C H A PT ER 4

Molion in a
Plane

3. Give some points of difference between scalars and

4.1 NEED FOR VECTORS vectors.
1. Briefly describe the necessity for introducing the Scalars Vectors
concept of vectors.
1. Scalars have only Vectors have both magni
Need for vectors. In one-dimensional motion, only tude and direction.
two directions are possible. So the directional aspect of magnitude.
the quantities like position, displacement, velocity and 2. They change if their They change if either
acceleration can be taken care of by using +and -signs. magnitude changes. their magnitude, direc
But in case of motion in two-dimnensions (plane) or tion or both change.
three dimensions (space), an object can have a large 3. They can be added They can be added only
number of directions. In order to deal with such according to ordinary by using special laws of
laws of algebra. vector addition.
situations effectively, we need to introduce the concept
of new physical quantities,called vectors, in which we 4.3 REPRESENTATION OF A VECTOR
take care of both magnitude and direction.
4. With the help of a suitable example, explain how is
4.2 SCALARS AND VECTORS a vector quantity represented.
2. What are scalar and vector quantities ?Give examples. Representation of a vector. A vector quantity is
Scalar quantities. The physical quantities which have represented by astraight line with an arrowhead over it. The
only magnitude and no direction are called scalar quantittes length of the line gives the magnitude and the
or scalars. Ascalar quantity can be specified by a single arrowhead gives the direction. Suppose a body has a
number, along with the proper unit. velocity of 40 kmh due east. If 1 cm is chosen to
Examples: Mass, volume, density, time, temperature,
electric current, etc.
Vector quantities. The physical quantities which have
Tail Head
W
both magnitude and direction and obey the laws of vector A
addition are called vector quantities or vectors. A vector quantity
is specified by a number with a unit and its direction. S
Examples: Displacement,velocity, force, momentum, etc. Fig. 4.1 Representation of a vector.
(4.1)
4.2 PHYSICS-XI

sent a velocity of 10 kmh-l a line OA 4 cm in 45 POLAR AND AXIAL VECTORS

length and drawn towards east with 6. What is meant by polar and axial vectors ? Give
arrowhead at A
will completely represent the velocity of the body. The examples.
point A is called head or terminal point and point Ois
Broadly speaking vectors are of two types :
called tail or initial point of the vector OA (Fig. 4.1). Polar vectors. The vectors which have a starting point
In asimpler notation, a vector is by ra point of application are
called polar vectors.
represented
single letter of alphabet either in bold face or with an
arrow over it.
Examples: Displacement, velocity, force, et., are
For example. a force vector can be polar vectors.
represented as F or F. Axial vectors. The vectors which represent rotational
kffect and act along the axis of rotation in accordance with
vectors.
4.4 POSITION AND
DISPLACEMENT VECTORS Might hand screw rule are called axial
5. Distinguish between position vector and displace Examples: Angular velocity, torque, angular
ment vector. momentum, etc. are axial vectors.
As shown in Fig. 4.4, axial vector will have its
Position vector. A vector which gives position of an
rotation depending on its
object with reference to the origin of a co-ordinate system is direction along its axis of rotational
or clockwise effect.
called position vector. Consider the motion of an object in anticlockwise
Axis of
X-Y plane with origin at O. Suppose an object is at Axial vector rotation
point P at any instant t, as shown in Fig. 4.2. Then OP is
the position vector of the object at point P. The position
vector provides two informations :
(i) It tells the straight line distance of the object
from the origin O. Axis of Axial vector
(ii) It tells the direction of the object with respect to rotation

the origin. Fig. 4.4

For Your Knowledge

o fP The Latin word vector means carrier.
vector
Position
> The physical quantities which have no specified direc
tion and have different values in different direc
X tions are called tensors. For exanmple, moment of inertia.
Fig. 4.2 Position vector.
4.6 soME DEFINITIONS IN
Displacement vector. It is that vector which tells how VECTOR ALGEBRA
much and in which direction an object has changed its
7. Define and illustrate the following terms :
position in a given time interval. Consider an object (i) Equal vectors
moving in the XY-plane. Suppose it is at point P at any (ii) Negative of a vector
(iiü) Modulus of a vector (iv) Unit vector
instant t and at point Qat any later instant , as shown
(v) Fixed vector
in Fig. 4.3. Then vector PQis the displacement vector (vi) Free vector
(vii) Collinear vectors (vii) Coplanar vectors
of the object in time t to t'. (ix) Co-initial vectors (x) Co-terminus vectors.
t
at () Equal vectors. Two vectors are said to be equal j
vector Displacement they have the same magnitude and same direction. In
vector
ition Fig. 4.5, A and B are two equal
Positi vectors.
a tt
vector

Position

X
B NoTE If a vector is
displaced parallel to itself,
vector.
Fiq. 4.3 Displacerment Fig. 4.5 Equal Vectors. it remains equal to itself.
 MOTION IN A PLANE 4.3
(i) Negative of a vector. The negative of a vector is
defined as another vector having the same magnitude
but having an opposite direction. In Fig. 4.6,vector
Áis the negative of vector B or vice versa.
(a) Like or parallel vectors

180°
A
A
B=-Å
B
Fig. 4.6 Negative of a vector.
(b) Unlike or antiparallel vectors
(iii) Modulus of a vector. The modulus of a vector
Fig. 4.7 Collinear vectors
means the length or the magnitude of that vector. It
is a scalar quantity.
(vii) Coplanar vectors. The vectors which act in the
Modulus of vector Á=| Á|= A same plane are called coplanar vectors.
(iv) Unit vector. A unit vector is a vector of unit (ix) Co-initial vectors, The vectors which have the
magnitude drawn in the direction of a given vector. same initial point are called co-initial vectors. In
A unit vector in the direction of a given vector is Fig. 4.8, Á, Band Care co-initial vectors.
found by dividing the given vector by its
modulus. Thus a unit vector in the direction of
vector A is given by
A
A= B
A
B

