Vector algebra

Quantitative analysis of vector addition

Resolution of vector

Magnitude and direction of vector

Condition of equilibrium
Vector algebra
Vector algebra

10 𝑁

10 𝑁 𝐹𝑛𝑒𝑡 =

Vector algebra:

Vector
addition

Triangle law Parallelogram law Polygon law

Vector algebra
Triangle law:
When two vectors are aligned head to tail, their “sum vector” or
“resultant vector” is represented by the third side of the completed
triangle in the opposite order.
➢ Step Join tail of vector 𝐵 with head of 𝐴Ԧ by parallel shifting the
➢ 1:
Step vector.
Resultant vector is obtained by joining tail of vector 𝐴Ԧ to head
2: of vector 𝐵.

𝑅
𝐴Ԧ 𝐵 𝑅 = 𝐴Ԧ + 𝐵
Vector algebra
Parallelogram law:
If two vectors are oriented tail-to-tail, representing two adjacent sides of
a parallelogram, then their resultant is represented by the included
diagonal of the completed parallelogram.

𝐷 𝐴𝐵 𝐶

𝑅
𝐵𝐶
𝐵𝐶 𝑅 = 𝐴𝐵 + 𝐵𝐶

𝐴 𝐴𝐵 𝐵

Parallelogram law is extension of triangle law.

Vector algebra
Polygon law:
If every side of a polygon represents a vector, then their sum taken
in a cyclic order is zero vector.
Using triangle law:
D D
𝐷𝐸 𝐶𝐷 𝐷𝐸
𝐴𝐵 + 𝐵𝐶 = 𝐴𝐶
𝐶𝐷
E E 𝐴𝐶 + 𝐶𝐷 = 𝐴𝐷
𝐶 𝐶
𝐴𝐷 + 𝐷𝐸 = 𝐴𝐸
𝐸𝐴 𝐵𝐶 𝐸𝐴 𝐵𝐶
𝐴𝐵 + 𝐵𝐶 + 𝐶𝐷 + 𝐷𝐸 = 𝐴𝐸
𝐴 𝐴𝐵 B 𝐴 𝐴𝐵 B

𝐴𝐵 + 𝐵𝐶 + 𝐶𝐷 + 𝐷𝐸 + 𝐸𝐴 = 0

𝐴𝐵 + 𝐵𝐶 + 𝐶𝐷 + 𝐷𝐸 = −𝐸𝐴
𝐴𝐵 + 𝐵𝐶 + 𝐶𝐷 + 𝐷𝐸 = 𝐴𝐸
Resolution of vector

Magnitude and direction of vector

Quantitative analysis of vector addition
Magnitude of resultant of two 𝑦 𝐶 𝐷
vector:
➢ Vector addition using triangle law:
➢ Step 1: Join tail of vector 𝑄 𝑄 𝑅
with head of 𝑃 by 𝑄 sin 𝜃
parallel shifting the θ
𝜶 θ
vector.
➢ Step 2: 𝑅 is obtained by joining
tail of vector 𝑃 to head 𝐴 𝑃 𝐵 𝑄 cos 𝜃 𝐸 𝑥
of vector 𝑄.
➢ Step 3: Resolution of vector 𝑄.
Quantitative analysis of vector addition
Magnitude of resultant of two 𝑦 𝐶 𝐷
vector:
➢ Vector addition in Δ𝐴𝐸𝐷:
𝐴𝐶 = 𝐴𝐸 + 𝐸𝐶 𝑅 𝑄
𝑄 sin 𝜃
𝑅 = (𝑃 + 𝑄 𝑐𝑜𝑠 𝜃) 𝑖෡ + 𝑄 𝑠𝑖𝑛 𝜃 𝑗෡
θ θ
𝜶
|𝑅| = (𝑃 + 𝑄 cos 𝜃)2 +(𝑄 sin 𝜃)2
𝐴 𝑃 𝐵 𝑄 cos 𝜃 𝐸 𝑥
|𝑅| = 𝑃2 + 𝑄2 + 2𝑃𝑄 cos 𝜃
Quantitative analysis of vector addition
Magnitude of resultant of two 𝑦 𝐶 𝐷
vector:
➢ Vector addition in Δ𝐴𝐸𝐷:

