
and the resultant vectors.

5)   Given two vectors 𝐴 = 3𝚤 + 2𝚥 − 5𝑘, 𝐵 = −2𝚤 + 𝚥 + 4𝑘, find 𝐴 +   𝐵, 𝐴   −   𝐵, and

3𝐴   − 2𝐵.

6)   Given 𝐴 + 𝐵 = 11𝚤 − 𝚥 + 5𝑘 and 𝐴 − 𝐵 = 5𝚤 + 11𝚥 + 9𝑘, find 𝐴 and 𝐵.

7)   Find the unit vector of 𝐴 = 4𝚤 + 3𝚥 − 7𝑘.

8)   Find the unit vector of 𝐴 + 𝐵 +   𝐶 where 𝐴 = 2𝚤 − 𝚥 + 𝑘, 𝐵 = 𝚤 + 𝚥 + 2𝑘, and 𝐶 =

3𝚤 − 2𝚥 + 4𝑘.

9)   Exert three forces, namely 𝐹3 = 20𝚤 − 36𝚥 + 73𝑘, 𝐹6 = −17𝚤 + 21𝚥 − 46𝑘, and 𝐹7 =
−12𝑘 simultaneously on a particle. Calculate the resultant force acting on the particle.

10)  Determine the value a such that 𝐴 = 2𝚤 − 3𝚥 + 5𝑘 and 𝐵 = 3𝚤 + 𝑎𝚥 − 2𝑘 are

perpendicular.

11)  Given 𝐴 = 2𝚤 + 𝚥 + 𝑘, 𝐵 = 𝚤 − 2𝚥 + 2𝑘, and 𝐶 = 3𝚤 − 4𝚥 + 2𝑘, calculate the

projection of 𝐴 +   𝐶 in the direction of 𝐵.

12)  Find the vector which has the origin at (2, -1, 3) and the end at (3, 2, -4). Determine
its magnitude and components in the rectangular coordinates.
13)  Find the vector product 𝐴×𝐵 where 𝐴 = 2𝚤 − 2𝚥 + 4𝑘 and 𝐵 = 3𝚤 − 𝚥 − 2𝑘.

14)  Find the unit vector which is normal to 𝐴×𝐵 where 𝐴 = 3𝚤 + 2𝚥 + 4𝑘 and 𝐵 = 𝚤 + 𝚥 +
2𝑘.

15)  Calculate the area of a triangle of which the vertices are located at (2, -3, 1), (1, -1, 2)
and (-1, 2, 3).

16)  Given 𝐴 = 3𝚤 + 4𝚥 − 5𝑘 and 𝐵 = −𝚤 + 2𝚥 + 6𝑘, find a) the magnitudes of 𝐴 and 𝐵, b)

the scalar product of these vectors, c) the angle between them, d) 𝐴 + 𝐵 and 𝐴 − 𝐵, e)
the direction cosine of 𝐴 and 𝐵, and f) 𝐴×𝐵.

17)  A farmer owns a farmland with the shape according to figure 2. The vertices of this
field are positioned at A(130, 60), B(203, 48), C(135, 310) and D(201,300) in the unit
of metre. Compute the area of this farmland. (Hint: Divide the field into two triangles).
B"(135,"310)

D (201,"300)

A"(130,"60)
B"(203,"48)
Figure 2. Problem 17