Scalar and Vector Quantities

• In 1999, NASA’s Deep Space One

Spacecraft failed to produce
detailed photograph of asteroid
Braille because its camera was
pointing in the wrong direction.

• In sensitive cases like this, the

direction of quantities, such as
the displacement of the asteroid
and the velocity of the
spacecraft should be carefully
considered.
SCALAR Scalar
Example Magnitude

A SCALAR quantity
is any quantity in Speed 35 m/s

physics that has

MAGNITUDE ONLY Distance 25 meters

Age 16 years

Number value
with units
VECTOR
A VECTOR Vector
Example
Magnitude and
Direction
quantity
is any quantity in Velocity 35 m/s, North

physics that has

BOTH Acceleration 10 m/s2, South

MAGNITUDE
and DIRECTION Displacement 20 m, East
Vector quantities can be
identified by bold type
with an arrow above the
symbol.

V = 23 m/s NE
Vectors are represented
by drawing arrows
The length and direction
of a vector should be
drawn to a reasonable
scale size and show its
magnitude
10 km
20 km
VECTOR APPLICATION
•ADDITION: When two (2) vectors point
in the SAME direction, simply add them
together.
•When vectors are added together they
should be drawn head to tail to determine
the resultant or sum vector.
•The resultant goes from tail of A to head
of B.
 •Let’s Practice
A man walks 46.5 m east, then another 20 m east.
Calculate his displacement relative to where he started.

46.5 m, E + 20 m, E

66.5 m, E
•VECTOR APPLICATION

SUBTRACTION: When
two (2) vectors point in
the OPPOSITE
direction,
simply subtract them.
Let’s Practice some more….
A man walks 46.5 m east, then another 20 m
west. Calculate his displacement relative to
where he started.
46.5 m, E
-

20 m, W

26.5 m, E
Graphical Method
Aligning vectors head to tail
and then drawing the
resultant from the tail
of the first to the
head of the last.
Graphical Vector Addition A + B
Step 1 – Draw a start point
Step 2 – Decide on a scale
Step 3 – Draw Vector A to scale
Step 4 – Vector B’s tail begin at Vector A’s head.
Draw Vector B to scale.
Step 5 – Draw a line connecting the initial start
point to the head of B. This is the resultant.
NON CO-LINEAR VECTORS
When two (2) vectors are
PERPENDICULAR to each
other, you must use the
PYTHAGOREAN
THEOREM
Let’s Practice
A man travels 120 km FINIS
FINIS
east then 160 km north. H
H

Calculate his resultant the hypotenuse is

called the RESULTANT
displacement.
160 km, N
VERTICAL
COMPONENT

c 2  a2  b2  c  a2  b2

c  resul tant  120  160 

2 2
120 km, E

c  200 km HORIZONTAL COMPONENT

•WHAT ABOUT DIRECTION?
In the example, DISPLACEMENT is asked
for and since it is a VECTOR quantity,
we need to report its direction.
N

W of N E of N
N of E
N of W
N of E
W E
S of W S of E
NOTE: When drawing a right triangle that
conveys some type of motion, you MUST draw
W of S E of S
your components HEAD TO TOE.
S
 •Directions
• There is a difference between Northwest and West of North
•NEED A VALUE – ANGLE!
Just putting N of E is not good enough (how
far north of east ?).
We need to find a numeric value for the
direction. To find the value of the angle
we use a Trig function called
TANGENT.
200 km

160 km, N
opposite side 160
Tan     1.333
 N of E adjacent side 120
120 km, E 
 Tan 1
(1.333)  53.1o

So the COMPLETE final answer is : 200 km, 53.1 degrees North of East

•What are your missing
components?
Suppose a person walked 65 m, 25 degrees East of North. What were
his horizontal and vertical components?
The goal: ALWAYS MAKE A RIGHT
H.C. = ?
TRIANGLE!

V.C = ? To solve for components, we often use the

25˚ 65 m trig functions sine and cosine.
adjacent side opposite side
cosine  sine 
hypotenuse hypotenuse
adj  hyp cos  opp  hyp sin 

adj  V .C.  65 cos 25  58.91m, N

opp  H .C.  65 sin 25  27.47 m, E
•Example
A bear, searching for food wanders 35 meters east then 20 meters north. Frustrated, he
wanders another 12 meters west then 6 meters south. Calculate the bear's displacement.

23 m, E
- =

12 m, W
- =
14 m, N
6 m, S
20 m, N
R  14 2  232  26.93m
14
35 m, E R 14 m, N Tan    .6087
23

  Tan 1 (0.6087)  31.3
23 m, E
The Final Answer: 26.93 m, 31.3 degrees NORTH of EAST
•Example
A boat moves with a velocity of 15 m/s, N in a river which flows
with a velocity of 8.0 m/s, west. Calculate the boat's resultant
velocity with respect to due north.

Rv  82  152  17 m / s
8.0 m/s, W
8
15 m/s, N
Tan    0.5333
Rv  15
  Tan 1 (0.5333)  28.1

The Final Answer : 17 m/s, @ 28.1 degrees West of North

•Example
A plane moves with a velocity of 63.5 m/s at 32 degrees South of East. Calculate the plane's
horizontal and vertical velocity components.

adjacent side opposite side

cosine  sine 
H.C. =? hypotenuse hypotenuse
32˚ adj  hyp cos  opp  hyp sin 
V.C. = ?

63.5 m/s
adj  H .C.  63.5 cos 32  53.85 m / s, E
opp  V .C.  63.5 sin 32  33.64 m / s, S
•Example
A storm system moves 5000 km due east, then shifts course at 40 degrees
North of East for 1500 km. Calculate the storm's resultant displacement.

adjacent side opposite side

cosine  sine 
1500 km hypotenuse hypotenuse
V.C.
adj  hyp cos  opp  hyp sin 
40
5000 km, E H.C.
adj  H .C.  1500 cos 40  1149 .1 km, E
opp  V .C.  1500 sin 40  964.2 km, N

5000 km + 1149.1 km = 6149.1 km R  6149.12  964.2 2  6224.2 km

964.2
Tan    0.157
6149.1
R
964.2 km 
 Tan 1
(0.157)  8.92 o


6149.1 km The Final Answer: 6224.2 km @ 8.92
degrees, North of East
