UNIT 7

VECTORS IN TWO DIMENSIONS

Definition of vectors

- Vectors are physical quantities that have both magnitude and direction with specific unit. Some examples
are:- Acceleration, Velocity, Gravity, Force, Displacement.

Representation of a vector

- A vector can be represented in two ways:-

A. Geometrically
- The geometrical representation of a vector is an arrow or a directed line segment. The arrow head is
one end(terminal point) indicates the direction of the vector and the other end without arrow
head(initial point) indicating the starting point.
M
Terminal point

Initial point
O Vector ⃗ OM
B. Algebraically
- Vector can be represented algebraically without pictures like above, we represented by small letters
and an arrow above letters like, u⃗ , ⃗v, ⃗
w etc. For example u⃗ = (2,3) means a vector with initial point
(0,0) and terminal point (2,3). In many physical problems we need only the magnitude and direction.
Due to this, we consider the initial point is at the origin(0,0). The direction of the vector is described
by angles.
Example
N
u⃗
500
40 0

E
- From the above fig. the direction of u⃗ is east 400 north[E400N] that is from positive to x- axis to
positive y-axis. Or the direction of this vector u⃗ can also be expressed as north 500 east [N500E].
Magnitude of a vector
- Let ⃗op be a vector with initial point O(a,b) terminal point P(c,d), then the magnitude (or norm) of the
vector ⃗ op denoted by | ⃗ op∨¿is defined as:-
|⃗op∨¿ = √ ¿ ¿
- If the initial point is at the origin and the vector is denoted by u⃗ = (a,b), then the magnitude of u⃗
denoted by | u⃗ | is defined as
| u⃗ | = √ a2 +b 2

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 Example:-
Find the magnitude of the following vectors.
a. ⃗OP , where O(-1,2) and P(3,5).
b. ⃗ MN , where M(2,-3) and N(3,6).
c. | u⃗ | = (6,8).

Parallel vectors

- Two vectors ⃗ AB and ⃗

PQ said to be parallel if there is a number α ≠ 0 such that B – A = α (Q - P).
Note:-
- If α > 0, then ⃗
AB and ⃗
PQ have the same direction.
- If α < 0, then ⃗
AB and ⃗
PQ have opposite direction.
Example:-
Determine whether the pair of vectors are parallel or not.
a. ⃗ PQ and ⃗ AB where P= (3,7), Q = (-4,2), A = (5,1) and B = (-16,-14).
b. ⃗ AB and ⃗ PQ ,where P= (1,2), Q = (-3,3), A = (4,1) and B = (-1,-1).

Equality of vectors

- Two vectors are said to be equal if and only if they have the same magnitude and the same direction.
That is:-
- Two vectors ⃗AB and ⃗ CD are said to be equal if and only if B – A = D – C.
Example:-
1. Let P= (2,3), Q = (4,5), A = (0,0) and B = (2,2). Show that ⃗PQ and ⃗ AB are equal.
Addition and subtraction of vectors.

1. Triangle law of vector addition

- In order to add two vectors using triangle law, we consider to find the resultant vector of the given two
vectors. So to do that we focus on the connection of initial point of the resultant vector to that of the
first vector and the terminal point of the resultant vector is that of the second vector.
That is:-
- Let a⃗ = ⃗ AB and b⃗ = ⃗ BC ; that is the terminal point of a⃗ and the initial point of b⃗ is the same
point B. The sum of a⃗ and b⃗ is defined as:- a⃗ + b⃗ = ⃗
AB + ⃗
BC
C
b⃗
B

a⃗ a⃗ + b⃗

Example
1. Suppose A = (2,4), B = (-2,1) and C = (-3,5), then find ⃗ BC and ⃗
AB , ⃗ AB + ⃗
BC .

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 2. A car travels 4km to the east and then 3km to the north. What is the displacement of the car.

B. Parallelogram of vector addition

- Instead of making the second vector start where the first one finish, we make them both start at the
same place and complete a parallelogram this is called the parallelogram law for adding vectors. It gives
the same result as the triangle law.
- Let ⃗ AB and ⃗EF be any two vectors. To find the sum of ⃗ AB and ⃗ EF copy ⃗ A C equal to ⃗EF as
shown in the figure below and complete the parallelogram, since ABCD is a parallelogram ⃗ AC is
⃗ ⃗ ⃗ ⃗ ⃗
equal to BD . So AB + BD = AB + AC = A D . ⃗

⃗
AB

A AB + ⃗
⃗ AC D

⃗
AC

Position vector

- If the starting (initial) point of a vector is at the origin then the vector is called a position vector. The
position vectors are denoted by small letters with an arrow above like u⃗ , ⃗v etc.
- Let A = (a,b) and B = (c,d) be any two points, then the equal position vector of ⃗ AB is ⃗
OB - ⃗OA or
⃗ ⃗ ⃗ ⃗ ⃗ ⃗
simply B - A where A represents OA , B represents OB and O is the origin.
That is፡-
⃗
AB = (c – a , d – b)
- Let u⃗ = (a,b) is a vector whose initial point is (0,0) and whose terminal point is (a,b), then
 The length (magnitude) of u⃗ is | u⃗ | = √ a2 +b 2
 Most of the time vector u⃗ = (a,b) is expressed in column form as u⃗ = (ba).
Example:-

1. Let A = (1,3), B = (4,5), then find equal position vector of ⃗

AB .
2. Find the position vector of the following initial point and terminal point.
a. Initial point (-4, 1) and terminal point (1,5).
b. Initial point (2, -1) and terminal point (2,5)