Medical physics course

Chapter three
Vectors and Two-Dimensional
Motion
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 Chapter Outline

3.1 Vectors and Their Properties

3.2 Components of a Vector
3.3 Displacement, Velocity and Acceleration in Two
Dimensions
3.4 Motion in Two Dimensions

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 3.1 Vectors and Their Properties

 A scalar quantity is defined by magnitude only,

e.g. mass, time, temperature

 A vector quantity is defined by both magnitude and

direction,
e.g. velocity, acceleration, force

 Vector quantities are denoted by placing an arrow above

the letter (or boldface letter):

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 Vectors and Their Properties

 Equality of two vectors: For two vectors to be equal, they

must have exactly the same magnitude and direction.
 Movement of vectors in a diagram
 Any vector can be moved parallel to itself without being
affected
 Negative Vectors
 Two vectors are negative if they have the same magnitude but
are 180° apart (opposite directions)
 A = -B
 Resultant Vector
 The resultant vector is the sum of a given set of vectors
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 Adding Vectors

 When adding vectors, their directions must be taken into

account
 Units must be the same
 Graphical Methods
 Use scale drawings

 Algebraic Methods
 More convenient

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 Adding Vectors Graphically (Triangle or Polygon
Method)
 Choose a scale
 Draw the first vector with the appropriate length and in
the direction specified, with respect to a coordinate
system
 Draw the next vector with the appropriate length and in
the direction specified, with respect to a coordinate
system whose origin is the end of vector A and parallel to
the coordinate system used for A
 Continue drawing the vectors “head-to-tail”
 The resultant is drawn from the origin of A to the end of
the last vector
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Adding Vectors Graphically (Triangle or Polygon
Method)
 Measure the length of R and its
angle
 Use the scale factor to convert
length to actual magnitude

 When you have many vectors,

just keep repeating the process
until all are included
 The resultant is still drawn from
the origin of the first vector to the
end of the last vector 7
 Notes about Vector Addition

 Vectors obey the Commutative

Law of Addition
 The order in which the vectors are
added doesn’t affect the result

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 Vector Subtraction

 Special case of vector addition

 If A – B, then use A+(-B)
 Continue with standard vector
addition procedure

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 Multiplying or Dividing a Vector by a Scalar

 The result of the multiplication or division is a vector

 The magnitude of the vector is multiplied or divided by
the scalar
 If the scalar is positive, the direction of the result is the
same as of the original vector
 If the scalar is negative, the direction of the result is
opposite that of the original vector

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Multiplying or Dividing a Vector by a Scalar

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 3.2 Components of a Vector

Vectors in plane (2D)

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 Components of a Vector

Vectors in plane (2D)

 Ax is the x component of
 Ay is the y component of
 When the magnitude and the direction of
a vector are given, one can find the x
and y components using the following
relations:

 One can also determine the

magnitude and direction of a vector if
given the x and y components
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 Adding Vectors Algebraically

 Vectors can be added/subtracted using their components.

 To find the sum of three vectors, proceed in three steps:

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 Problems

 A golfer takes two putts to get his ball into the hole once
he is on the green. The first putt displaces the ball 6.00
meters east, and the second, 5.40 meters south.
 Question: What displacement would have been needed
to get the ball into the hole on the first putt?

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 Problems

 A boy delivering newspapers covers he route by traveling

3.00 blocks west, 4.00 blocks north, then 6.00 blocks
east.
 Questions:

a) What is he resultant displacement?

b) What is the total distance he travels?

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 Problems
C
Solution
a) His resultant x (east-west) B
displacement is R
A
-3.00 + 0 + 6.00 = 3.00 blocks,
while his resultant y (north-south) A= -3x+0y
B=0x+4y
displacement is
C=6x+0y
0 + 4.00 + 0 = 4.00 blocks. Rx=Ax+Bx+Cx
His total displacement is thus 5.00 =-3+0+6=3
Ry=4
blocks at 53.1° north of east.
R=Rx+Ry = 5
b) His total distance is Ѳ = 53.1
3.00 + 4.00 + 6.00 = 13.00 blocks.
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3.3 Displacement, Velocity and Acceleration in
Two Dimensions
 In two dimensions, position is denoted
by the vector
 → initial position vector
 → final position vector
 Using this notation in the place of x,
we can redefine two-dimensional
displacement, velocity, and
acceleration:

