Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The magnitudes must be the same, but one vector must be pointing in
the opposite direction of the other in order for the sum to come out to
zero. You can prove this with the tip-to-tail method.
ConcepTest 3.1b Vectors II
Note that the magnitudes of the vectors satisfy the Pythagorean Theorem.
This suggests that they form a right triangle, with vector C as the
hypotenuse. Thus, A and B are the legs of the right triangle and are
therefore perpendicular.
ConcepTest 3.1c Vectors III
The only time vector magnitudes will simply add together is when the
direction does not have to be taken into account (i.e., the direction is the
same for both vectors). In that case, there is no angle between them to
worry about, so vectors A and B must be pointing in the same direction.
2.4 Component of Vector
Any vector can be expressed as the sum of two
other vectors, which are called its
components. The process of finding the
component is known as resolving the vector
into its component.
Because x and y axis is
perpendicular, they can be
calculate using trigonometric
functions.
The components are effectively one-dimensional, so
they can be added arithmetically.
Adding vectors:
1. Draw a diagram
2. Choose x and y axes.
3. Resolve each vector into x and y components.
4. Calculate each component using sines and cosines.
5. Add the components in each direction.
6. To find the length and direction of the vector, use:
and .
Example 3-2: Mail carrier’s
displacement.
A rural mail carrier leaves the
post office and drives 22.0 km in a
northerly direction. She then
drives in a direction 60.0° south
of east for 47.0 km. What is her
displacement from the post
office?
Example 3-3: Three short trips.
An airplane trip involves three
legs, with two stopovers. The first
leg is due east for 620 km; the
second leg is southeast (45°) for
440 km; and the third leg is at
53° south of west, for 550 km, as
shown. What is the plane’s total
displacement?
ConcepTest 3.2 Vector Components I
1) it doubles
If each component of a
2) it increases, but by less than double
vector is doubled, what
3) it does not change
happens to the angle of
4) it is reduced by half
that vector? 5) it decreases, but not as much as half
ConcepTest 3.2 Vector Components I
1) it doubles
If each component of a
2) it increases, but by less than double
vector is doubled, what
3) it does not change
happens to the angle of
4) it is reduced by half
that vector? 5) it decreases, but not as much as half