VECTOR ADDITION:

GRAPHICAL AND
ANALYTICAL METHODS OF
VECTOR ADDITION
PREPARED BY: MISS JENIA NALLIW
GENERAL PHYSICS TEACHER
 OBJECTIVES
1. Differentiate vector from scalar quantities.
2. Perform addition of vectors.
3. Rewrite a vector in component form.
4. Calculate directions and magnitudes of
vectors.
5. Express a vector in terms of unit vectors.
 What direction do you
think is your life taking
you?
TYPES OF PHYSICAL QUANTITIES
SCALARS
- Is a quantity that can only be described by
its magnitude ( numerical value consisting
of the number and unit.
- Such as TIME, MASS and
TEMPERATURE
VECTORS
- A quantity characterized by both magnitude
and direction.
- Example, if you are walking at a rate of
12km/h, North
- Some examples are VELOCITY,
ACCELERATION, FORCE, MOMENTUM,
and ELECTRIC FIELD.
 RESULTANT VECTOR, OR SIMPLY
RESULTANT
-Sum of two or more vector quantities.
-Is the angle vector that, if substituted in
place of all vectors to be added, would
produce the same combined effect of these
vectors.
-R is usually used to represent the resultant.
 PROPERTIES OF VECTOR
ADDITION
COMMUTATIVE
-is the order of adding vectors may be changed without
affecting the resultant. In symbols,
A+ B= B+A
ASSOCIATIVE
-is the grouping of vectors to be added may also be changed
without affecting the resultant. In symbols, (A+B) + C= A+
(B+C)
 METHODS OF VECTOR
ADDITION
There are two general methods by which
vectors may be added: graphical and
analytical.
The graphical method of adding vectors is
divided into two: (1) using the laws of sines
and cosines and (2) the component method.
 PARALLELOGRAM METHOD

The parallelogram method is useful if

you are adding two vectors.
This method is also known as the tail-to
tail method.
 SAMPLE PROBLEM
Force is vector quantities that use newton (N)
as the unit. Suppose a force of = 10N is applied
horizontally to a block. Also, a second force =
5N is applied at an angle of 30˚ above the
horizontal. Determine the resultant force that
acts on the block.
STEP 1: CHOOSE THE SCALE. IN THIS CASE, YOU
CAN GO WITH 1CM = 1N.
STEP 2: Draw a Cartesian plane, and plot the two vectors (the given forces) from tail to
tail. Using your chosen scale, = should be drawn 10 cm long, and = should be 5cm long.
Use a protractor to plot , 30˚ on the x-axis.
STEP 3.DRAW TWO DASHED LINES TO
MAKE A PARALLELOGRAM
STEP 4: DRAW THE RESULTANT VECTOR. USE RULER TO MEASURE THE ARROW
REPRESENTING THE RESULTANT VECTOR. IF YOUR MEASUREMENT IS CORRECT, IT
SHOULD BE ABOUT 14. 6CM. USING YOUR PROTRACTOR, THE ANGLE THAT THE
RESULTANT VECTOR MAKES WITH THE POSITIVE X-AXIS SHOULD BE AROUND 10˚.

STEP 5: USING YOUR

CHOSEN SCALE,
14.6CM IS 14.6 N.
THEREFORE, THE
RESULTANT FORCE IS
□(→┬F_R ) = 14.6N, 10˚
 FIND THE RESULTANT OF THE
FOLLOWING VECTORS

• 1. and
• 2. x=5m, 20º and y=10m, 90º
 POLYGON METHOD
The polygon method is known as the
head-to-tail method. This is easy to use
if you want to add more than two
vectors.
 SAMPLE PROBLEM
Suppose you walk from your house with
the following displacements- first, you
walk 10m to east; 5m to north; and then
another 5m to the west. Find your resultant
displacement using the polygon method.
STEP 1: Define the scale as 1cm= 1m
STEP 2: Using this scale, draw the vectors in the Cartesian plane.
The tail of the first vector should be at the origin of the Cartesian
plane. The next two vectors should be drawn in a head-to-tail
manner, or from the head of the first vector connecting to the tail
of the next vector.

y ሱ
ሮ
𝑑3

ሱ
ሮ
𝑑2
x
ሱ
ሮ
𝑑 12
tant• displacement ሱሮ by drawing
STEP 3: Construct an arrow from
the resultant the origin ofbythedrawing
displacement Cartesiananplane to the
arrow head
from the origin of
𝑑𝑅
the Cartesian plane to the head of the last vector . Measure the length of the arrow
e theusing
lengthaofruler
the arrow using a ruler and its direction using a protractor. If your measurement
and its direction using a protractor. If your measurement is correct, you
should get about 7.1m and 45˚, respectively
bout 7.1m and 45˚, respectively.

