Review of Vector Operations

Definitions:
 
vector notation: v ; magnitude = v = v
scalars: have magnitude only, e.g. mass, speed,
pressure
vectors: have magnitude and direction, e.g.
force, velocity
free vectors can be translated in space, but not
rotated
bound vectors are fixed in position
zero vector has a length of 0, direction undefined
unit vector has a length of 1 regardless of direction
unit normal vector is a unit vector in the direction of
the radius of an arc or curved surface, “radius”
being in the analytic geometry sense, i.e.,

n

t
R

R

n 
t

unit tangent vector t is that perpendicular to the
unit normal vector n
  
unit base vectors i , j, k are unit vectors in the x, y,
and z directions, respectively.
We use the right-handed convention, i.e.
z


k 
j
 y
i

x
Equality of two vectors: magnitudes and directions
should be identical
Negative of a vector: same magnitude, opposite
direction
Addition of vectors: use the parallelogram law
    
A C
C AB

B
In general: C ≠ A + B and C = A + B if and only if
 
A and B are colinear.

Properties of vectoraddition:
  
Commutative: A  B  B  A
     
  
Associative: A  B  C  A  B  C 
Subtraction is merely the addition of the negative of
a vector. 
Multiplication of a vector by a scalar:  a  A
length = aA ; direction same as A if a is positive.
Scalar,
 
Dot, or Inner Product:
A  B  A  B  cos ; where  = acute angle between
 
A and B

= magnitude 
of A multiplied by the component

of B on A 
 dA 
B V

 
A e.g.
B cos 

If  = 0 then parallel vectors are being multiplied;

 
A  A  A2
 

 = 2 then  B = 0.
A

Properties of the Dot Product:

Vector  Vector = Scalar
   
Commutative: AB  BA
Distributive over addition:
  
  
   
A B C  AB  AC   
Vector, Cross, or Outer Product:
   
A  B  A  B  sin   n ; n = unit vector normal to the
 
plane defined by A and B according to the right
 hand
 rule

AB 
   
B  r  v

e.g. v

  
  A r
If A  B  0 , then at least one is the zero vector or
 = 0 (vectors are parallel)
Properties of the Cross Product:
Anti-commutative: 
 
 
 
AB   BA 
Distributive over addition:

  
 
   
A B  C  AB  AC   
Vector Spaces and Linear Independence of Vectors
*Two-dimensional vector space: planar universe

y Any vector, say C , can be
expressed by a linear
 combination of two other non-
C
 
 colinear A B
A  vectors,
 
say & ,
i.e., C  aA  bB . a and b can
  
B be found as long as A and B
x
are not colinear or parallel. 
In 2-D space, a vector can be
expressed in terms of another iff both lie on the
same line or are parallel, i.e., they are linearly
dependent. Up to 2 vectors can be linearly
independent; a third will not be independent.
*Three-dimensional vector space:

spatial

universe
 
z D  aA  bB  cC ; a, b, and c
 
can be found as long as A , B ,


 B and C do not all lie on the
A
same plane.  In 3-D space, if
y a vector can be expressed in
terms of only two others, all
  three lie on the same plane,
D
x C i.e., linearly dependent. Up to
three vectors can be linearly
independent; a fourth will be linearly dependent.
Component Form of Vectors
z
Any point in space can be
defined by the position vector
    

k
R R  Rx i  R y j  Rz k , a linear

i  y combination of unit base
j vectors. In familiar terms:
   
x R  x i  y j  zk
 
Say we want to add two vectors R and P :
 
   
   
R  P  Rx i  R y j  Rz k  Px i  Py j  Pz k


  
 Rx  Px i  R y  Py j  Rz  Pz k

If we apply the dot product to the unit base vectors,

           
i  i  j j  kk  1; i  j  jk  k i  0
Thus,
 
R  P  Rx Px  R y Py  Rz Pz ;
   
R  R  Rx2  Ry2  Rz2  R 2  R  R  R
 
RP Rx Px  R y Py  Rz Pz
and, cos  
RP Rx2  R y2  Rz2  Px2  Py2  Pz2

Applying the cross product to the unit base vectors,

              
i  i  j j  k k  0; i  j  k; jk  i ; k  i  j
then
    
R  P  R y Pz  Rz Py i  Rz Px  Rx Pz  j  Rx Py  R y Px k
  
i j k
 Rx Ry Rz
Px Py Pz
Differential Operations on Vector Expressions

If ϕ is a differentiable scalar function of S, and A and

B are differentiable vector functions of S, then:

 
d
dS

A  
dA d 
 A
dS dS ;
 

dS

d   dA dB
AB  
dS dS ;
 

d
dS



AB  A
 dB
dS

B
dA
dS ; and,
 

dS

d    dB dA 
AB  A 
dS dS
B