Vectors 1

What is a vector?
A vector is a mathematical quantity with two characteristics:
1) magnitude: how much, size of vector, always a non-negative number, length of vector 2) Direction: orientation in space. Can you think of science quantities which are vectors in nature? Students take notes:

Vectors vs. scalar quantities

A scalar is a quantity which has only the characteristic of magnitude. Name some scalars in science... Student answers/suggestions:

In art!

In navigation

New York Harbor

Prop. #1: Geometrically, a vector is represented as a ray

V

The terminal or head end The initial or tail end

Prop. #2: The length of the ray represents magnitude and direction of A is the angle the ray makes with the +x axis
y

magnitude

= 0o

+X

Prop. #3: Two vectors A and B are equal if they have the same magnitude and direction.
A B

This property allows us to move vectors around on our paper/blackboard without changing their properties.

Prop. #4: A = -B says that vectors A and B are anti-parallel. They have same size but the opposite direction.
B

A = -B also implies B = -A
A

Prop. 5: Vectors can be added geometrically

Find A + B
A B
O

C
O

Vector C is the sum of A + B C=A+B

Prop. #6: Vector Addition is Commutative A+B=B+A

Find A + B
A
B
O

B A

C
O

Vector C is the sum of A + B C=A+B=B+A

This is the parallelogram method learned in trig.

Prop. #7: Add vectors head to head

A
O

D C C S could represent D four forces S =A+B+C+D acting upon point 0 -tug-of-war

Prop. #8: Vector subtraction is defined as: A - B = A + (-B)

Find A - B
B
O

-B A

D=A-B
B
O

-B

B
C =A+ B B
O

-B

Note that the D = A - B magnitude of D could be larger than the magnitude of the sum C.

-B

Prop. #9: Let A be a vector and k some scalar number. Then kA is a vector with magnitude |k|A. The sign of k dictates the direction of kA.
A 2A

-3A

A vector A in the x-y plane can be represented by its perpendicular components

y axis

AY
AX
X axis

Components AX and AY can be positive, negative, or zero. The quadrant that vector A lies in dictates the sign of the components. Components are scalars.

When the magnitude of vector A is given and its direction specified then its components can be computed easily
y axis

AY

AX = Acos AY = Asin

AX

X axis

AX is negative while AY is still positive

A
AY AX
y axis

AX = Acos AY = Asin
X axis

The quadrant that A lies in dictates the sign of the trig functions.

Magnitude and direction of a vector can be found by knowing its components

2 2 A ( AX ) ( AY )
y axis A

AY

tan = AY/AX = tan-1(AY/AX)

AX

X axis

That is all for this slide file....

for this moment...