Using Vectors in Mechanics Often vectors can be used in mechanics to simplify how a situation is described, or how a calculation is performed. In a nutshell, a vector quantity has already been split into its x and y component parts Consider the following equilibrium question: The following system of three forces is in equilibrium. Find the value of P and the angle 0. i a Zhe: bCaut +P C0 -F20 > PC0O> A-4ms —O Zfy: AUNT P58 zo > Pues “eur —O Q) = 2 ASH > G23y.1" ; Lisa Sov Q2O Toor SS > Ore WO P — ‘Now this question could have been given as a vector problem: ‘Three forces act on a particle which remains in equilibrium. If two of the forces are Fy = (2v2i +22) and F2 = —7i, find the magnitude of the third force and the direction in which it acts. Fok, 30 (he Rj) (AL) LB 20 (Fre AGE Re (-wejé -103 IB, = [wre = To qh O- Le ah _ Zur Lee y p-we WhForces are vector quantities as they have magnitude and direction. Velocity and acceleration are also vector quantities. The magnitude of velocity is its speed. Mass is not a vector quantity — it is known as a scalar quantity as is time, Questions involving constant acceleration formulae and Newtons Laws can also be approached using vectors. Egl Find the magnitude of the acceleration of a body of mass 500g when forces of (Si + 3))N, (6i + 4j)N and (-7i— 7))N act on the body. (Ses) be 043) ee) 2 OT Lt 20-Fa ; LH ps L 3h of (2i + 3j)ms"' and 5 seconds later, a velocity of Find its acceleration, assumed constant, and the magnitude of that es Us (UW 43) Valxe-3), eT a2? Vebrat Se-3 = 185 eR Belaha 30-49 TR Ge 6 -0-%) lalz josie Le Vectors PPQ’s Leave the 2” one until last.MA — Vectors PPO Chow Lever) vio 1. Apatite P moves with constant aceon (4 5) ms. At time 1 0, # has iz 7 sweeten sates 33 Ph oa Dm doa Ta: Bb O) Fea £5 Ape Ga oR Re (tuple +(%-) i F Ringoatit tHe 4 corpo 20 02 c'O)2 Ol ag ¢ % Ru—@ae Ve Wi eu Yelena at i 7 / Vou rat ISeG) 2 Wels e ha Yas (ub) eee, as Waly 6)’ Fema | Fy 2304-150 oT ee Sy ile foment rt 2) @tt ys uset ets + (2) re) ale Sha et tML Ted @) Ue (6-18) eu V2 (-lui +213) ae? fal yeast (4) Fame Fe o-u(-Senri) = (le H48 ) [els [ures TAN. - Mi = Faved) a ROT - ee 05 53 th) FF Ou Gc1¥3) 2 DUE +30) iri ae (cq) Usa -los, €2F ae (OG) Ye? V2 (Fe -l03) 50h) Soe ee aePosition Vectors p Imagine a particle P moving in a plane. O is a fixed point in the plane. If you know | where the point 0 is, then the position of P is uniquely defined by the vector: ia OP = fp “Ol The vector rp is called the position vector of P relative to O. | Eg3_ Ata given time the cartesian co-ordinates of the position P of a particle are (2,1). Find the position vector of P relative to O. 5 | ? 1 2 2rg A Relative Position Vector fe Imagine two particles C and D moving in a plane; is a fixed point in the plane. Then re is the position vector of C relative to O, and rq is the position vector of D relative to O. ‘The vector CD gives the position vector of D relative to C. It is called the relative position vector. — > => From the triangle law of addition CD = - OC +O lence Were fe © The position vector of D relative tor; The position vector of C relative to D is DC =-CD=re-rq the negative of the position vector of D relative to C, Egd Ata given time particle C has position vector (4i— 6j)m relative to a fixed origin and particle D has position vector (3i + 2j)m relative to O. Find the position Vector of D relative to C.Velocity as a Vector Ifa particle is moving at a speed of Sms" then, provided its speed remains constant, it will travel Sm in every second. This is true no matter what type of path the particle is, moving on, It will travel 10m in 2s, 15m in 3s and so on, So in this case: distance travelled = speed x time But if you want a complete picture of what is happening, you also need to know the direction in which the particle is moving. The velocity of the particle gives us a complete picture. © The velocity of a particle is a vector in the direction of motion whose magnitude is equal to the speed of the particle. It is usually denoted by v. When distances are measured in metres and time in seconds, velocities are measured in metres per second (ms"). If the velocity is a constant vector then: displacement = velocity x time If, at t= 0 the particle is at the origin, then t seconds later, the particle has position vector (_2 ve However if the partie is at a position vector ry at t= 0, then t seconds later, the particle has a position vector fe fev’ The magnitude of a position vector will give the distance of the particle from the origin, the direction of a position vector will give the direction of the particle relative to the origin. The magnitude of a velocity vector will give the speed of the particle and the direction of a velocity vector will give the direction in which the particle is traveling. Consider a particle traveling with a constant velocity v = 3i+ 4j with an initial position Fo= 21+ 2j In| = fae, we 02 4r @ pobre inball, Zero onyx cue AY abae Mp Reds. Iie satel we oD 2 b(4)s seAcceleration as a Vector Everybody has some idea of acceleration form their experience of travelli cars. Just as velocity tells you how the position of a particle changes with time, the acceleration tells you how the velocity changes with time. Since velocity has magnitude and direction so has acceleration. It is, therefore, a vector. It is usually denoted by a, acceleration is the rate of change of velocity with respect to time. Hence: acceleration = change in velocity time when the acceleration is constant. Since velocities are measured in metres per second (ms") the acceleration is measured i metres per second per second (ms”). EgS__ A particle P is moving with a constant velocity (12i + 5j)ms"'. It passes through the point A whose position vector is (4i + 5j)m at t= 0. Find: (@) the speed of the particle (b) the distance of P from O when t = 3s. Eg6 At noon a lighthouse keeper observes two ships A and B which have position vectors (Ai + 3j)km and (4i + 9j)km respectively, relative to the lighthouse O. (The unit vectors i and j are directed due east and due north.) The ships are moving with constant velocities (4i-+ 17j)kmh"' and (-12i + 5j)kmh” respectively. (a) Write down the position vector of A and the position vector of B at time t hours after noon, (b) Show that A and B will collide and find the time when this collision will occur and the position vector of the point of collision. cise OF Py 148 Q’s 9 to 126 (3) Mb) @) lvl: it Oe 0) Le (CRP =e) ~ dilwe yO 5 ae HAT pelo Ghee te (4) vf a) gee ee -@ = G+ (4) vale) = ee (a) (Sp + (Ame for shega be call (= fe peeve @ 4-Nbs ne-y ean 7% *% t (yerd s¥ber Iba ¢ £2 y. q “Sl wi Colle ke IL4O HOT ea aeb) Nlkemakie: por Veckd) Arelabix & 6 (2 So (he Te s - (4-nk} + 4b ie = Qe© (b aoe b) b2300 ¢ (s2} die 2 [Goo a0 5 FQ poker a) F Te (2) «(3}¢ z = 7 fis (ale Fale 2 (32) (Fiesthiues the ene or Sen Vahow E Compre Compounte bt Fe 2 Too-FE 1G = Sop E290). qo, Pet Goo irl Lov s Fb EzIOs collide occu @ S05. 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