CHAPTER#02 (SCALAR AND VECTORS)

SCALAR QUANTITIES: Scalar has only magnitude. The scalars can be added or subtracted by
the simple laws of mathematics.
For example: mass, length and distance etc.
VECTOR QUANTITIES: Vectors have magnitude as well as direction. Vectors are added and
subtracted by the laws of vectors algebra; e.g. triangle law of vectors, parallelogram law of
vectors, polygon law of vectors.
For example: force, momentum and torque etc.
MCQs
 VECTORS:
• Two vectors are equal if they have the same magnitude and similar direction without any
consideration of the position of their initial points.
• The magnitude of vector is always treated as non-negative and the minus sign indicates the reversal
of that vector through an angle of 180.
ADDITION OF VECTORS:
Parallelogram Law of Addition of Vectors Procedure:
The steps for the parallelogram law of addition of vectors are:
• Draw a vector using a suitable scale in the direction of the vector
• Draw the second vector using the same scale from the tail of the first vector
• Treat these vectors as the adjacent sides and complete the parallelogram
• Now, the diagonal represents the resultant vector in both magnitude and direction
 VECTORS:
• Two vectors are equal if they have the same magnitude and similar direction without any
consideration of the position of their initial points.
• The magnitude of vector is always treated as non-negative and the minus sign indicates the reversal
of that vector through an angle of 180.
ADDITION OF VECTORS:
Parallelogram Law of Addition of Vectors Procedure:
The steps for the parallelogram law of addition of vectors are:
• Draw a vector using a suitable scale in the direction of the vector
• Draw the second vector using the same scale from the tail of the first vector
• Treat these vectors as the adjacent sides and complete the parallelogram
• Now, the diagonal represents the resultant vector in both magnitude and direction

𝑹𝟐 = 𝑨𝟐 + 𝑩𝟐 − 𝟐𝒂𝒃𝐜𝐨𝐬𝜶
 VECTOR ADDITION:
Cosine Law: 𝑹𝟐 = 𝑨𝟐 + 𝑩𝟐 − 𝟐𝒂𝒃𝐜𝐨𝐬𝜶

Sin Law: 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜶 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝜷 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝜸

= =
𝒂 𝒃 𝒄
 VECTOR ADDITION:
HEAD-TO-TAIL RULE: The head-to-tail method of adding vectors involves drawing the first
vector on a graph and then placing the tail of each subsequent vector at the head of the
previous vector. The resultant vector is then drawn from the tail of the first vector to the head
of the final vector.
Addition of vectors is commutative such that A + B = B + A
The graphical method of subtracting vector B from A involves adding the opposite of vector B,
which is defined as -B. In this case, A – B = A + (-B) = R. Then, the head-to-tail method of
addition is followed in the usual way to obtain the resultant vector R.
Question: Addition of vector obeys
(a)Distributive law (b)Commutative law (c)Associative law (d)All of
these
Question: Null vector is a vector which has: (a)zero magnitude (b)no direction
(c)Both A and B (d)None of these
MULTIPLICATION OF VECTOR: When a vector is multiplied by a positive number (for example
2, 3 ,5, 60 unit etc.) or a scalar only its magnitude is changed but its direction remains the
same as that of the original vector. If however a vector is multiplied by a negative number (for
example -2, -3 ,-5, -60 unit etc.) or a scalar not only its magnitude is changed but its direction
also reversed.
• Addition of two vector obeys commutative law; [ A+B=B+A ].
• Addition of two vector obeys associative law; [ (A+B)+C=A+(B+C) ].
 TYPES OF VECTORS:
UNIT VECTOR: A Unit Vector has a magnitude of 1. The symbol is usually a lowercase
letter with a "hat“. (Pronounced "a-hat")

Mathematically, unit vector of any vector “A” is given by:

𝑨
ෝ=
𝒂
ȁ𝑨ቚ
 TYPES OF VECTORS:
Free Vector: A vector which can be displaced parallel to itself and can be applied at any point
is called free vector.
For example: velocity vector of a body undergoing uniform translational motion.
Position Vector: A vector which is used to locate the position of body in space with respect to
origin or any other point.

Magnitude of vector A=Axi+Byj+Czk is:

𝑨 = 𝑨𝒙𝟐 + 𝑩𝒚𝟐 + 𝑪𝒛𝟐

 TYPES OF VECTORS:
NULL VECTOR: A vector which has zero magnitude and has no direction or it may have any
direction.
RESOLUTION OF VECTORS:
Resolution of vectors by rectangular components: Splitting a vector into its components along
x and y direction is called resolution of vector.

A= Ax + Ay [for 2D]
A= Ax + Ay + Az [for 3D]
 RESOLUTION OF VECTORS:
Ax = Acosθ
Ay = Asinθ
Where Ax and Ay represents the magnitude of x-component and y-component respectively.
The magnitude of vector can be obtained by using pythagoras theorem.
A = Ax 2 + Ay 2
 Ay  (The angle which the vector makes with +x-axis counter clockwise)
-1
θ = tan  
 Ax 
The vector written in the form of x and y components is called cartesian vector form.

𝑨 = 𝑨𝒙𝒊 + 𝑨𝒚𝒋 + 𝑨𝒛𝒌

MCQs:
 DOT PRODUCT:
The operation of scalar product or dot product involves the multiplication of two given vectors
in such a way that the product is a scalar.

A B = ABcosθ For example: Work, Electric flux and Power etc.

PROPERTIES OF DOT PRODUCT:
 CROSS PRODUCT:
When two vectors are multiplied in such a way that their result is also a vector quantity then
the product is called vector product or cross product.
Mathematically;

A×B = ( ABsinθ ) uˆ
For example: Torque and angular momentum etc.
MCQs: