PHILADELPHIA UNIVERSITY

Department of Civil Engineering

STATICS
(CE211)
CHAPTER 2
Force Vectors
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Instructor:
Eng. Abdallah Odeibat
Civil Engineer, Structures , M.Sc.
2.1 SCALARS AND VECTORS
 Scalar is any positive or negative physical quantity
that can be completely specified by its magnitude .
Examples of scalar quantities include length, mass,
and time.

 Vector is any physical quantity that requires both a

magnitude and a direction for its complete
description. Examples of vectors encountered in
statics are force, position, and moment. A vector is
shown graphically by an arrow. The length of the
arrow represents the magnitude of the vector, and
the angle θ between the vector and a fixed axis
defines the direction of its line of action . The head or
tip of the arrow indicates the sense of direction of 2
the vector.
2.2 VECTOR OPERATIONS
 Multiplication and Division of a Vector by a
Scalar

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VECTOR OPERATIONS
 Vector Addition
(parallelogram law of addition)

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VECTOR OPERATIONS
 Vector Addition
(triangle rule)

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VECTOR OPERATIONS
 Vector Addition
(if the two vectors A and B are collinear)

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VECTOR OPERATIONS
Vector Subtraction
R’ = A - B = A + (-B)

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FINDING THE COMPONENTS OF
A FORCE

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2.3 VECTOR ADDITION OF
FORCES
 Addition of Several Forces

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TRIGONOMETRY

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2.4 ADDITION OF A SYSTEM OF
COPLANAR FORCES
 When a force is resolved into two components along
the x and y axes, the components are then called
rectangular components .

 For analytical work we can represent these

components in one of two ways, using either

scalar notation or Cartesian vector notation.

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ADDITION OF A SYSTEM OF COPLANAR
FORCES
 Scalar notation

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ADDITION OF A SYSTEM OF COPLANAR
FORCES
 Cartesian Vector Notation

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ADDITION OF A SYSTEM OF COPLANAR
FORCES
 Coplanar Force Resultants

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ADDITION OF A SYSTEM OF COPLANAR
FORCES
 Coplanar Force Resultants

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2.5 CARTESIAN VECTORS (3D)
 Right-Handed Coordinate System

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CARTESIAN VECTORS (3D)
 Rectangular Components of a Vector

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CARTESIAN VECTORS (3D)
 Cartesian Unit Vectors

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CARTESIAN VECTORS (3D)
 Cartesian Vector Representation

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CARTESIAN VECTORS (3D)
 Magnitude of a Cartesian Vector

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CARTESIAN VECTORS (3D)
 Direction of a Cartesian Vector

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CARTESIAN VECTORS (3D)
 Unit Vector : is a vector of length 1 unit,
sometimes also called a direction vector

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2.6 ADDITION OF CARTESIAN
VECTORS

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2.7 POSITION VECTORS
 A position vector r is defined as a fixed
vector which locates a point in space relative to
another point. For example, if r extends from
the origin of coordinates, O , to point P ( x, y, z),
then r can be expressed in Cartesian vector form
as
r = xi + yj + zk

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 In the more general case, the position vector may
be directed from point A to point B in space.

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2.8 FORCE VECTOR DIRECTED
ALONG A LINE

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2.9 DOT PRODUCT
 The dot product of vectors A and B , written A ·
B , and read “ A dot B ” is defined as the product of
the magnitudes of A and B and the cosine of the
angle u between their tails. Expressed in equation
form,

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 Laws of Operation:

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 Cartesian Vector Formulation

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Applications

 1. The angle formed between two vectors or

intersecting lines

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Applications

 2. The components of a vector parallel and

perpendicular to a line

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 Refer to Page 79 in
Textbook to Review this
chapter

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