Mechanics

Week 4 – Vector Basics

Vectors and Scalars:
For each of the quantities below identify whether you think it is a vector or a scalar

• Kinetic Energy • Tension

• Length • Weight
• Velocity • Time
• Distance • Gravitational field strength
• Temperature • Potential Energy
• Power • Work
• Mass • Electrical resistance
• Momentum • Density
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Reminder – Adding Vectors in one dimension

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Vectors help in 2D too…

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Adding vectors at 900

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 THE ADDITION OF VECTORS at 90º

Y
R  A B
R  A B
A R

R  A B
2 2 2


A
B X
tan  
B
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 Forces are vectors
A rugby player is running towards the try line with a motive force
of 1000N when he is tackled from the left with 700N. What is
the direction and magnitude of the resultant force?

1000N
1000N

700N

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 Resultant
400N vector 400N

350N
350N
FREE BODY FORCE DIAGRAM VECTOR DIAGRAM
(TOP TO TAIL)

A second rugby player is standing stationary with the ball

when he is tackled from behind with a force of 400N, and
from the left with a force of 350N. What is the size and
direction of the resultant force?

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 Add these vector pairs
(Remember: both magnitude and direction please!)
19.2ms-1 at 510 to
the 12N vector
4 ms -1 10 ms-1 10.8ms-1 at 680 to 12 N
the 4ms-1 vector
15 N

18N
20 N 23.3N at 310 to the
19.7N at 240 to the 20N vector
8N 18N vector
12 N
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FORCES AND MOTION

Flying in a crosswind
What is the speed and direction of the millennium falcon over ground?

25ms 1
air velocity
of
millennium
falcon
wind velocity
Velocity of plane
N over ground 60ms 1
v?
W E

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FORCES AND MOTION

What is the speed and direction of the millennium falcon over ground?

25ms 1

Velocity
over ground
Air velocity
60ms 1
wind velocity v?

N
Flying in a crosswind

W E

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What course must the boat travel to go from CROSSING A RIVER
the palace to the pyramid?
What will be the resultant speed of the boat
over ground?
How long will it take to cross the river? Pyramid

RIVER NILE

FLOW RATE 120m

= 3ms-1

Boat speed
over water =
5ms-1
Cleopatra’s palace

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 CROSSING A RIVER
v 3  5
2 2 2
tan  
3
4
1
v  4ms   36.9
pyramid
d 120
t   30 s
v 4
RIVER NILE
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FLOW RATE 5  4
= 3ms-1 Boat speed
= 5ms-1

palace
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Flying in a crosswind
A plane is approaching a runway with a velocity
60ms-1 through the air. The wind speed is 18ms-1
at 900 to the runway:
Draw a vector triangle showing the resultant
velocity of the plane relative to the runway.
What angle does the plane make to the runway?
What is the plane’s velocity relative to the
ground?

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 FORCES AND MOTION

THE ADDITION OF VECTORS not at 900 – Not so easy

Y

By B
Rx  Ax  BX

R y  Ay  B y
Ry A
y A R

R  A B

X
Ax Bx

Rx
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So what if it’s not 90º?

First option: scale diagrams

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FORCES AND MOTION

Adding vectors

The resultant vector is

obtained by drawing the
vectors “tip to tail”.
The overall sum goes from the
tail of the first vector to the tip
of the last. The vectors can be
added in any order and the
result will be the same.
a+b+c+d+e=r

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So what if it’s not 90º?

Second option: we need a new skill: how to split up vectors

into their component parts.

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Resolving vector components

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FORCES AND MOTION

Find the magnitudes of the components of this velocity

vector.
  30 0
V  25ms 1 Vx  V cos 

Y vector V Vx  25 cos 30  21.65ms 1

V y  V sin 
Vy
V
V y  25 sin 30  12.5ms 1


Vx X
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FORCES AND MOTION

Find the magnitudes of the components of this velocity

vector.
Bearing = 085o V  30ms 1   5o
North Vx  V cos 
vector V
1
Vx  30 cos 5  29.9ms

Vy V y  V sin 
V
1
V y  30 sin 5  2.6ms


Vx East
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Find the components of these vectors in the direction of the dashed lines

v= 20 ms-1
v= 20 ms-1
30o
70o 25o 14 N 25o

x=20cos30 = 17.3 ms-1 x=20cos70=6.84ms-1 parallel = 14sin25

y=20sin30=10 ms-1 y=20sin70=18.79ms-1 =5.92N

perp. = 14cos25 =
12.7N
Vectors Summary – Addition and resolving key points
Vector addition
• To add vectors join them nose to tail.
• The resultant goes from the tail of the first vector to the nose of the
last.
• Often problems will result in a right angle triangle but the resultant is
not always the hypotenuse.
Resolving Vectors
• Any vector can be resolved into two perpendicular components.
• These will usually be vertical and horizontal.
• The vector being resolved will always be the hypotenuse.

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