STEP 4: Use the scale to

y ሱሮ convert your
𝑑3
measurements to the
ሱሮ
𝑑𝑅
ሱሮ
𝑑2
resultant displacement
x form as shown here.
ሱሮ dR=7.1 m, 45º or dR= 7.1
𝑑1
m, NE (north east)
FIND THE RESULTANT OF THE
FOLLOWING VECTOR
 ADDITION OF VECTORS USING THE
ANALYTICAL METHOD

-is a method that eliminates the chances for human errors related
to the measuring and plotting of vectors when the graphical
method is employed.
•
• tan
• cos
Consider vector A. This vector can be projected in
both the x and y axis. When plotted these projections
become the components of the vector which are
denoted by and . Using trigonometry, the
magnitudes of and can be written as:
= A cos
= A sin
Note that a symbol without an arrow denotes only the
magnitude of a vector. For example , A is the
magnitude of vector A.
In solving the magnitude of x and y components we
use Pythagorean theorem.
A= +
The direction of the vector ( ) can be computed through
tan =
 SAMPLE PROBLEM
Find the x and y components of a
displacement vector with a
magnitude of 10 m and direction of
40 with respect to the x-axis.
Given: Unknown:
d= 10m x component=?
= 40 y component=?
Formula: Solutions:
= d cos = 10m cos
= d sin = 7.66m
= 10m sin 40
= 6.43m
Vectors can be expressed in terms of its
components in the form (x, y). For
example, a displacement vector with
components = 5.0m and = 8.0m can be
written as d= [ 5.0m, 8.0m]. Find the
magnitude of the given vector, and express
in the form of d= d, .
Given: Unknown:
= 5.0m d=?
= 8.0m =?
Formula: Solution:
d= + d= + ( 8.0m
tan = d= 9.43m
tan =

58
 UNIT VECTOR
•a vector with a magnitude of 1 used to
describe a direction in space.
•(ˆ)=symbol for caret “hat” is placed above
unit vectors to distinguish it from ordinary
vectors.
•=positive x-axis =positive y-axis
=positive z-axis
Example: Express vectors ሬ𝐴,ሬԦሬ𝐵ሬԦ,𝐶ሬሬԦand their resultant ሬ𝑅ሬԦin terms of its components with unit vectors.
Vector X component Y component These can be written as;
𝐴ሬሬԦ 8.7 m 5.0 m
ሬ𝐴ሬԦ=(8.7 m)𝑖Ƹ+(5.0m)𝑗Ƹ ሬ𝑅ሬԦ=(16.4 m)𝑖Ƹ+ (19.2 m) 𝑗Ƹ
𝐵ሬሬԦ 0m 5.0 m
ሬሬԦ=(5.0 m)𝑗Ƹ
𝐵
𝐶ሬሬԦ 7.7 m 9.2 m
ሬ𝑅ሬԦ 16.4 m 19.2 m ሬ
𝐶ሬԦ=(7.7 m)𝑖Ƹ+(9.2 m)𝑗Ƹ

Notice that the x and y components of 𝑅ሬԦare simply the sum of x and y components of vectors ሬ𝐴ሬԦ, 𝐵ሬሬԦ,and ሬ𝐶ሬԦ.
ሬ𝑅ሬԦ=(Ax + Bx)𝑖Ƹ+(Ay + By)𝑗Ƹ
Example: Consider the following forces in the unit of 1 newton (N):
ሬ𝐹ሬ1ሬԦ= 3𝑖Ƹ− 𝑗Ƹ+ 2𝑘෠
ሬ𝐹ሬ2Ԧ= 𝑖Ƹ+ 4𝑗Ƹ
Solution:
Find the magnitude of the force 𝐹Ԧ = 2𝐹ሬሬሬ1Ԧ− ሬ𝐹ሬ2Ԧ
First, compute 𝐹Ԧby simply substituting 𝐹ሬሬሬ1Ԧand ሬ𝐹ሬ2Ԧ.
ሬ𝐹ሬԦ= 2𝐹ሬሬሬ1Ԧ− ሬ𝐹ሬ2Ԧ
ሬ𝐹ሬԦ= 2 ൫3𝑖Ƹ− 𝑗Ƹ+ 2𝑘෠൯− (𝑖Ƹ+ 4𝑗Ƹ) The magnitude of this vector can be computed using the Pythagorean Theorem
ሬ𝐹ሬԦ= ൫6𝑖Ƹ− 2𝑗Ƹ+ 4𝑘෠൯− (𝑖Ƹ+ 4𝑗Ƹ)
F=ට𝐹𝑥 2 + 𝐹𝑦 2 + 𝐹𝑧 2
ሬ𝐹ሬԦ= ሺ6 − 1ሻ𝑖Ƹ− ሺ2 + 4ሻ𝑗Ƹ+ 4𝑘෠ Thus, F=8.77 N
ሬ𝐹ሬԦ= 5𝑖Ƹ− 6𝑗Ƹ+ 4𝑘෠
F=ඥ52 + (−62 ) + 42 = 8.77