Motion in a Plane

Position Vector and displacement vector

Consider the motion of an object in a place. Suppose at time t the object is at A in

the XV plane .If we
draw an arrow with its tail at point O and arrow head at A the 0A is called the position
vector of the
object at A.

'I •
I.

Suppose at time t 1 the body r;eaches the point B, then ;i' is the p

at the point B. Then AB will give the displacement oft

displacement vector.

Negative vector

The negative of a vector is defined as another ve ame magnitude but opposite direction .

Equal vector

Two vectors are equal i~ ey h agnitude and direction.

Co initial vectors .
~.if\>.
Two vectors are said lo oe~ , Yhave same initial point.

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Coterminous vectors

Vectors which have common termina l point.

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Collinear vectors -Ve:tors which act either along the same line or along parallel lines. They may be in the
same direction or opposite direction. · ,,,.---...,

a) Parallel vect:rs. _ . . . . ~ ·

If two vectors A and B act

parallel vectors.
in the same direction then the angle be~
{3 0 .em is~ t This is a case of

1{ ~> - -:- ,,. N----:-

:sr-----? ~~
A '-¾Q
- -~.- - - -- - -.....~~-
b
b)Antiparallel vectors ♦o ~ ea~ ..s are in: pposite direction, then the angle between them is
180° .This is the case of antf~arall~ ectors,

Unit vectors-A vi ct~ divJtl: ~ ~i~ ~ agnitude is called a unit vector along the direction of the vector.

IfA➔ •
• ,s a ;,ector t hen~ ~ oV ,s wn·tten as,
mt ve1;te r •~

~1_wh~ \ p e~ itude of A.

A =A A ~ ·

Thus a vector can be written as magnitude times the unit vector along its o~n direction

Zero vector or null vector.

A vector having zero magn·i tude is called null vector or zero vector. It is repr~sented by O.
Example- The position of the origin the coordinate axes is zero vector.

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 I \)

The displacement of a stationary particle from time t to t 1 is a zero vectnr. The velocity vector of a
stationary body is a zero vector.

Properties.

1. When a zero vector is added to any vector A we get A .0 +A =A

2. When a zero vector is subtracted from A we get A -0 =A
3. When a zero vector is nullified by a non zero scalar. We get zero vector nO =O

Addition of vectors

1) When two vectors act in the same direction -Suppose that a particle is d~isp~ rJ.t hr~b gb~ m cl ue
..... ~ ~ ---+
east and then through 3 m due east. If the two vectors are represented b'(. f"- .andQ tfien the sum of p
+Q . " 0 Pp
Of the two displacement vectors will be a displacement of 7m du

2) When two vectors act in the opposite directio case a particle is displaced through 4m due east
c;nd then through 3m due WC!St, the he sum P+ the two displacement vectors will be
displacement of 1 m due east.

·~· •~
/-:c:,,,

,J~'/
3/

,1"!,<, ------..........+
.
,, , ;, , • /4

•:;'

ined right angle to each other.

Suppose a p:/rrk
\.,
is first displ~ced through 4m due east and then through 3m due north.If the two
-+ ➔ .... ..... ,

vectors are P.~fm dQ then the resultant of P and Q is Sm along AC. The R is called the resultant of
➔ ~
vector P and 't/Q.

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r

Triang le law of vector aa ~~ion

If two vectors can be repr esents in magnit ude and directio n by th

e tw:J sides of a tri angie t ake n i" thE
and d•, ecti0 n by tlie third side of t he
sa me order, the n th e resulra nt ;s rep, esente d both iri m agriitu de
tri;::;igle talce n in th e opposite order.

-·
To find the magnrt uc= o~ trie resulta nt

Let two vectors 1;_; and iJ be repr~t both in magnitude and directi on by the sides '\B and BC of
~ e ccording to triangle law of vector addl~ion the resulta
ntR
triangle ABC taken in t ~ 3me~ der .T

-
-s give~
1 b y t h e s1 Jle~
.d·E: AC ta ken .tn~- o~ . ord er.

