PHYSICS for Sciences and Engineering / 101

Chapter 3 : Vectors
Q1: The polar coordinates of a point and What
are the Cartesian coordinates of this point?

( )
( )( )

( )
( )( )

Q3: Two points in the plane have Cartesian coordinates ( ) and

( ) . Determine
(a) the distance between these points and
(b) their polar coordinates.
The distance between the points is given by

√( ) ( )

√( ) ( )

√( ) ( )

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Ms. Lara Samen
b) To find the polar coordinates of each point, we measure the radial distance to
that point and the angle it makes with the ( ):

√( ) ( )

√( ) ( )

( )

( )

√( ) ( )

√( ) ( )

( )

( )

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Ms. Lara Samen
Q11: Each of the displacement vectors ⃗ and ⃗⃗ shown in Figure P3.11 , has
a magnitude of . The direction of vector ⃗ is . Graphically find
( ) ⃗ ⃗⃗

( ) ⃗ ⃗⃗

( ) ⃗⃗ ⃗

( ) ⃗ ⃗⃗
Report all angles counterclockwise from the positive .
To find these vector expressions graphically, we draw each set of vectors .
Measurements of the results are taken using a ruler and protractor .
(Scale: 1 unit = 0.5 m)
( ) ⃗ ⃗⃗

( ) ⃗ ⃗⃗

( ) ⃗⃗ ⃗

( ) ⃗ ⃗⃗

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Ms. Lara Samen
Q15: A vector has an component of and a component of
. Find the magnitude and direction of this vector.

| ⃗| √( ) ( )

√( ) ( )

|⃗⃗⃗|

( )

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Ms. Lara Samen
The diagram shows that the angle from the ( ) can be found by
subtracting from

⃗⃗⃗

⃗ ( )

Q18: A person walks north of east for . How far would she have
to walk due north and due east to arrive at the same location?

The person would have to walk

and

Q23: Consider the two vectors ⃗ ̂ ̂ and ⃗⃗ ̂ ̂ Calculate

(a) ⃗ ⃗⃗ , (b) ⃗ ⃗⃗ , (c) | ⃗ ⃗⃗| , (d) | ⃗ ⃗⃗| , and (e) the directions of
⃗ ⃗⃗ and ⃗ ⃗⃗ .
We can get answers in unit-vector form just by doing calculations with each
term labeled with an ̂ or a ̂. There are, in a sense, only two vectors to
calculate, since parts (c), (d), and (e) just ask about the magnitudes and
directions of the answers to (a) and (b). Note that the whole numbers appearing
in the problem statement are assumed to have three significant figures.
We use the property of vector addition that states that the components of
⃗⃗ ⃗ ⃗⃗ are computed as

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Ms. Lara Samen
 And
a)
⃗ ⃗⃗ [ ̂ ]̂ [ ̂ ]̂

⃗ ⃗⃗ ̂ ̂

b)
⃗ ⃗⃗ [ ̂ ]̂ [ ̂ ]̂

⃗ ⃗⃗ ̂ ̂

c)

|⃗ ⃗⃗| √( ⃗ ⃗⃗) (⃗ ⃗⃗)

√( ) ( )

|⃗ ⃗⃗|

d)

|⃗ ⃗⃗| √( ⃗ ⃗⃗) (⃗ ⃗⃗ )

√( ) ( )

|⃗ ⃗⃗|

e)

(⃗ ⃗⃗)
⃗ ⃗⃗ ( )
(⃗ ⃗⃗)

( )

⃗ ⃗⃗

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Ms. Lara Samen
 (⃗ ⃗⃗)
⃗ ⃗⃗ ( )
(⃗ ⃗⃗)

( )

⃗ ⃗⃗

Q31: Consider the three displacement vectors ⃗ ( ̂ ̂) ,

⃗⃗ ( ̂ ̂) and ⃗ ( ̂ ̂) . Use the component method to
determine
(a) the magnitude and direction of the vector ⃗⃗ ⃗ ⃗⃗ ⃗

(b) the magnitude and direction of ⃗⃗ ⃗ ⃗⃗ ⃗

a) We add the components of the three vectors:

⃗⃗ ⃗ ⃗⃗ ⃗
[ ̂ ̂] [ ̂ ]̂ [ ̂ ]̂
⃗⃗ ( ̂ ̂)

| ⃗⃗| √( ) ( )

√( ) ( )

| ⃗⃗ |

⃗⃗ ( )

( )

⃗⃗

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Ms. Lara Samen
b) Again, using the components of the three vectors,

⃗⃗ ⃗ ⃗⃗ ⃗
[ ̂ ]̂ [ ̂ ]̂ [ ̂ ̂]
⃗⃗ ( ̂ )̂

| ⃗⃗ | √( ) ( )

√( ) ( )

| ⃗⃗ |

⃗⃗ ( )

( )

⃗⃗

Q37: (a) Taking ⃗ ( ) , ⃗⃗ ( )̂ units, and

⃗ ( ) units, determine and such that ⃗ ⃗⃗ ⃗ ?
Method one
Taking components along and . we get two equations:

And

We solve simultaneously by substituting

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 ( )
or

So,
( )
Thus

Therefore,
⃗ ⃗⃗ ⃗

Method two
Taking components along and . we get two equations:
( )
And
( )

We solve simultaneously by multiplication and deletion

[ ] ( )
[ ] ( )

( )
( )

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Ms. Lara Samen
Substitute the value of in one of the equations

( )

Q38: Three displacement vectors of a croquet ball are shown in Figure

P3.43, where | ⃗| , | ⃗⃗| and | ⃗| . Find
(a) the resultant in unit-vector notation and
(b) the magnitude and direction of the resultant displacement.

The given diagram shows the vectors individually, but not

their addition. The second diagram represents a map view
of the motion of the ball. According to the definition of a
displacement, we ignore any departure from straightness
of the actual path of the ball. We model each of the three
motions as straight. The simplified problem is solved by
straightforward application of the component method of
vector addition. It works for adding two, three, or any
number of vectors.

a) We find the two components of each of the three vectors

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Ms. Lara Samen
Now adding,

⃗⃗ ( ̂ )̂

⃗⃗ ( ̂ )̂

b)

| ⃗⃗ | √( ) ( )

√( ) ( )

| ⃗⃗ |

⃗⃗ ( )

( )

⃗⃗

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Ms. Lara Samen
Q45: You are standing on the ground at the origin of a coordinate system.
An airplane flies over you with constant velocity parallel to the x-axis and at
a fixed height of . At time the airplane is directly above
you so that the vector leading from you to it is ⃗⃗ ( ) ̂ . At
the position vector leading from you to the airplane is ⃗⃗
( ) ̂ ( ) ̂. Determine the magnitude and
orientation of the airplane’s position vector at .

⃗⃗ ̂ ( ) ̂
⃗⃗ ( ) ̂ ( ) ̂
The coordinate of the airplane is constant and equal to
whereas the coordinate is given by where is the
constant speed in the horizontal direction.
At we have , so i

The position vector as a function of time is

⃗⃗( ) ̂ ̂
⃗⃗( ) ( ) ̂ ( ) ̂
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 ( ) ( ) ̂

At
⃗⃗ ( ) ̂ ( ) ̂
⃗⃗ [( ) ̂ ( ) ]̂

The magnitude is

| ⃗⃗| √( ) ( )

√( ) ( )

| ⃗⃗|

The direction is

( )

⃗⃗⃗

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Ms. Lara Samen