KINEMATICS IN 2D: VECTORS

Q: What is a vector quantity?

A: A physical quantity with a

magnitude and direction
Examples of vector quantities:
velocity, acceleration, displacement,
force

Q: What is a scalar quantity?

A physical quantity with only magnitude

Examples: time, temperature, mass,

What you get after you add up all the
vectors is another vector called the
resultant
General rules for adding vectors
graphically (tail-to-tip method)
On a diagram, draw one of the vectors
call it v1 to scale.

1.Next draw the second vector v2 to scale

 The arrow drawn from the tail of the
first to the tip of the last drawn vector
represents the sum, or resultant vector.

Vectors are commutative: v1 + v2 = v2 + v1

The tail to tip method can be used with
3 or more vectors!
DR < D1 + D2 for vectors not on the same line

DR = D1 + D2 is a vector eqn.
Parallelogram method of vector addition
The negative of a vector is a vector with the
same length but opposite in direction
Subtracting 2 vectors V2 – V1
Multiplying a vector by a scalar c can change
magnitude and the direction
(opposite direction only!)
Addition of vectors by components

Components of vector v
We use the trigonometric components:

Sin θ = ?

Cos θ = ?

Tan θ = ?
Mail carrier's displacement. A rural mail carrier leaves
the post office and drives 22.0 km in a northerly direction
to the next town. She then drives in a direction 60.0°
south of east for 47.0 km to another town. What is her
displacement from the post office?
solution: We want to find her resultant displacement
from the origin. We choose the positive x axis to be
east and the positive y axis north, and resolve each
displacement vector into its components.
Since Dl has magnitude 22.0 km and points north,
it has only a y component:

D1x = 0, D1y = 22.0 km

whereas D2 has both x and y components:

D2x = + (47.0 km)(cos 60°) = + (47.0 km)(0.500) =

+23.5 km

D2y = -(47.0 km)(sin60°) = -(47.0 km)(0.866) = -

40.7 km.
Notice that D2y is negative because this vector
component points along the negative y axis.

The resultant vector, D, has components:

Dx = D1x + D2x = O km + 23.5km = +23.5km

Dy = D1y + D2y = 22.0km + (-40.7km) = -18.7 km

This specifies the resultant vector completely:

Dx = 23.5 km, Dy = -18.7 km.
We can also specify the resultant vector by
giving its magnitude and angle

2 2 2 2
D  D x  D y  (23.5 km)  (18.7 km)  30.0 km

Dy  18.7 km
tan     0.796
Dx 23.5 km
A calculator with an INV TAN or TAN-l key gives
θ = tan -1 ( -0.796) = -38.5°. The negative sign means θ
= 38.5° below the x axis.
The signs of trigonometric functions
depend on which "quadrant" the angle
falls:

for example, the tangent is positive in the

first and third quadrants (from 0o to 90°,
and 180° to 270°), but negative in the
second and fourth quadrants.
The best way to keep track of angles, and to
check any vector result, is always to draw a
vector diagram.

A vector diagram gives you something

tangible to look at when analyzing a
problem, and provides a check on the
results.
Three short trips. An airplane trip involves three legs, with
two stopovers, as shown in the Fig.. The first leg is due east
for 620 km; the second leg is southeast ( 45°) for 440 km;
and the third leg is at 53° south of west, for 550 km, as
shown. What is the plane's total displacement?
SOLUTION

(1) and (2): Already shown in Fig. where we have taken the
x axis as east (then Dl has only an x component).
(3): It is imperative to draw a good figure.

The components are shown in Fig. Notice that instead of

drawing all the vectors starting from a common origin. Here
we have drawn them "tail- to-tip" style, which is just as valid
and may make it easier to see. (4) Now we calculate the
components:
 Dl: D1x = +Dl cos0° = Dl = 620 km
Dly = +Dl sin 0o = 0 km

D2: D2x = + D2 cos 45° = + (440 km)(0.707) = + 311 km

D2y = -D2 sin 45° = -(440 km)(0.707) = -311 km

D3: D3x = -D3 cos 53° = -(550 km)(0.602) = -331 km

D3y = -D3 sin 53° = -(550 km)(0.799) = -439 km.

Note carefully that we have given a minus sign to each

component that in Fig. points in the negative x or negative y
direction. We see why a good drawing is so important. We
summarize the components in the table. This is easy:
 Dx = Dlx + D2x + D3x = 620 km + 311 km -331 km = 600 km

Dy = Dly + D2y + D3y = 0 km -311 km -439 km = -750 km.

The x and y components are 600 km and -750 km, and point
respectively to the east and south.

This is one way to give the answer. We can also give the answer as
 2 2 2 2
DR  D  D  (600)  (750) km  960 km
x y

Dy  750 km o
tan     1.25 so   51
Dx 600 km

where we assume only two significant figures. Thus, the total

displacement has magnitude 960 km and points 51° below the x
axis (south of east), as was shown in our original sketch.