|𝑅| = 𝑃2 + 𝑄2 + 2𝑃𝑄 cos 𝜃 𝑅 𝑄

𝑄 sin 𝜃
➢ When 𝑃 ∥ 𝑄 i.e., 𝜃 = 0° ⟹ cos 𝜃 = 1 θ θ
𝜶
𝑅 = 𝑃2 + 𝑄2 + 2𝑃𝑄 = 𝑃 + 𝑄 𝐴 𝐵 𝐸 𝑥
𝑚𝑎𝑥 𝑃 𝑄 cos 𝜃
➢ When 𝑃 is antiparallel to 𝑄 i.e., 𝜃 = 180° ⟹ cos 𝜃 = −1

𝑅 𝑚𝑖𝑛
= 𝑃2 + 𝑄2 − 2𝑃𝑄 = 𝑃 − 𝑄

➢ Range of magnitude of resultant vector

𝑅:
𝑅𝑚𝑖𝑛 ≤ 𝑅 ≤ 𝑅𝑚𝑎𝑥 ⟹ 𝑃 − 𝑄 ≤ 𝑃+𝑄 ≤ 𝑃 + 𝑄
Quantitative analysis of vector addition
Magnitude of resultant of two 𝑦 𝐶 𝐷
vector:
➢ Vector addition in Δ𝐴𝐸𝐷:
𝑅 = (P + Q cos 𝜃) 𝑖෡ + Q sin 𝜃 𝑗෡ 𝑅 𝑄
𝑄 sin 𝜃
𝑄 sin 𝜃 θ
tan ⍺ = θ
𝑃 + 𝑄 cos 𝜃 𝜶
𝐴 𝑃 𝐵 𝑄 cos 𝜃 𝐸 𝑥
Properties of vector addition
Only vectors of same nature can be added.

Vector addition is commutative.

𝐴Ԧ + 𝐵 = (𝐵 + 𝐴)
Ԧ Ԧ
∀ 𝐴,𝐵

Vector addition is associative.

𝐴Ԧ + 𝐵 + 𝐶Ԧ = 𝐴Ԧ + (𝐵 + 𝐶)
Ԧ
Two forces with equal magnitudes 𝐹 act on a body and the
magnitude of the resultant force is 𝐹/3. The angle between the
two forces is

−17
A cos −1
18

−1
B cos −1
3

2
C cos −1
3

8
D cos −1
9
Two forces with equal magnitudes 𝐹 act on a body and the
𝑆𝑂𝐿𝑈𝑇𝐼𝑂𝑁
magnitude of the resultant force is 𝐹/3. The angle between the
two forces is
 𝑆𝑂𝐿𝑈𝑇𝐼𝑂𝑁

𝑅= 𝐴2 + 𝐵2 + 2𝐴𝐵 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃
𝐹
Let 𝐴 = 𝐵 = 𝐹 and 𝑅 =
3
2
𝐹
= 𝐹 2 + 𝐹 2 + 2𝐹 2 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃
3

1
= 1 + 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃
18

−17
cos𝜃 =
18

−17
𝜃= cos −1
18
Vector algebra

Magnitude and direction of vector

Resolution of a Vector
Resolution of vector
The splitting of vectors into its components is called resolution of
vectors.

𝑂 𝑥

𝑧
Resolution of vector
The splitting of vectors into its components is called resolution of
vectors.
Using simple trigonometry: 𝑦 𝑃
𝑅 𝑅 sin 𝜃
𝑂
θ
𝑥
𝑅 cos 𝜃 𝑀
𝑧
Resolution of vector
Resolution of vector in rectangular
𝑅 = 𝑅 cos 𝜃 𝑖Ƹ + 𝑅 sin 𝜃 𝑗Ƹ
components:
𝑦 𝑦
𝑅 = 𝑅𝑥 𝑖Ƹ + 𝑅𝑦 𝑗Ƹ
𝑃 𝑃
𝑅 𝑅 sin 𝜃 𝑅 𝑅𝑦
|𝑅| = 𝑅𝑥2 + 𝑅𝑦2
𝑂
θ θ
𝑥 𝑂 𝑥
𝑅 cos 𝜃 𝑀 𝑅𝑥 𝑀
𝑧 𝑧