Vectors in Two

Dimensions

Read Chapter 1.6-1.9

 Scalars and Vectors
All measurements are considered to be quantities. In physics,
there are 2 types of quantities – SCALARS AND VECTORS.

Scalar quantities have only magnitude.

time mass

temperature
Vector quantities have magnitude and direction.

displacement Magnetic Field

acceleration Force

velocity
Gravitational Field
Vectors are used to describe motion and solve
problems concerning motion.

For this reason, it is critical that you have an

understanding of how to
represent vectors
add vectors
subtract vectors
manipulate vector quantities.
in 2 and 3 dimensions.
 Vectors

8 units
5
2 tip

tail

Magnitude represented by the length of the vector

 Vectors

60 from -x225
0 120
0 80
00
300 00
3000 x
-600
450
from-y Direction represented by the
direction of the arrow

Need 3 things to give direction

in 2-D
- Angle
- Axis angle is from
- Direction from axis
 Adding Vectors
We know how to add vectors in 1-dimension.
Example: displacement.
If someone walks 4 mi east (Dx1) and then 7 mi west (Dx2) the
total displacement (Dx1 + Dx2) is 3 mi west.
1. Adding vectors GRAPHICALLY – place them TAIL TO TIP

Dx1 + Dx2 = 3 mi west Dx1 = 4 mi E

west
east
-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4
Dx2 = 7 mi W

2. Adding vectors MATHEMATICALLY – In 1- dimension,

assign direction + or – and add algebraically

Dx1 + Dx2 = +4 mi + (-7 mi) = -3 mi

 Adding Vectors
What about if the vectors are in
different directions in 2-D?
How do we describe the direction?
How do we add/subtract the vectors?
5
=

35o below +x
1
v

v
50o above +x 2 =3
 Adding Vectors Graphically
“tail to tip”
To add vectors using the North
tail to tip method
1. Draw the first vector
(7u, 50o N of E) beginning at v2
the origin. v1
2. Draw the second vector (3u,
35o S of E) with its tail at the + v2
v1
tip of the first vector. v=
3. Draw the Resultant vector
West East
(the answer) from the tail of
the first vector to the tip of
the last.
South
 Adding Vectors Grahically
“parallelogram method”
To add vectors with the parallelogram
North
method
1.Draw the first vector to scale
beginning at the origin.
2.Draw the second vector, to scale, v1
with its tail also at the origin.
+ v2
v1
3.Starting at the tip of one vector, v=
draw a dotted line parallel to the
other vector. Repeat, starting from
the tip of the second vector.
West East
4.Draw the Resultant vector (the
answer) from the origin to the v2
intersection of the dotted lines.
South
 Adding Vectors Mathematically
What if the vectors are in different directions?
For example, what if I walk 5 steps north and then 4 steps
east. What is my total displacement , Dx, for the trip?
OR what is the vector sum of the Dx1 and Dx2?

Dx2 =4 steps east

Dx1=
5 steps north Dx = Dx1+Dx2 = ?
 Adding Vectors Mathematically
4 steps east

5 steps north
Dx = ?
q

Use Pythagorean Theorem to Use right triangle trig to find

find the magnitude of Dx the direction of Dx
4
x  5  4  41
2 2 2
tan    0.8
5
x  6.4 steps   tan (0.8)
1

 38.7 0 east of north

 RIGHT TRIANGLE TRIGONOMETRY
A – side adjacent to angle q
O – side opposite to angle q
H – hypotenuse of triangle Pythagoreon Theorem

H O  A
2 2 2

SOHCAHTOA
H
O
O sinq =
H A
cosq =
H
q
sinq O
A tanq = =
cosq A
 A student walks a distance of 240 m East, then walks 150m south
in 30 min. What is the net displacement? What is the average
velocity for the trip?
North
MAGNITUDE
R2 = A2 +B2
= 2402 + 1502
R = 283 m
DIRECTION
West A = 240 m East
opp 150m
tanq = = q
adj 240m R= B=
28 150m
tanq = 0.625 3 m

q= tan-1(1.3) = 32o south of east

Notice that A and B are perpendicular components of R. South
They are the amount of R in each direction
A student walks a distance of 240 m East, then walks 150m south
in 30 min. What is the net displacement? What is the average
velocity for the trip?
North
The net displacement is 283 m in
the direction of 32o S of E.

The average velocity:

West 240 m East

q
Dx 283 m 150m
vav = = 283 m
t 0.5 hr
= 566 m/hr in the direction
32o S of E.
South
 EXAMPLE: What is the Resultant of adding 2 vectors, A and
B, if A = 8 units south and B = 4.5 u west?

MAGNITUDE
R2 = A2 +B2 North

= 82 + 4.52
R = 9.2 u
DIRECTION
West
opp 4.5 u East
tanq = =
adj 8u
tanq = 0.56
9.2 u 8u south
q = tan (0.56) = 29
-1 -1 o R q
The Resultant is 9.2 units in the South
direction of 29o south of west
4.5u west
Notice that A and B are perpendicular components of R.
They are the amount of R in each direction
 Perpendicular Components of a Vector
Any vector can be resolved into perpendicular
components. Use right triangle trig – x and y
components always make a right triangle with the vector
.
Ex. Vector A has magnitude 8.0 m at an angle of 30 degrees below the
x-axis. What are the x- and y-components of A?
Ax
cos30 = A = Acos 30
Ax A x

Ax = 8cos30 = 8(0.866) = +6.9

30o
Ay
A=8 Ay
sin30 = Ay = Asin30
A
Ay = 8sin30 = 8(0.5) = - 4m
You must assign the correct direction
 x- and y- Components of a Vector
What are the x- and y- components of the vector
A, shown below?
y
A = 10 m
Ay
Ax = Acosq 30o x
= 10cos(30) Ax
= 10(0.866)
Ay = Asinq
= -8.7 m
Ax is the amount of A in = 10sin(30)
the x-direction = 10(0.5) A is the amount of A in
y
= +5 m the y-direction
A butterfly heads northeast with a speed of 12 m/s. Its
speed in the east direction is 8.00 m/s. What is the exact
direction that the butterfly travels?

