VectorComponents

WhatdoVectorComponentsmean?

Vectorscanbebrokenintoperpendicularpieces.

Thesepiecesaretypicallythepartsofthevectorthatliealongthexandydirections.

ExampleQuestion:

Question:Whatarethexandycomponentsofthevelocityvectorshown?

Answer: vx=10m/s
and
vy=-17.3m/s

TailtoTipvectoradditionandsubtraction

WhatdoesTailtoTipvectoradditionandsubtractionmean?

Vectorscanbeaddedtogetherorsubtractedfromeachother.

Agraphicalwaytoaddvectorsisthetailtotipmethod.
1. Placethetailofthenextvectoratthetip/headofthepreviousvector
2. Drawtotalvectorfrom rsttailtolasthead

ExampleQuestion:

Question:Whichdirectionisthesumofallthevectorsshownbelow?

Answer:Totalvectorpointsupandrightasseenbyboldblackvectorshownbelow

Componentvectoradditionandsubtraction
WhatdoesComponentvectoradditionandsubtractionmean?

Vectorscanbeaddedtogetherorsubtractedfromeachother.

Amathematicalwaytoaddvectorsistoadduptheindividualcomponentsto ndthe
componentsofthetotalvector.

ExampleQuestion:

Question:WhatarethexandycomponentsofthetotalvectorA+Basseenbelow?

Answer:Thexcomponentofthetotalvectoris3,andtheycomponentofthetotal
vectoris1.

2DkinematicsandProjectiles
Whatdoes2DkinematicsandProjectileMotionmean?

2Dkinematicsdescribesobjectsthatare yingthroughtheairatangles.

Projectileshaveverticalacc.ofay=-9.8m/s2andnohorizontalaccelerationax=0
Note:Thexandyvelocitiesandaccelerationsbehaveindependently.

Verticaldirection
vf = vi + a t

Horizontaldirection
x = v t

x = v i t + 12 a t2

v 2f = v2i + 2 a x

( v f + v i )/ 2 = x / t

ExampleQuestion:

Question:Ameatballrollshorizontallyo thedinnertableofheightHwithaspeedv.
Howfardoesthemeatballtravelhorizontallybeforestrikingthe oorintermsofgiven
quantitiesandfundamentalconstants?

Answer: v

2H
g

Graphingdatatoalinear t
WhatdoesGraphingdatatoalinear tmean?

Sometimeswhenyougraphyourdatayvs.x,itgivesagraphthatisnotlinear(i.e.nota
line).Itshardto ndtheslopeofacurvedgraph.

Butyoucanchooseaxessuchthatthegraphofnon-lineardataturnsintoalinear t.

y=mx+b

Formofastraightline:

Ex1:
P=D2

(P)=()(D2)(solety=Pandx=D2)
(y)=(m)(x)

slopem=andyintercept=0

ExampleQuestion:

Question:Yourepeatedlyrollasphereo ofatablewithvaryingspeedsvandmeasure
howfarittravelshorizontallyxbeforestrikingthe oor.Thetablehasa xedand
knownheightH.Whatcouldyouplottodetermineanexperimentalvalueforthe
magnitudeoftheaccelerationduetogravityg?

Answer:Since x

=v

2H
g wecouldplot

y=x,x=vandtheslopewouldbem=

2H
g