Ground Rules

PC1221 Fundamentals of
Physics I  Responsible use of electronic gadgets
 No talking while lecture is going on
 No gossiping while the lecture is going on
Raise your hand if you have question to ask
Lectures 5 and 6 

 Be on time for lecture

Vectors  Be on time to come back from the recess break to continue
the lecture
 Bring your lecturenotes to lecture
A/Prof Tay Seng Chuan

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Coordinate Systems Cartesian Coordinate System

 Used to describe the position of a point  Also called
in space rectangular
coordinate system
 Coordinate system consists of
 x-axis and y-axis
 a fixed reference point called the origin, intersect at the
(0, 0) for 2-directional frame, and (0, 0, 0) origin
for 3-directional frame
 Points are labeled
 specific axes with scales and labels (x,y)

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Polar Coordinate System Polar to Cartesian Coordinates
 Origin and reference  Based on a right
line are noted triangle formed by
 Point is distance r r and 
from the origin in the  x = r cos 
direction of angle ,
counter-clock-wise  y = r sin 
(ccw) from reference
line
 Points are labeled (r,)

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Cartesian to Polar Coordinates Example

 r is the hypotenuse, and  The Cartesian coordinates
 an angle of a point in the xy plane
are (x, y) = (-3.50, -2.50) m,
y as shown in the figure. Find
tan  
x the polar coordinates of this
opposite

r point.
r  x2  y2 y
Solution:
  must be ccw from
positive x axis for these r  x 2  y 2  ( 3.50 m) 2  ( 2.50 m) 2  4.30 m
equations to be valid y 2.50 m
tan     0.714 (Basic angle  35.53 )
adjacent x 3.50 m
7
  216 (180  35.53  216) 8
Vectors and Scalars
 A scalar quantity is completely
specified by a single value with an
appropriate unit and has no direction.
 A vector quantity is completely
described by a number with appropriate
units plus a direction.
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Vector Example
 A particle travels from A
to B along the path
shown by the dotted
red line
 This is the distance
traveled and is a scalar
 The displacement is
the solid line from A to
B 
 The displacement is
independent of the path
taken between the two
points
 Displacement is a vector
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Vector Notation

 When handwritten, use an arrow: A
 When printed, will be in bold print: A
 When dealing with just the magnitude of a
vector in print, an italic letter will be used: A
or |A|
 The magnitude of the vector has physical
units
 The magnitude of a vector is always a
positive number
Equality of Two Vectors
 Two vectors are equal
if they have the same
magnitude and the
same direction
 A = B if A = B and they
point along parallel lines
in the same direction
All of the vectors shown
are equal
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 Parallel Vectors Versus
Parallel Lines Adding Vectors
 When adding vectors, their directions
must be taken into account
 Units must be the same (cm and m are
not the same unit)
 Graphical Methods
 Use scale drawings
 Algebraic Methods
These two lines These two vectors
are parallel. are not parallel.  More convenient
Why?
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Adding Vectors Graphically,

Adding Vectors Graphically cont
 Continue drawing the  When you have
vectors “head-to-tail”, many vectors, just
or “tip-to-tail”
keep repeating the
 The resultant is drawn process until all are
from the origin of A to
the tip of the last vector included
 Measure the length of R  The resultant is still
and its angle drawn from the
 Use the scale factor to origin of the first
convert length to actual
magnitude
vector to the end of
the last vector

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 Adding Vectors, Rules Adding Vectors, Rules cont.
 When two vectors  When adding three or more vectors, their sum is
are added, the sum independent of the way in which the individual
vectors are grouped
is independent of
This is called the Associative Property of Addition
the order of the


 A + (B + C) = (A + B) + C
addition.
 This is the
commutative law
of addition
 A+B=B+A

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Add the following displacement vectors:

Adding Vectors, Rules final
 When adding vectors, all of the vectors
must have the same units
 All of the vectors must be of the same
type of quantity
 For example, you cannot add a
displacement to a velocity

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 Negative of a Vector Subtracting Vectors
 The negative of a vector is defined as the  Special case of
vector that, when added to the original vector addition
vector, gives a resultant of zero  If A – B, then use
 Represented as –A A+ (-B)
 A + (-A) = 0  Continue with
 The negative of the vector will have the standard vector
same magnitude, but point in the addition procedure
opposite direction

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Example.
Multiplying or Dividing a
2. A boat changes its velocity from 8 m/s due north
to 6 m/s due east. What is its change in velocity?