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Example

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Example

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 Ways an Object Might Accelerate

 The magnitude of the velocity (the speed) can change

 The direction of the velocity can change
 Even though the magnitude is constant

 Both the magnitude and the direction can change

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 3.4 Motion in Two Dimensions

 An object may move in both the x and y directions

simultaneously
 It moves in two dimensions

 The form of two dimensional motion we will deal with is

called projectile motion

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 3.4 Motion in Two Dimensions

 Examples of projectile (two-dimensional) motion: motion of a

fired bullet, a ballistic missile, etc.
 For the purposes of this course, we need to make three
assumptions when discussing projectile motion:
The acceleration due to gravity remains constant over the range of
the motion.
Air resistance can be neglected.

The effect of Earth’s rotation can be neglected.

With these assumptions, an object in projectile motion will follow a

parabolic path 23
 Projectile Motion

 Since projectile motion takes place in two dimensions, the

acceleration of the object must be described by both an x and y
components:

 Note that the object only experiences an acceleration along the

y-axis because gravity is the only force acting upon it.

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 Projectile Motion

 Since projectile motion takes place in two dimensions, the

acceleration of the object must be described by both an x and y
components:

 Note that the object only experiences an acceleration along the

y-axis because gravity is the only force acting upon it.

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 Rules of Projectile Motion

 The x- and y-directions of motion can be treated

independently
 The x-direction is uniform motion
ax = 0
 The y-direction is free fall
ay = -g
 The initial velocity can be broken down into its x- and y-
components

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Projectile Motion

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 Projectile Motion

 When fired with an initial velocity at an

angle θ, the velocity vector will have
both an x and y component:

 Projectile motion consists of two types

of motion:
 free-fall motion along the y-axis (due
to gravity), and
 uniform motion along the x-axis.
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 Some Details About the Rules

x-direction
 ax = 0

v x o  v o cos  o  v x  constant

 x = vxot
 This is the only operative equation in the x-
direction since there is uniform velocity in that
direction

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 Some Details About the Rules

y-direction
v y o  v o sin  o

 free fall problem

 a = -g
 take the positive direction as upward
 uniformly accelerated motion, so the
motion equations all hold

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 Some Details About the Rules

𝑣 𝑓 =𝑣𝑜+𝑎𝑡
v xo  v o cos  o  v x  constant
v y o  v o sin  o

ax = 0 ay = -g

Horizantal motion ( =0 ) Vertical motion ( =-g)

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 Velocity of the Projectile

Remarks:
 Projectile motion is symmetrical; the time interval from the
ground to the highest point equals the time interval from
the highest point to the ground.
 The velocity of the projectile at any point of its motion is
the vector sum of its x and y components at that point

1
vy
v  v v
2
x
2
y and   tan
vx
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 Velocity of the Projectile

Remarks:
 Maximum height reached by the projectile:

 Maximum range (R) of the projectile:

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 Some Variations of Projectile Motion

 An object may be fired

horizontally
 The initial velocity is all
in the x-direction
 vo = vx and vy = 0
 All the general rules of
projectile motion apply

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 Non-Symmetrical Projectile Motion

 Follow the general rules for

projectile motion
 Break the y-direction into parts
 up and down
 symmetrical back to initial height
and then the rest of the height
Horizantal motion ( =0 ) Vertical motion ( =-g)

a) How long is the stone in flight?

b) What is the speed of the stone just before it strikes the ground
c) Where does the stone strike the ground 35
 Problems

A student stands at the edge of a cliff and

throws a stone horizontally over the edge
with a speed of 18.0 m/s. The cliff is 50.0
meters above a flat horizontal beach, as
shown in the figure.
Questions:
 How long after being released does the
stone strike the beach below the cliff?
(t=3.19s)
 With what speed and angle of impact does
Horizantal motion Vertical motion ( =-
it land? (36.1m/s, -60.1) ( =0 ) g)

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