Department of Physics

Tonui Patrick : 0720275462

E-mail : jefftonui2006@yahoo.com
ptonui@mmust.ac.ke
VECTORS
By the end of the topic students should be able to:
• Add vectors by drawing them in head-to-tail arrangements, applying the
commutative and associative laws
• Subtract a vector from a second one.
• Multiply vectors in two ways
• Describe what unit vectors are, and how to use them with components
to describe vectors
• Calculate the components of a vector on a given coordinate system,
showing them in a drawing
• Given the components of a vector, draw the vector and determine its
magnitude and orientation
• Convert angle measures between degrees and radians
VECTORS
• A vector is a quantity that has both magnitude and direction. It is
represented by an arrow. The length of the vector represents the
magnitude and the arrow indicates the direction of the vector.

• Blue and orange vectors have same magnitude but different direction.
Blue and purple vectors have same magnitude and direction so they are
equal. Blue and green vectors have same direction but different
magnitudes. Two vectors are equal if they have the same direction and
magnitude (length).
VECTORS
• Vectors are represented by a directed line segment its length
representing the magnitude and an arrow indicating the direction
• This vector is named
B
u

A AB or
The magnitude of a vector is represented by its
length and is written AB or s
It can be calculated using Pythagoras
Q a
If PQ    PQ  a  b
2 2
b b
P
a
7
Example If s    find s
1
s  a 2  b2

 7 2  (1) 2  50  5 2
Addition Of Vectors

c e
For vectors v    and w   
 d f
v w

vw

then the resultant vector

vw   c  e 
d  f 
 
To add vectors, we put the initial point of the second vector on the
terminal point of the first vector. The resultant vector has an initial point
at the initial point of the first vector and a terminal point at the terminal
point of the second vector (see below--better shown than put in words).
Terminal
point of w

vw w
w

Initial point of v
v Move w over keeping
the magnitude and
direction the same.
The negative of a vector is just a vector going the opposite way.

v

v
A number multiplied in front of a vector is called a scalar. It means to
take the vector and add together that many times.

3v v
v
v
i) Find the components of AC
=  5  =  3 
AB  4 BC  1
   
AC  AB  BC
 5   3 
 4    1
=
   
 5  3   8 
 4  (1)    3 
=
   
 The Zero Vector
 0  is called the zero vector written 0
0
 
 5  find the components of
If AB 
 3 
 
AB  BA
AB
 5   5 
    
 3   3  BA
0
 
0
Subtraction of Vectors

a c
For vectors u and v if u    and v   
b d 
ac
u v   
b  d 
Multiplication by a scalar
a  ka 
If u    then ku    and vector ku is parallel to u
b  kb 

ku

Hence if u  kv then u is parallel to v

Conversely if u is parallel to v then u  kv
Vector Multiplication
Vectors can be multiplied in two ways
A dot product of two vectors results in a scalar
 
c  a b
A cross product of a vector results in another vector
  
c  a b
Vectors are NEVER divided!
The Scalar or Dot Product
 
• Multiplication of two vectors resulting in a scalar A  B  AB cos 
 
• Example W  F  d , for constant force
Some Properties of the Dot Product
   
Dot products commute A B  B  A

The square of a vector

iˆ  iˆ  ˆj  ˆj  kˆ  kˆ  1
Unit vector products
iˆ  ˆj  ˆj  kˆ  iˆ  kˆ  0
Example
What is the dot product of

A  5.0 iˆ  3.0 ˆj

B  (2.0, 155 )
THE VECTOR PRODUCT or CROSS PRODUCT
Vector multiplication yielding
another vector