North /s
2 m
=1 vy
vE 8 v
cosq = = q?
v 12 West
East
q = cos-10.667 = 48o vE = 8
N of E
South
 Adding Vectors by Components
What about adding 2 vectors, A and B, that are NOT perpendicular
or parallel?
A+B=R
y Bx (Ax+Ay)+(Bx+By)=(Rx+Ry)
By B Any vector can be described as the sum
60o of perpendicular components.

Components in the same

R Ry direction are added as 1-D
A vectors to find the components
of the resultant vector.

R x = Ax + B x
Rx x
= 0 + Bx
R y = Ay + By
Adding x- and y- Components of a Vector
A+B=R
y Bx (Ax+Ay)+(Bx+By)=(Rx+Ry)
Determine the perpendicular components
By 60o
B
of each vector. Make a table to add up x
and y components separately:

R x Y
Ry
A A Ax Ay
q B Bx By
Rx x
R Rx Ry
Magnitude of R: R2 = Rx2 + Ry2
Ry Ry
Direction of R: tan      tan 1

Rx Rx
 ADDING VECTORS GRAPHICALLY
You can add as many vectors as you want
North
A+B+C+D=R
Graphically, the vectors are
added “tail to tip”
R D
East
West

A and the order

doesn’t matter
C
B South C + A + D+ B = R
 Mathematically A + B + C +D = R
ADDING VECTORS (Ax+Ay)+(Bx+By)+(Cx+Cy)+(Dx+Dy)=(Rx+Ry)

x Y To Add Vectors by Components:

A -Ax -Ay 1. Place each vector at origin. Find the x- and
B +Bx -By y- components of each vector in the sum,
and list them in a table. Make sure to
C +Cx +Cy
include the direction of each component by
D -Dx +Dy hand.
Rx Ry
R D 2. Add all the x-components to find Rx.
3. Add all the y-components to find Ry.
4. Use Pythagorean Theorem and
trigonometry to find the magnitude and
A direction of R.
Magnitude of R: R2 = Rx2 + Ry2
Ry
C Direction of R:   tan 1

B Rx
 EXAMPLE (Adding Vectors by Components)
Determine the resultant of the following 3 displacements:
A. 24m, 30º north of east
B. 28m, 37º east of north
C. 20m, 50º west of south
Bx
North
B
By 37o A x (m) y (m)
A 20.8 12.0
Ay
West 30o B 16.9 22.4
Ax East C -15.3 -12.9
50o Cy
Ʃ 22.4 21.5
C Cx South
 EXAMPLE
R
North x (m) y (m)
A 20.8 12.0
Ry B 16.9 22.4
West q C -15.3 -12.9

Rx East Ʃ R 22.4 21.5

South Magnitude Direction
R 2  Rx2  R y2 Ry 21.5
tan   
R  Rx2  R y2 Rx 22.4
  tan 1 0.96  440
 22.4  21.5 2 2

 31m
R = 31 m, 440 N of E (from the x-axis)
 DO NOW
An airplane trip involves 3 legs, with 2 stopovers. The first
leg is due east for 620 km, the second is southeast (-450) for
440 km, and the 3rd leg is at 530, south of west, for 550 km.
What is the plane’s total displacement?

North x (km) y (km)

A 620 0
West Cx Bx A East
B 311 -311
Cy 53o 45o By C -331 -439
B
DR 600 -750
C
South
DR
 EXAMPLE (cont.)
North

West
x (km) y (km)
East
A 620 0
q B 311 -311
C -331 -439

DR 600 -750
South DR
Magnitude Direction
R 2  Rx2  R y2 Ry  750
tan   
R  600 2  750 2 Rx 600
 960km   tan 1 (1.25)  510
DR = 960 km, -510 from the x-axis (510 S of E)
 EXAMPLE
An airplane trip involves 3 legs, with 2 stopovers. The first leg is due
east for 620 km, the second is southeast (-450) for 440 km, and the 3rd
leg is at 530, south of west, for 550 km. What is the plane’s total
displacement?

North

West East

South DR
960 km at 510 South of East
 Subtracting Vectors
In order to subtract a vector, we add the negative of that vector.
The negative of a vector is defined as a vector in the OPPOSITE direction
(with each component the negative of the original)

v1 -v 2
= v1 + - v2

-v 2
=
v1 -
v2

v1
 Graphical Representation
60o
A=8
-B
B=10
60o

A + B = S A – B = D

Tail to tip D -B Tail to tip

A (A and –B)

B A
S A
Tail to tail
(A and B)
B D
 Mathematical Representation
60o
A=8
B=10
A + B = S A + (–B) = D
x y x y
60o
A +8 0 A +8 0
+ 5 - 8.7 -B
- 5 + 8.7
B
-B
R 13 -8.7
Rx
D 3 +8.7
q D
Ry Dy
R q
Dx
 Scalar Multiplication
Multiplication of a vector by a positive scalar changes the magnitude
of the vector, but leaves its direction unchanged. The scalar changes
the size of the vector. The scalar "scales" the vector.
Multiplication of a vector by a negative scalar changes the
magnitude of the vector, and makes the direction opposite.

Example:
3A = 3 x =
=
If the scalar is negative, it changes the direction of the vector.

-3A = -3 x =
=