Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport

College of Engineering and Technology

Department of Basic and Applied Science
Smart Village Campus

Mathematics (4)
BA 224
Chapter (1)
Vectors in 2-Space and 3-Space
Prepared by :
Dr. Eng. Adel Mohamed Elrefaey

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Vectors in 2-Space and 3-Space
In engineering, physics, mathematics, and other areas we encounter two kinds
of quantities. They are scalars and vectors.
A scalar is a quantity that is determined by its magnitude. It takes on a
numerical value, i.e., a number. Examples of scalars are time, temperature, length,
distance, speed, density, energy, and voltage.
In contrast, a vector is a quantity that has both magnitude and direction. We
can say that a vector is an arrow or a directed line segment. For example, a
velocity vector has length or magnitude, which is speed, and direction, which
indicates the direction of motion. Typical examples of vectors are displacement,
velocity, and force.

Quantities

Scalar Quantity Vector Quantity

Defined by magnitude only Defined by magnitude and

Forms of writing scalar quantity Direction

F , F , F , F , F Forms of writing vector quantity
F , F , F , F

Examples Examples
 Time  Position
 Mass  force
 Distance  Displacement
 Speed  Velocity
 Acceleration

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 Force Decomposition in Two Dimension

When the given is ( magnitude F and direction  ) then

a 
Force Components f x  F cos or f x  F   y
c  j

b  c
f y  F sin  or f y  F   b
c  a
i x
When given ( Force component f x and f y )

Magnitude F  f x2  f y2

fy 
Direction   tan 1  
fx 

Vector in Three Dimensions

CARTESIAN VECTOR FORM

CARTESIAN UNIT VECTORS :→( i , j, k)

Properties of cartesian unit vectors:

1. Its magnitude equal the unity i.e.( i  j  k  1 )

2. Its direction in the positive direction of Cartesian vectors

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 i → in posi ve x_axis direction

j → in posi ve y_axis direction

k → in posi ve z_axis direction

DIRECTION ANGLES (α , β , γ): are the angles

z
which the vector makes with positive Cartesian
k
axes

α → with posi ve x_axis direction

β → with posi ve y_axis direction

j y
 → with posi ve z_axis direction
i
Note: cos 2 ( )  cos 2 (  )  cos 2 ( )  1
x

CARTESIAN VECTOR FORM

F  fx i  f y j  fz k
Where
f x → x_axis component (or projection of force along x_axis)

f y → y_axis component (or projection of force along y_axis)

f z → z_axis component (or projection of force along z_axis)

F F fx  fy  fz
2 2 2
Magnitude
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  fx   fy   fz 
Direction   cos 1    cos 1     cos 1 
 F  F  F 

Algebra of Space vectors and its Applications

Addition and Subtraction: let the vectors

A  Axi  Ay j  Az k and B  Bx i  B y j  Bz k

 A  B  ( Ax  Bx )i  ( Ay  B y ) j  ( Az  Bz )k

Multiplication of vector with scalar: let (c) is a scalar number

c A  c  A  c Ax i  c A y j  c Az k

Example(1): let A  4 i  23 j  5 k and B  14 i  9 j  3 k

Find A , B , C  A  B , D  A  B and E  2A

Solution: A  A  42  232  52  570  23.874

B  B  142  92  32  286  16.911

C  A  B  (4  14)i  (23  9) j  (5  3)k  18i  14 j  2k

 D  A  B  (4  14)i  (23  9) j  (5  3)k  10i  32 j  8k

 E  2A  2  A  2  4i  2  23 j  2  5k  8i  46 j  10k

H.W : let A  2 i  3 j  5 k and B  4 i  8 j  13 k

Find A , B , C  2A  B , D  A  3B and E  12A

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 Multiplication of Vectors

Inner (Scalar)(Dot) product Vector(Cross) product

Result is scalar quantity Result is vector quantity

General form of product

A  B  AB cos A  B  ( AB sin  ) n

A  B  B  A commutative Non commutative A  B  B  A

Application of product

 Condition for two Perpendicular  Condition of Parallelism of two

vectors vectors

 Angle between two vectors  Calculating the Normal unit vector

 Projection of a vector along another  Calculating Area of parallelogram

vector (or triangle)

Inner (Dot) Product

Before performing the multiplication the vectors must initiate from or converges
upon the same point

let the vectors

A  A x i  A y j  A z k and B  B x i  B y j  B z k

Basic Rule A  B  A B cos( )

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Note: cos(0)  1 and cos(90)  0

A  A  A A cos(0)  A 2

(Normal or Perpendicular vectors)

and if A  B A  B  0

Then:  i  j  k i  j  i  k  j  k  0

i  i  j  j  k  k  1

 A  B  ( Ax  Bx )  ( Ay  B y )  ( Az  Bz )

Angle between two vectors:

A B (A x  B x )  (A y  B y )  (A z  B z )
cos  or cos 
A B A x2  A y2  A z2 B x2  B y2  B z2

Projection (component) of a vector along another vector

Projection of B along A → B A

A A  B (A x  B x )  (A y  B y )  (A z  B z )
B A  B cos   
A A A x2  A y2  A z2

Example(2): let A  4 i  3 j  5 k and B  14 i  9 j  3 k

Find A  B , angle between A & B and projection B A

Solution: A  B  4(14)  3( 9)  5 (3)  14

A  42  3 2  5 2  7.07 B  142  9 2  3 2  16.91

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 A B 14
cos  cos   0.117   83.27
A B 7.07  16.91

A B 14
and projection B A    1.979
A 7.07

Vector (Cross) Product

Basic Rule

A  B  (A  B  sin  )n

Where:

 n →Normal unit vector on the plane

containing the vectors A and B plane

 Magnitude of cross product equal

A  B  (A  B  sin  )