 
Yields a vector which has a
direction determined by the right C A B
hand rule
Yields a vector perpendicular to the
plane containing the other two C  B  A
vectors
The cross product DOES NOT
  
commute   r  F torque
Example Torque Vector
Given the force F and position r:
F  (2.00 ˆi  3.00 ˆj) N   
  r  F torque
r  (4.00 ˆi  5.00 ˆj) m
Find the torque τ produced
Result is
  r  F  [(4.00ˆi  5.00ˆj)N]  [(2.00ˆi  3.00ˆj)m]
 [(4.00)(2.00)ˆi  ˆi  (4.00)(3.00)ˆi  ˆj
(5.00)(2.00)ˆj  ˆi  (5.00)(3.00)ˆi  ˆj
 2.0 kˆ N  m
MAGNITUDE OF THE CROSS PRODUCT

C  AB sin 
DIRECTION OF THE CROSS PRODUCT
• The right hand rule determines the direction of the cross product
Unit Vector Cross Products
Using the definition of cross product and right-hand rule:

iˆ  iˆ  ˆj  ˆj  kˆ  kˆ  0
Example 3:
Calculate the cross product of
î  ˆj  k   ˆj  î
ˆj  k̂  î   k̂  î
k̂  î  ˆj  î  k̂
The Scalar Product (Dot Product)

For two vectors a and b, the scalar product is

a defined by

 a .b  a b cos
b

Where  is the angle between a and b, 0    180 0

The scalar product is also known as the dot product.

The vectors must be directed away from the point of
intersection.
Find the scalar product for vectors a and b when
a  4 units and b  5 units for
(a)   450
(b)   90 0

(a) a .b  a b cos (b) a .b  a b cos

 4  5  cos 450
 4  5  cos90 0

 20  1 2  20  0
 10 2 0
If a and b are perpendicular then a . b = 0
Component Form of a Scalar Product

 a1   b1 
  
If a  a 2 and b  b 2  then a . b  a1b1  a2 b2  a3b3
   
a  b 
 3  3
1  2
 
Find u.w for vectors u  3 , w  6 
   
 4   2
   
u.w  1 2  3  6  (4)  2
 12
Angle between vectors

We have seen that a .b  a b cos

and that a .b  a1b1  a2b2  a3b3

a . b a1b1  a2b2  a3b3
Hence cos = 
a b a b

NOTE: if a  0, b  0 and a.b  0  cos  0    90 0

Hence if a .b  0, a and b are perpendicular

Calculate the angle 𝜃 between vectors
𝑝 = 3𝑖 +2𝑗 + 5𝑘 and 𝑞 = 4𝑖 + 𝑗 + 3𝑘

p  9  4  25  38 q  16  1  9  26

3  4  2 1  5  3
cos 
38  26
0.923

  22.7 0    180
0 0
Properties of the Dot Product
If a, b and c are vectors in Rn and c is a scalar then
(1) a · a = |a|2
(2) a · b = b · a
(3) a · (b+c) = a · b+a · c
(4) (c a) · b = c(a · b) = a · (c b)
(5) 0 · a = 0.
The Cross Product (Vector Product)
• Given a vector A = Ax i + Ay j + Az k and B = Bx i + By j + Bz k
• Then,
i j k
• A × B = Ax Ay Az = i Ay Bz − Az By − j Ax Bz − Az Bx +
Bx By Bz
k Ax By − Ay Bx
• The cross product, a ×b, obeys a right-hand rule.
Example
• Given A = 6i + 4j + 3k , B = 2i − 3j − 3k , find A × B
• Solution
i j k
•A×B = 6 4 3 = i −12 + 9 − j −18 − 6 + k −18 − 8
2 −3 −3
• A × B = −3i + 24j − 26k
• Exercise
• Given A = 3i + 4j + k , B = i − j + k , find A × B
Properties of the Cross Product
• If a and b and c are vectors and c is a scalar, then
• (1) a × b = −b × a
• (2) (ca) × b = c(a × b) = a × (cb)
• (3) a × (b+c) = a × b+a × c
• (4) (a+b) × c = a × c+b × c
• (5) a · (b × c) = (a × b) · c
• (6) a × (b × c) = (a · c)b − (a · b)c
Component of a Vector
When solving problems, you can specify a vector A, either with its
components Ax and Ay or with its magnitude and direction A and 𝜃.