Fundamental Properties

of Vectors
MEC101
Prepared by: Meryl Mae C. Rodriguez
Main ref: Engineering Mechanics: Statics
By Kiusalaas, J. & Pytel, A.
 Scalar and Vector Quantities
Scalar – a quantity that has magnitude only.
Vector – a quantity that possesses magnitude and direction.

Notation:
Force Vector: F Scalar: |F| or F
 Vectors as Directed Line Segments

Any vector A can be represented geometrically as a directed line

segment (an arrow), as shown in the figure below. The magnitude of A
is denoted by |A| or A, and the direction of A is specified by the sense
of the arrow and the angle θ that it makes with a fixed reference line.
Length of arrow should be proportional to the magnitude of the vector.
A

𝜃
Fixed reference line
 Equality of Vectors

Two vectors A and B are said to be equal if:

1. They have the same magnitude.
2. They have the same direction.
 Scalar- Vector Multiplication

The multiplication of a scalar m and a vector A which is mA or Am.

is defined as follows:
1. If m is positive, mA is the vector magnitude mA that has the same
direction as A.
2. If m is negative, mA is the vector of magnitude mA that is
oppositely directed to A.
3. If m = 0, mA (called the null or zero vector) is a vector of zero
magnitude and arbitrary direction.
 Unit Vectors

A unit vector is a dimensionless vector of magnitude 1. Therefore, if λ

represents a unit vector (| λ| = 1) with the same direction as A, then
A = |A|λ