 Direction of vector n determined by right hand rule:

Right‐Handed Triple. A triple of vectors A , B , A  B is right‐handed if the vectors

in the given order assume the same sort of orientation as the thumb, index finger,
and middle finger of the right hand when these are held as in Figure. We may also
say that if A is rotated into the direction of B through the angle , then A  B
advances in the same direction as a right‐handed screw would if turned in the
same way

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Note: sin(90)  1 and sin(0)  0

A  A  AA sin(0)  0

Condition for parallel vectors

If A // B  A  B  AB sin(0)  0

Then: i  i  j  j  k  k  0 k

 i  j  k , j  k  i , k  i  j and j

 j  i  k , k  j  i , i  k   j
i

i j k
 A  B  Ax Ay A z  (A y B z  A z B y )i  (A x B z  A z B x ) j  (A x B y  A y B x )k
Bx By Bz

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  Area of parallelogram

Geometrically, the magnitude of the cross product Area

of two vectors equal to the area of the
parallelogram whose sides are formed by those
vectors. The area of triangle equal to the half of parallelogram.

Area  A B

Area  12 A  B

 Normal Unit vector

A B
Norma unit vector n
A B

Example(3): let A  4 i  5 k and B  2i  7 j  3 k

Find Normal unit vector, and area of triangle which A & B are

tow sides in it.

i j k
Solution:  A  B  4 0 5  35 i  22 j  28 k
2 7 3

A  B  352  222  282  49.93

A B 35 i  22 j  28 k
Norma unit vector n   0.7 i  0.44 j  0.56 k
A B 49.93

Area  12 A  B  12 (49.93)  24.965 square unit

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 Scalar Triple product

The scalar triple product is indeed a scalar since the relation involves a dot
product, which in turn is a scalar. We want to express the scalar triple product in
components and as a third order determinant.

Ax Ay Az
 A  B  C  Bx By Bz
Cx Cy Cz

Geometrically, the magnitude of the Scalar Triple product of three vectors equal
to the volume of the parallelepiped whose edges are formed by those vectors.

Note: A  B  C  0 then the three vectors are coplanar vectors

Example(4):
Find the area of triangle whose vertices are a (1, 1, 3) , b (2,1,0) and c (3,1,3) ,

then find the angle cab
Solution:

Triangle sides ab  b  a  (1,2,3) and ab  12  22  32  14

ac  c  a  (2,2,6) and ac  22  22  62  44

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 i j k
2 3 1 3 ˆ1 2
 ab  ac  1 2 3  iˆ  ˆj k  6iˆ  0 ˆj  2kˆ
2 6 2 6 2 2
2 2 6

1 1 2 1
The area of triangle equal ab  ac  6  0  (2)2  ( 40)  10
2 2 2
square unit

 equal  ab  ac 1(2)  2(2)  3(6)

Let angle cab then cos  
ab  ac 14 44

  14.763
Example(5):

Find the value of a such that A  2iˆ  ˆj  akˆ , B  2iˆ  ˆj  5kˆ , and
C  iˆ  2 ˆj  3kˆ are coplanar vectors

Solution:

Vectors are coplanar then A  B  C  0

2 1 a
1 5 2 5 2 1
 2 1 5 2  (1) a  14  1  3a  0
2 3 1 3 1 2
1 2 3

15
a   5
3
Example(6):

Let A  2 iˆ  ˆj  4k and B  i  j k
 
Find (i) Component of A onto B ( compB A )


(ii) Projection of A onto B ( projB A )

Sol.

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 
1   
(i)
B
Bˆ   
B 3

1i 1 j 1k 
     1   

compB A  A  Bˆ  2i  3 j  4k .
3
 
i  j k 
1
3

 2 1  3  1  4 1 
9
3

   9  1       
(ii) projB A  ( A  Bˆ ) Bˆ    
 3  3 

i  j  k  3 
i  j k 
Example(7):
Find the area of the triangle determined by the points
p1 1,1,1 , p2  2,3,4  and p3  3,0, 1

Sol.

Let A  p1 p2  p2  p1  iˆ  2 ˆj  3k

B  p1 p3  p3  p1  2iˆ  ˆj  2k
  
i j k
       
A  B  1 2 3  i  4  3  j  2  6   k  1  4   i  8 j  5k
2 1 2
 
A B   12   8 2   5 2  90

1   90
area of the triangle = A B 
2 2

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 Sheet (1)
No.1) Find the component of the vector A which starts from point P(x,y,z) and
ends at point Q(x,y,z), then find the magnitude of A :
i. P (1,0,0) and Q(4, 2,0)
ii. P(1, 1, 1) and Q(3,0,0)
iii. P(3, 2,1) and Q(3,2, )

No.2) Let the vectors A  2iˆ  ˆj  3kˆ , B  iˆ  ˆj  kˆ , and C  4kˆ Find:

i. 3 A  2 B  4C , A  ( B  C ) and 3( B  2C )
ii. A  B and A  B
 1 
iii.  B
B
 
iv. Find the angle between A and B
v. Find the area of triangle with A and B are two sides of it.
No.3)

i. Show that A  iˆ  ˆj  2kˆ , B  4 ˆj  2kˆ , and C  10iˆ  2 ˆj  4kˆ are

perpendicular vectors
ii. Find the component of A  iˆ  ˆj  2kˆ in direction of B  2iˆ  ˆj  2kˆ
iii. Find the area of triangle whose vertices are (6, 1,3) , (6,1,1) and
(3,3,3)
iv. Show that A  4iˆ  8 ˆj  3kˆ , B  7iˆ  2 ˆj  5kˆ , and C  10iˆ  52 ˆj  8kˆ
are coplanar vectors

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