From C draw CE ~F ~, to ~ \.ting AB at point E when produced. From

Right angled triangle AEC ► ~

2
=(AB + BE)2 +CE
12 2
AC 2 =AB 2 +BE +2AB .BE+C£ ..... (1)

From triang le CBE

BC 2 = B£ 2 +CE 2
Substi tute this in equati on 1

4
 AC 2 =AB 2 +BC 2 +2AB.BE .... (2)

From triangle CBE,

BE
Cos8-BC

BE=BC Cos8

Substitute this in equation(2 )

AC 2 = AB 2 +BC 2 +2AB BC Cos8

But AC=R,AB=P and BC=Q

R 2=P 2 +Q 2 +2PQCos8

R=✓ ? 2 + Q2 + 2PQCos8

To find the direction of the resultattt

Let the resultant Rmake an angle JJ with th , then from right angled triangle AEC

CE CE
tan'3=- =--
. AE AB+BE

From right triangle BEC

. B CE
S1n =-
BC

CE=BC sin8=Q sin8

/:
BE=BC cos8=Qcoq8

Substitute the va~ <-0{ CE,AB equation

.'
'
t
anfl P+Qcosr
Qstne ", .

Parallelogra,n law of vector addition

lf two vectors acting simultaneously, at a_point can be represented both in magnitude and direction
by the two adjacent sides of a parallelogram drawn from a point ,then the resultant is represented
completely both in magnitude and direction by the diagonal of th.e parallelogram passing through
that point. ·
To find the magn itude of the resul tant and to find the direction
of the resultant.
Consider right angle AEC

(Proof same as the triang:e l~w o; vecto r addition}

Magnitude of resul tant R=,J P2 + Q2 + 2PQcos8

Direction ofR, tan~ Qr.ine

P+G :0s0

Special cases

l)Wh en 9=0° ie, when tvvo vectors are i

R=,J p 2 + Q2 + 2PQcos0

R=,J P2 + Q2 + 2PQ =P+Q

Tanfl QsinO --O

P+QcosO

fJ=O
Therefore when ~-o-0ilit ~s-;i ha: mag~itude equal to the sum of the m.agn itude of two
vecto rs and acts along the rlir e,~ on .Y andQ.
·, -7', v
~
y ~
2)Wh en 9 =9f1J the two vecto .
rs are right angles to each other.

R=,J P2 + Q2 :+;,2PQcos90=-J P2 + Q2 + 2PQ * 0 = -J P2 + 2

Q
Qsin9O
Q
T anfJ - - - =-
P+Qco s9O P

3)Wh en 9=18 0° ,when the two vectors act along oppo site direc
tions,

R=,J P2 + Q2 + 2PQcos180 = -J P2 + Q2 + 2PQ * 180 =P-Q=Q-P

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 Vn ,,,, , ,

tanp- Qsin1ao _
P+Qcos1ao -O

tanP=0 ,=0° or 180°

.I
when 8=1800,the resultant magnitude is equal to the d'ff f
1 erence o P and Q.
l)Vector addition is commutative

A+s =B +A
2) Addition of vector obeys '1Ssociative law.

(A +s) + c =A +(B + c)
3) A-A =o
4)A +o =A
5) JO =0

6)0.4 =0
Subtraction of vectors

The difference of two vectors.4 and Bis the su

A+B =A +(-B)

h
'l'~
,::- - . t;.z;.. t~tt
....,~,.-~, -
·-...._
~-::... . _,,_:_ :
,
Q .
-~.......__,.:_
,
+
·
f.1
1
·.··-r;,r
;~ t
/j
~'~
--~-,,,,__~
--~ ~...,
-~~
- ~ ; ,/
i
f~•t::zl, ~
. 13
A?, ·"'
Multiplication'0Tvector j(v a real number
' ;

Then multiplic~ on of Aby a real number n is another vector nA of magnitude n times and direction
same or opposite as that of Adepending upon whether n is a positive or negative real number.

For eg. If Ais multiplied by 2, the resultant vector 2.4 Is in the direction of 11·.·

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Multiplying A by a negative number say -1.5 gives vectors as in fig b.