Sort the quantities below into those that have direction

and those that do not have direction

Force, speed, distance, energy, mass, temperature,

acceleration, velocity, pressure, time, length, density,
weight
Direction No Direction
 Vectors and scalars
• Know what the difference between scalar and vector
quantities are
• To add vectors both mathematically and using scale drawing
 What is a scalar?
A Scalar has only magnitude

length temperature time

(e.g. 16 cm) (e.g. 102 °C) (e.g. 7 s)
 What is a vector?
A Vector has both magnitude and direction.

acceleration displacement force

(e.g. 30 m/s2 (e.g. 200 miles (e.g. 2 N
upwards) northwest) downwards)
 Displacement vectors
Harry and Sally are exploring the desert. They need to
reach an oasis, but choose to take different routes.
 Harry travels due north, then due
east.
N
 Sally simply travels in a
straight line to the oasis.

When Harry met Sally at the oasis, they

had travelled different distances.
However, because they both reached the
same destination from the same starting
point, their overall displacements were
the same.
 18/04/22
Displacement
 Displacement and velocity
A runner completes one lap of
an athletics track.
What distance has she run?
400 m
What is her final displacement?
If she ends up exactly where she
started, her displacement from
her starting position is zero.

What is her average velocity for

the lap, and how does it
compare to her average speed?
 Adding vectors
B
C

Two or more displacement

vectors can be added ‘tip to resultant vector
tail’ to calculate a resultant A
vector.

Rules for adding vectors:

•Vectors need to be placed tip to tail
•Direction matters!
2N to the right is the same as -2N to the left.
 Examples to find the direction of the resultant
vector
Add the following vectors
 Add the following vectors to find the direction of the resultant vector

1 2

3 4

Extension: how could you calculate the magnitude of the resultant vector in 1 and 2?
 Answers: the resultant vector is in red

Extension: how could you calculate the magnitude of the resultant vector in 1 and 2?
 Adding vectors at right angles
Example: What is the resultant vector of a vertical
displacement of 3 km and a horizontal displacement of 4 km?

+ 4km
3km
Adding vectors at right angles by calculation

What is the resultant vector of a vertical displacement of 3 km

and a horizontal displacement of 4 km?

magnitude: direction:

R R2 = 32 + 42 tan θ = 4/3
4 km R = √ 32 + 42 θ = tan-1(4/3)
= √ 25 = 53°
θ
= 5 km
3 km
 Subtracting vectors at right angles
Subtract the following vectors:

- 3 ms-1
3 ms-1
 Scale drawing
The resultant vector can be found either by calculation or using
scale drawing.

Example: A velocity of 30m/s

north and a velocity of 40m/s
north-east (1cm to 10m/s)
 Scale drawing questions
Add the following pairs of vectors by drawing arrows to the given scale “tip to
tail”. Give the magnitude and direction of the resultant vector:
(a)A velocity of 150m/s north and a velocity of 50m/s east (1cm to 10m/s)
(b)A displacement of 1.1mm south followed by a displacement of 0.8mm
south west (1cm to 0.1mm)
(c)A displacement of 3 km on a bearing of 120o followed by a displacement of
4 km north east.
Extension: check your answers using trigonometry.
 Adding Pairs of Vectors
Find the magnitude and direction of the resultant vector by scale
drawing or a mathematical method.

1. 4.
+ 8N - 48N
6N 32N

2. 5.
120m/s + 50m/s 50km/h - 30km/h

3. 6.
8km 12mm
5km + 30° 8mm - 40°
Extension