Chapter One

Vectors
Introduction
Each of the physical quantities we will encounter in this course can be categorized as either a
vector quantity or a scalar quantity.

A scalar is a quantity that is completely specified by a number and unit. It has magnitude but
no direction. Scalars obey the rules of ordinary algebra. Examples: mass, time, volume,
speed, etc.

A vector is a quantity that is specified by both a magnitude and direction in space. Vectors
obey the laws of vector algebra. Examples are: displacement, velocity, acceleration,
momentum, etc.

Scalar quantities can be manipulated with the rules of ordinary arithmetic. Vectors can also
be added and subtracted from each other, and multiplied, but there are a number of important
differences, as will be seen in the following sections.

1.1 Representation of vectors

Vectors are represented algebraically by a letter (or symbol) with an arrow over its head or by
boldface type and the magnitude of a vector is a positive scalar.

For example Vector A is represented by ⃗ or A the magnitude of vector A is written as

│⃗ │or │A.

Vectors can also be represented by graphically, using an arrow.

Vector A represented graphically as

Fig 1.1 graphical representation of a vector

The length of the arrow represents the magnitude of a vector and the head of the arrow
represents the direction of vector.

1.2 Vector addition and subtraction

Vector addition

The sum of two or more vectors is called resultant vector and represented by R (or ⃗ ).
Vectors can be added using graphical method of vector addition or Parallelogram law of
vector addition
A. Graphical method of vector addition
Graphically vectors can be added by joining their head to tail and in any order their resultant
vector is the vector drawn from the tail of the first vector to the head of the last vector. In
Fig 1.2 graphical technique of vector addition is applied to add four vectors. The resultant
vector R = A + B + C + D is the vector that completes the polygon. In other words, R is the
vector drawn from the tail of the first vector to the head of the last vector. Again, the order in
which the vectors are added is unimportant.

Figure 1.2 Graphical method of vector addition

B. Parallelogram law of vector addition

The parallelogram law states that the resultant R of two vectors A and B is the diagonal of the

parallelogram for which the two vectors A and B becomes adjacent sides. All three vectors A,

B and R are concurrent as shown in Figure 1.3. A and B are also called the components of R.

The magnitude of the diagonal (resultant vector) is obtained using cosine law and direction
(i.e.the angle that the diagonal vector makes with the sides) is obtained using the sine law.

Applying cosine and sine laws for the triangle formed by the two vectors:

(
1.1)
Figure 1.3 parallelogram method of vector addition

Vectors subtraction
Vector subtraction makes use of the definition of the negative of a vector. We define the
operation A-B as the vector -B added to the vector A:
A-B = A+(-B)

Figure 1.4: Subtraction of vectors

Resolving vectors

Splitting a vector in to perpendicular vectors is called resolving a vector. Consider a vector R

laying on XY plane as shown the figure 1.5 below.

Vector R can be resolve into two components; Rx the x component of R and Ry the y
component of R

R R

R cos x