“37° east of
A. 2 m/s at a direction of 37° east of north
B. 2 m/s at a direction of 53° east of north
Vector by a Scalar
south” means
from south go C. 10 m/s at a direction of 37° east of south
37° to east.  The result of the multiplication or
D. 10 m/s at a direction of 53° west of south
division of a vector by a scalar is a
Answer:C vi Change in velocity,
vector
v  v f  vi  The magnitude of the vector is
multiplied or divided by the scalar
vf
 v f   vi   If the scalar is positive, the direction of
the result is the same as the direction of
If your answer is
v  6 2  82  10 m/s
(6 m/s - 8 m/s) = - 2 m/s,
you are calculating the 37 the original vector
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algebraic difference. In
this question you vi 37 tan      36.87  If the scalar is negative, the direction of
should calculate the 8 the result is opposite to that of the
vectorial difference.
 37
original vector
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Components of a Vector
 A component is a
part
 It is useful to use
rectangular
components
 These are the
projections of the
vector along the
x-axis and y-axis
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Components of a Vector, 2
 The x-component of a vector is
its projection along the x-axis.
The magnitude is Ax = A cos Ө
 The y-component of a vector is
its projection along the y-axis.
The magnitude is Ay = A sin Ө
 Then, A = Ax + Ay
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Vector Component
Terminology
 Ax and Ay are the component vectors
of A
 They are vectors and follow all the rules for
vectors
 Ax and Ay are scalars, and their
associated component vectors Ax and Ay
will be referred to as the components of
A
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Components of a Vector, 3
 The y-component vector
is moved to the end of
the x-component vector.
 This is due to the fact
that any vector can be
moved parallel to itself
without being affected
 This completes the
triangle.
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 Components of a Vector, 4 Components of a Vector, final
The components can
 The previous equations are valid 
be positive or
only if θ is measured with negative and will sin all
respect to the x-axis have the same units
 The components are the legs of as the original
the right triangle whose vector
hypotenuse is A  The signs of the
tan cos
components will
A depend on the angle
A  Ax2  Ay2 and   tan 1 y
Ax
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Unit Vectors Unit Vectors, cont.

 A unit vector is a dimensionless vector
with a magnitude of exactly 1. This
means that a unit vector does not
represent any combinations of mass,
length and time.
 Unit vectors are used to specify a
direction and have no other physical
significance
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 The symbols
î , ĵ, and k̂
represent unit vectors. It is
pronounced as “cap” or “hat”
They form a set of mutually

perpendicular vectors
 They follows right-hand rules
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 Adding Vectors Using Unit
Unit Vectors in Vector Notation Vectors
 Ax is the same as Ax î  Using resultant vector
and Ay is the same R=A+B
as Ay ĵ etc.  Then
 The complete vector   
R  Ax ˆi  Ay ˆj  Bx ˆi  B y ˆj 
can be expressed as
R   Ax  Bx  ˆi   Ay  B y  ˆj
R
R= Rxx + RRyy
 If A is 3-directional,
it is expressed as  and so Rx = Ax + Bx and Ry = Ay + By
Ry
A  Ax ˆi  Ay ˆj  Az kˆ R  Rx2  R y2   tan 1
33 Rx 34

Adding Vectors Using Unit

Vectors - Three Directions Angle of Vector in 3-D
y
 Using R = A + B
  
R  Ax ˆi  Ay ˆj  Az kˆ  Bx ˆi  B y ˆj  Bz kˆ 
R   Ax  Bx  ˆi   Ay  B y  ˆj   Az  Bz  kˆ Ry
R Өx = cos -1
Rx
Өy R
R = RRxx+RR
R +RR
y y z z
Өx Ry
x Өy = cos -1
 Rx = Ax + Bx , Ry = Ay + By and Rz = Az + Bz Өz Rx R
Rz
Rx z Rz
R  Rx2  R y2  Rz2  x  tan
?
1
etc. Өz = cos -1
R R
R R  Rx2  R y2  Rz2  x  tan 1 x
R
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 Example. The helicopter view in Figure
shows two men pulling on a stubborn
donkey. Find (a) the single force that is
equivalent to the two forces shown, and (b) Walking the Dog
the counter force that the donkey would
have to apply in order to naturalize the two
men. The forces are measured in units of
newtons (abbreviated N).
Answer:

(a)

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Example: A hiker begins a trip by first walking

Walking the Man 25.0 km southeast from her car. She stops and
sets up her tent for the night. On the second
day, she walks 40.0 km in a direction 60.0°
north of east, at which point she discovers a
forest ranger’s tower.

(A) Determine the components

of the hiker’s displacement for
each day.
40 km
Solution: We can categorize this
25 km
problem as an addition of two
vectors.
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Next, we analyze this problem by
using our new knowledge of The second displacement B has
vector components. Displacement a magnitude of 40.0 km and is
A has a magnitude of 25.0 km 60.0° north of east.
and is directed 45.0° below the
40 km
positive x axis. 25 km

Its components are:

The components are:
Ax  A cos( 45.0)  (25.0 km)(0.707) = 17.7 km Bx  B cos 60.0  (40.0 km)(0.500) = 20.0 km
Ay  A sin( 45.0)  (25.0 km)( 0.707)  17.7 km
B y  B sin 60.0  (40.0 km)(0.866)  34.6 km
cos( )  cos( )
The negative value of Ay indicates sin(0)  0
cos(0)  1 tan(0)  0
that the hiker walks in the negative sin(  )   sin( ) sin(30)  0.5
cos(30)  0.866 
3
tan(30)  0.5774 
1
1
y direction on the first day. The sin( 45)  0.7071  2 3
2 cos(45)  0.7071 
1
tan(45)  1
signs of Ax and Ay are evident from sin(60)  0.866 
3 2
tan(60)  1.732  3
cos(60)  0.5
the figure above. 2
cos(90)  0 tan(90)  
sin(90)  1
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37.7
(B) Determine the components of 16.9
the hiker’s resultant displacement R Using Equations for 
for the trip. Find an expression for R and  , we find
R in terms of unit vectors.
that the vector R
Solution: The resultant displacement for the trip R = A + B has a magnitude of
has the following components: 41.31 km and is
Ry
Rx = Ax + Bx = 17.7 km + 20.0 km = 37.7 km directed 24.14°   tan 1
R R R
2 2
Rx
Ry = Ay + By = -17.7 km + 34.6 km = 16.9 km north of east. x y
16.9
In unit-vector form, we can write the total displacement as
(From east, go 24.14° to north.)
 37.7 2  16.92  tan 1
37.7
R = (37.7 î + 16.9 ĵ) km 43 = 41.31 = 24.14 44
Example. A ferry boat transports tourists among three islands. It sails from the first
island to the second island, 4.76 km away, in a direction 37.0 north of east. It then
sails from the second island to the third island in a direction 69.0 west of north.
Finally it returns to the first island, sailing in a direction 28.0 east of south. Calculate
the distance between (a) the second and third islands (b) the first and third islands.
Answer: One of the possible approaches is as follows:
Let A be the distance between islands (2) and (3). 3
Let B be the distance between islands (1) and (3).
A
For the x components, we have: 69°
4.76 cos 37° – A sin 69 ° + B sin 28 ° = 0 28° B 2
i.e., 3.80 – 0.934A + 0.469B = 0
0.469B = -3.80 + 0.934A C
 B = -8.10 + 1.99 A --- (i)
N
37°
For the y components, we have: 1 E
4.76 sin 37° + A cos 69 ° - B cos 28 ° = 0
i.e., 2.86 + 0.358A - 0.883B = 0 --- (ii)
By substituting (i) into (ii), we have
By substituting the value of A
2.86 + 0.358 A – 0.883 (- 8.10 + 1.99A) = 0
into (i), we have
2.86 + 0.358A + 7.15 - 1.76A = 0
B = -8.10 + 1.99 (7.14)
1.40A = 10
= 6.11 km
A = 7.14 km
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