Vector Analysis: Vector Differentiation

Lecturer-Sadia Akter Lima

Sc and Hum, MIST.

July 17, 2020

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Vector Differentiation

~
If in particular R(u) is the position vector ~r (u) joining the origin O of a coordinate
system and any point (x.y.z) then

~r (u) = x(u)î + y(u)ĵ + z(u)k̂

and specification of the vector function ~r (u) defines x, y and z as function of u. Then
the differentiation of the vector ~r (u) with respect to u is

d~r dx dy dz
= î + ĵ + k̂
du du du du

d~r d~
v d 2~r
Here dt
represents the velocity if u = t and dt
= dt 2
represents it’s acceleration.

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Differentiation Formulae

If ~ ~ C
A, B, ~ are differential vector functions of a scalar u and φ is a differentiable scalar
function of u then
d ~ ~ d~A dB~
(A + B) = +
du du du
d ~ ~ ~
dB d~
A ~
(A.B) = ~
A. + .B
du du du
d ~ ~ ~
dB d~
A ~
(A × B) = ~
A× + ×B
du du du
d d~
A dφ ~
(φ.~
A) = φ. + .A
du du du
d ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
~ =~
(A.B × C) ~ × dC + ~
A.B A.
dB ~ + d A .B
×C ~
~ ×C
du du du du
d ~ ~ ~ ~
~ =~
~ × C))
(A × (B ~ × dC ) + ~
A × (B A×(
dB ~ + d A × (B
× C) ~
~ × C)
du du du du

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Partial Derivatives of Vectors

Let A = A(x, y, z) then

! ! !
∂2~
A ∂ ∂~
A ∂2~
A ∂ ∂~
A ∂2~
A ∂ ∂~
A
= ; = ; =
∂x 2 ∂x ∂x ∂y 2 ∂y ∂y ∂z 2 ∂z ∂z

! ! !
∂2~
A ∂ ∂~
A ∂2~
A ∂ ∂~
A ∂3~
A ∂ ∂2~
A
= ; = ; =
∂x∂y ∂x ∂y ∂y∂x ∂y ∂x ∂x∂z 2 ∂x ∂z 2

~
∂B ~ ~ ~
∂ ~ ~  ~ ~ × ∂A ; ∂ ~ ∂B ~ ∂A
 
A×B =A× +B ~ =~
A.B A. + B.
∂x ∂x ∂x ∂x ∂x ∂x

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Solved Problems

~ = sin t î + cos t ĵ + t k̂ then find d ~R , d 2 ~R .

Question-1: If R dt dt 2
Solution:
~
dR d d d
= (sin t)î + (cos t)ĵ + t k̂
dt dt dt dt
~
dR
= cos t î − sin t ĵ + 1.k̂
dt
~
dR
∴ = cos t î − sin t ĵ + k̂
dt
Again,
~
d 2R d  
2
= cos t î − sin t ĵ + k̂
dt dt
~
d 2R
∴ 2
= − sin t î − cos t ĵ + 0 = − sin t î − cos t ĵ
dt

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Solved Problems

Question -2: A particle moves along a curve whose parametric equations are
x = e−t , y = 2 cos 3t, z = 2 sin 3t where t is the time.
(a) Determine it’s velocity and acceleration at any time.
(b) Find the magnitude of the velocity and acceleration at t = 0.
Solution:(a) The position vector ~r of the particle is

~r = x î + y ĵ + z k̂

= e−t î + 2 cos 3t ĵ + 2 sin 3t k̂

Then the velocity is

d~r
~v = = −e−t î − 6 sin 3t ĵ + 6 cos 3t k̂
dt

and the acceleration

d 2~r
~a = = e−t î − 18 cos 3t ĵ − 18 sin 3t k̂
dt 2

At t = 0, ~v = −î + 6k̂, ~a = î − 18ĵ

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Solved Problems

(b) Magnitude of velocity p √

|~v | = 12 + 62 = 37
Magnitude of acceleration
q √
|~a| = 12 + (−18)2 = 325

Question-3: A particle moves along the curve

x = 2t 2 , y = t 2 − 4t, z = 3t − 5

where t=time. Find the components of it’s velocity and acceleration at time t = 1 in the
direction î − 3ĵ + h2k̂. Solution: i
Velocity= ddt~r = dt
d
2t 2 î + (t 2 − 4t)ĵ + (3t − 5)k̂ = 4t î + (2t − 4)ĵ + 3k̂ At t = 1
velocity= ddt~r = 4î − 2ĵ + 3k̂
Unit vector in the direction î − 3ĵ + 2k̂

î − 3ĵ + 2k̂ î − 3ĵ + 2k̂

p = √
12 + 32 + 22 14

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Solved Problems

Then the component of the velocity in the given direction is,

√
(4î − 2ĵ + 3k̂).(î − 3ĵ + 2k̂) 4+6+6 16 8 14
√ = √ = √ =
14 14 14 7

Acceleration,
d 2~r
= = 4î + 2ĵ + 0.k̂
dt 2
At time t = 1,
d 2~r
= 4î + 2ĵ + 0.k̂
dt 2
Then the component of the acceleration in the given direction is

√
   
4î + 2ĵ . î − 3ĵ + 2k̂ 2 14
√ = −√ =−
14 14 7

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Solved Problems

Exercise: (a). Find the unit tangent vector to any point on the curve

x = t 2 + 1, y = 4t − 3, z = 2t 2 − 6t

(b) Determine the unit tangent at the point where t = 2.

Exercise: If ~A = 5t 2 î + t~j − t 3 k̂ and B ~ = sin t î − cos t ĵ,
d ~ ~ d ~ ~ c. d (~ ~
Find a. dt (A.B), b. dt (A × B), dt
A. A).
Exercise: A particle moves so that it’s position vector is given by ~r = cos wt î + sin wt ĵ
where w is a constant. Show that
(a) the velocity ~v of the particle is perpendicular. (b) the acceleration ~a is directed
toward the origin and has magnitude proportional to the distance from the origin.
(c)~r × ~v =a constant vector.

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