Prof. Dr.

Elif ORHAN

Gazi University
Faculty of Science
Department of Physics

Office: Z-19

Office Phone :0 312 202 1263

e-mail: eliforhan@gazi.edu.tr

https://avesis.gazi.edu.tr/eliforhan

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Elif-Oz-Orhan

https://scholar.google.com.tr/citations?user=MsxJwxwAAAAJ&hl=tr

https://www.linkedin.com/in/elif-orhan-8286783a/?originalSubdomain=tr

2023
CHAPTER -2
VECTORS

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Coordinate Systems

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4
 Vector Characteristics
 Magnitude
 Size of vector
 Length from one point to another
 Solve using Pythagorean Theorem or trigonometry (or
subtraction if along an axis)
 Direction
 From initial point to final point
 Positive or negative directions based on coordinate system
 Solve for angle using trigonometry

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 Vector Magnitude and Direction
from Components

?
Ay
(0,14)
A

Ax
(0,0) (7,0)

Solve for magnitude using Pythagorean Theorem A Ax2  Ay2

Solve for direction (angle above horizontal in this example)
using trigonometry
1 
 Ay  1  Ax 
Ay 
  sin    cos    tan  
1

 A  A  Ax  8
Components of a Vector

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Components of a Vector

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Tactics: Vector Addition

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 Adding Vectors Geometrically
(Triangle Method)

 Draw the first vector with

the appropriate length and in
the direction specified, with
respect to a coordinate system
 Draw the next vector with
the appropriate length and in
the direction specified, with
respect to a coordinate system
whose origin is the end of
vector and parallel to the
coordinate system used for :
“tip-to-tail”.
 The resultant is drawn from the
origin of to the end of the last
vector
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 Adding Vectors Graphically

When you have

many vectors, just
keep repeating the
process until all are
included
The resultant is still
drawn from the
origin of the first
vector to the end of
the last vector
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Tactics: Vector Subtraction

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 Vector Subtraction

• Special case of vector

addition
• Add the negative of the subtracted
vector

• Continue with standard

vector addition
procedure
• Now, let’s see vectors subtraction. We can
consider it as a special case of vector
addition. A-B=A+(-B), then continue with
standard vector addition procedure: first, to
sketch vector A with appropriate length and
proper angle. Then, to sketch vector B with its
tail starting from the head of A. If we draw from
the tail of A to the tip of B, what is that? A+B.
Now, we need A+(-B), what is –B? Rotate B with
180 degree, to draw from the tail of A to the tip
of –B. That is what we try to find, A-B

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Your Turn!
Homework

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 Dot Product

 The dot product says something about

how parallel two vectors are.
 The dot product (scalar product) of two
vectors can be thought of as the
projection of one onto the direction of
the other.

 Components

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 Derivation
 
 How do we show that A  B  Ax Bx  Ay By  Az ? Bz

 Start with A  Ax iˆ  Ay ˆj  Az kˆ

B  Bx iˆ  B y ˆj  Bz kˆ
 Then
 
A  B  ( A iˆ  A ˆj  A kˆ)  ( B iˆ  B ˆj  B kˆ)
x y z x y z

 Ax iˆ  ( Bx iˆ  B y ˆj  Bz kˆ)  Ay ˆj  ( Bx iˆ  B y ˆj  Bz kˆ)  Az kˆ  ( Bx iˆ  B y ˆj  Bz kˆ)

 But iˆ  ˆj  0; iˆ  kˆ  0; ˆj  kˆ  0
iˆ  iˆ  1; ˆj  ˆj  1; kˆ  kˆ  1

 
 So A  B  Axiˆ  Bxiˆ  Ay ˆj  By ˆj  Az kˆ  Bz kˆ
 Ax Bx  Ay By  Az Bz

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 Cross Product

 
B sin B
 The cross product of two vectors says
something about how perpendicular they
are. 
 A
 Magnitude: 
A sin

y
  is smaller angle between the vectors
 Cross product of any parallel vectors = zero j i
 Cross product is maximum for perpendicular x
k
vectors z
 Cross products of Cartesian unit vectors:
i

j k
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 Cross Product

 Direction: C perpendicular
to both A and B (right-hand
rule)
 Place A and B tail to tail
 Right hand, not left hand
   
 Four fingers are pointed A B  B  A ?
along the first vector A
 “sweep” from first vector A    
into second vector B A B  - B  A
through the smaller angle
between them
 Your outstretched thumb
points the direction of C
 First practice   
A B  B  A ? 24
 Derivation
 
 How do we show that A  B  ( Ay Bz  Az B y )iˆ  ( Az Bx  Ax Bz ) ˆj  ( Ax B y  Ay Bx )kˆ

 Start with A  Ax iˆ  Ay ˆj  Az kˆ

B  Bx iˆ  B y ˆj  Bz kˆ
 Then  
A  B  ( Ax iˆ  Ay ˆj  Az kˆ)  ( Bx iˆ  B y ˆj  Bz kˆ)
 Ax iˆ  ( Bx iˆ  B y ˆj  Bz kˆ)  Ay ˆj  ( Bx iˆ  B y ˆj  Bz kˆ)  Az kˆ  ( Bx iˆ  B y ˆj  Bz kˆ)

 But iˆ  ˆj  kˆ; iˆ  kˆ   ˆj; ˆj  kˆ  iˆ

iˆ  iˆ  0; ˆj  ˆj  0; kˆ  kˆ  0

 
 So A  B  Ax iˆ  B y ˆj  Ax iˆ  Bz kˆ  Ay ˆj  Bx iˆ  Ay ˆj  Bz kˆ
 Az kˆ  Bx iˆ  Az kˆ  B y ˆj

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 Calculating Cross Products

Find:
   
A B Where: A  2iˆ  3 ˆj B  iˆ  2 ˆj
Solution:
 
A  B  (2iˆ  3 ˆj )  (iˆ  2 ˆj )
 2iˆ  (iˆ)  2iˆ  2 ˆj  3 ˆj  (iˆ)  3 ˆj  2 ˆj
 0  4iˆ  ˆj  3 ˆj  iˆ  0  4kˆ  3kˆ  7kˆ
Calculate torque given a force and its location
 
F  (2iˆ  3 ˆj ) N r  (4iˆ  5 ˆj )m

Solution:

  
  r  F  (4iˆ  5 ˆj )  (2iˆ  3 ˆj )
 4iˆ  2iˆ  4iˆ  3 ˆj  5 ˆj  2iˆ  5 ˆj  3 ˆj
 0  4iˆ  3 ˆj  5 ˆj  2iˆ  0  12kˆ  10kˆ  2kˆ (Nm)
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