A unit vector in the direction of a given vector A

is written as A and is pronounced as 'A carat Fig. 4.8 Co-initial vectors. Fig. 4.9 Co-terminus vectors.
or 'A hat' or 'A cap'.
Any vector can be expressed as the magnitude times (ix) Co-terminus vectors. The vectors which have the
the unit vector along its own direction. common terminal point are called co-terminus
vectors. In Fig. 4.9, ¢, Band C
are co-terminus
vectors.

NOTE The magnitude of aunit vector is unity. It just

gives the direction of a vector. Aunit vector has no units 4.7 ZERO VECTOR AND ITS PROPERTIES
or dimensions. 8. What is azero vector ? Explain the need of a zero
(v) Fixedvector. The vector whose initial point is fixed vector. Give the important properties and physical
is called a fixed vector or a localised vector. For example, examnples of zero vectors.
vector
the position vector of a particle is a fixed Zero vector. A zero or null vector is a vector that has
because its initial point lies at the origin. zero magnitude and an arbitrary direction. It is repre
is not fixed
(vi) Free vector.Avector whose initial point vector. number 0)
vector or a non-localised For Sented by 0 (arrow over the
is calleda free
example, the velocity vector of a particle Need of a zero vector. The need of a zero vector
vector.
moving along a straight line is a free arises due to the following situations:
either act
(vii) Collinear vectors. The vectors which ) If Á= B, then what is Á- B?
called
along the same line or along parallel lines arehaving
collinear vectors. Two collinear vectors (i) If u =-, then what is (A +u)A ?
the same direction (0 =0°) are called like or
parallel vectors. Two collinear vectors having the In all these cases the resultant has to be a
opposite directions (0 =180°) are called unlike or vanishingly vector and not a scalar. Hence there is
antiparallel vectors. need for introducing the concept of zero vector.
t.1 PHYSICS-XI

Properties of zero vectors : shown in Fig.4.10(a), the magnitude of B is twice

the
(1) When a vector is added to zero vector, we get
the same vector magnitude of Å while the direction of B is the same as
that of ¢.
Á+ 0 = ¢
(ii) When a real number is multiplied by azero (i) If avector A is multiplied by real number
vector, we get a zero vector B=-2 Á. As
=-2, then the new vector is such that
shown in Fig. 4.10(b), the magnitude of B is again
(iii) When a vector is mnultiplied by zero, we get zero
vector
twice the magnitude of A but direction is opposite to
that of A.
(iv) If and u are twwo different non-zero real 10. How are the units of a vector affected when it is
numbers, then the relation liodby a scalar having units or dimensions ? Give
example.
AÁ=u B Multiplication of a vector by scalar. If à is a pure
can hold only if both Å
and B are zero vectors. number having no units or dimensions, then the units
Physical examples of zero vector : of Aare the samne as that of A. However, when a
(i) The position vector of a particle lying at the vector A is multiplied by a scalar 2 which has certain
origin is a zero vector.
units, the units of resultant àÅare obtained by multi
(ii) The velocity vector of a stationary object is a
zero vector. plying the units of Åby the units of 2 For example,
when
(iii) The acceleration vector of an object moving we get velocity vector is multiplied by mass (a scalar),
with uniform velocity is azero vector. momentum. The units of momentum are obtained
by multiplying the units of velocity by units of mass.
4.8 MULTIPLICATION OF A VECTOR BY A
REAL NUMBER
4.9 ADDITION OR
COMPOSITION OF
VECTORS
9. What do you mean by multiplication of a vector by
11. What do you mean bs
a real number ? Illustrate it by somne examples. resultant of two 0r more
vectors ? Mention the various laws
Multiplication of a vector by a real number. When a of vector addition.
bor is multiplied by a real
number We Composition of vectors. The resultant of two or more
8t vectors is that single vector which
another vector A. The magnitude of 2 Å is 2times the the individual vectors together
produces the same effect as
would produce. The process
magnitude of Á. If 2 is positive, then the direction of 4g to Or more vectors is called composition ofpoetove
As the
A is same as that of A. If Ais negative, then the so they vectors have both magnitude and direction,
cannot be added by using ordinary
A:rocion ofAÁis opposite to that of A. Fig.410 shows algebra. Vectors rules of
can beadded geometricalhu. The following
multiplication of vector A by different real numbers. three laws of vector
more vectors havingaddition can be used to
any inclination to eachadd two or
() Triangle law of other.
vectors. vector addition for adding two
(ii)
B=2A B=-2Å
Parallelogram
two vectors.
law of vector addition for
adding
(a) (b) (iii) Polygon law of
than two vectors. vector addition for adding
Fig. 4.10 Multiplication of a vector by a real
more

number when (a) =2 and (b) =-2 12. State and

illustrate triangle law of vector
Examples: Triangle law of vector
addition. If two
addition.
represented both in vectors
and direction by the twocan be
(1) If a vector Ais multiplied
by real number A=2, of a
triangle taken inmagnitude
the same order, then sides
then we get another vector
B such that B=2 represented
As the
third sidecompletely,
their
both in magnitude and resultant is
of the direction,
triangle taken in the opposite order.
by