LESSON 2

VECTORS
SCALAR

A SCALAR is any physical quantity that has

• only MAGNITUDE
• no DIRECTION

Magnitude – A numerical value with

associated units.
Scalar Quantity Magnitude

Speed

Distance

Age

Heat
VECTOR
A VECTOR is any physical quantity that has
both
• MAGNITUDE and
• DIRECTION.
Graphically, a vector is represented by an
arrow, defining the direction, and the length
of the arrow defines the vector's magnitude. If
we denote one end of the arrow by the origin
and the tip of the arrow by . Then the vector
may be represented algebraically by .
𝑄
𝐴

𝑂
Vectors are typically illustrated by drawing
an ARROW above the symbol. The arrow is
used to convey direction and magnitude.
 Vector Magnitude &
Direction
Velocity () ,
Displacement ()
Acceleration () ,
Force ()
Two vectors, and are equal if they have the
same magnitude and direction, regardless of
whether they have the same initial points.

𝐴 𝐵
A vector having the same magnitude as but
in the opposite direction to is denoted by .

𝐴 −𝐴
VECTOR ADDITION
Graphical Method
Graphical Method
Example 2A
A man walks meters east, then another
meters east. Calculate his displacement
relative to where he started?

54.5 𝑚 , 𝐸 30 𝑚 , 𝐸 Notice that the SIZE of

the arrow conveys
MAGNITUDE and the
84.5 𝑚, 𝐸 way it was drawn
conveys DIRECTION.
Example 2B
A man walks meters east, then meters west.
Calculate his displacement relative to where
he started?
54.5 𝑚 , 𝐸 −
30 𝑚 , 𝑊
24.5 𝑚 , 𝐸
RANDOM WALK

Summing vectors by sequential connecting of dots based on

the random walk exercise
The sum is independent of the actual path but is subtended
between the starting and ending points of the displacement
steps.
If two vectors are perpendicular, use the
Pythagorean Theorem to find the magnitude
of the resultant.

𝐶
𝐵
𝜃
𝐴
The direction is determined by .
Example 3
A man walks , East then , north. Calculate his
RESULTANT DISPLACEMENT.

Finish

𝐶 Vertical Component 55 𝑘𝑚 , 𝑁

𝜃Horizontal Component
95 𝑘𝑚 , 𝐸
Start
The LEGS of the triangle are called the COMPONENTS.

The resultant displacement is , .

COMPONENT METHOD
ANALYTICAL METHOD in vector addition
Component Method

• Find the and components of each vector

• Add the components
• Add the components
• Use the Pythagorean Theorem to get the resultant
vector
𝑦

-component

𝜃 𝑥
-component
COMPONENT OF A VECTOR
𝑁

𝑊 𝑜𝑓 𝑁𝐸 𝑜𝑓 𝑁
𝑁 𝑜𝑓 𝑊 𝑁 𝑜𝑓 𝐸
𝑊 𝐸
𝑆 𝑜𝑓 𝑊 𝑆 𝑜𝑓 𝐸

𝑊 𝑜𝑓 𝑆𝐸 𝑜𝑓 𝑆
𝑆
Example 5
Suppose a person walked , East of North. What
were his horizontal and vertical components?
Horizontal Component
𝑁
𝑥

𝑦25 °65 𝑚
Vertical Component
𝐸

The horizontal and vertical components are , east

and , north, respectively.
Example 6
A bear, searching for food wanders meters east then
meters north. Frustrated, he wanders another
meters west then meters south. Calculate the bear's
displacement.
−¿23 𝑚 , 𝐸

12 𝑚 ,𝑊 − ¿ 14 𝑚 , 𝑁
6𝑚,𝑆
20 𝑚 , 𝑁

35 𝑚 , 𝐸 𝑅 14 𝑚 , 𝑁
𝜃
23 𝑚 , 𝐸
The bear’s displacement is at .
EXAMPLE 7 ( POLYGON METHOD)
SIMILAR TO YOUR PROBSET-1
SEATWORK (use graphical and component method)
A boat moves with a velocity of , north in a river
which flows with a velocity of , west. Calculate the
boat's resultant velocity with respect to due north.

Let resultant
velocity

8.0 𝑚/𝑠, 𝑊

𝑅𝑣 15 𝑚/ 𝑠, 𝑁
𝜃
UNIT VECTOR
• unit vectors have special symbols
• vectors can be written by using its
components multiplied by unit vectors
along the horizontal () and the vertical ()
axes.
• when decomposing a vector, unit vectors
provide a useful way to write component
vectors:
•
 (in two dimensions)

(in three dimensions)

If

then
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
• Calculate the magnitude of vector
• a.

• Add the vectors

• a. and

• Subtract the vectors

• a. and
LONG QUIZ
OCTOBER 4, 2023