Vectors

Done By: Mohamed Tarek

A VECTOR is ANY quantity in physics that has BOTH
MAGNITUDE and DIRECTION.

Vectors are typically illustrated by drawing an ARROW above the symbol. The 
arrow is used to convey direction and magnitude. v

x length = magnitude
L Head 6 cm
250
250 above x-axis = direction
Tail H displacement x = 6 cm, 250
How to draw vectors –
lady bug displacement
NOTE 1:

displacement x = 6 cm, 250 Displacement shows how far

apart something is now
compared to from where it
started. It does not show show
length = magnitude 6 cm the path or the total distance
travelled.
250 above x-axis = direction
NOTE 2:
When drawing a vector you
x MUST put a ‘head’ or arrow on
L Head the vector to demonstrate which
250 direction it is pointing.

Tail H
How to draw vectors

The length of the vector,

drawn to scale, indicates
the magnitude of the
vector quantity.

the direction of a vector is the

counterclockwise angle of
rotation which that vector makes
with due East or x-axis.
Adding or subtracting vectors in a straight line
is easy, but what if the wind is coming from the
side?
We need to use trigonometry.
The order in which two or more vectors are added does not effect result.

vectors can be moved around as long as their length (magnitude)

and direction are not changed.

Vectors that have the same magnitude and the same direction are the
same.

Adding A + B + C + D + E yields the

same result as adding C + B + A + D +
E or D + E + A + B + C.
 Example: A man walks 54.5 meters east, then 30 meters west. Calculate his
displacement relative to where he started.
54.5 m, E

30 m, W
24.5 m, E
 Example: A man walks 54.5 meters east, then again 30 meters east. Calculate
his displacement relative to where he started.

54.5 m, E 30 m, E

84.5 m, E
 Example: A man walks 54.5 meters east, then 30 meters north. Calculate his
displacement relative to where he started.

54.52 + 30.02 = 62.2

62.2 m, NE 30 m, N

54.5 m, E
BUT…..what about the VALUE of the angle???
Just putting North of East on the answer is NOT specific enough for the direction. We MUST find the VALUE of the angle.

30
62.2 m, NE θ = arc tan
54.5
30 m, N

q  = 290
54.5 m, E

So the COMPLETE final answer is :

62.2 m, 290 or 62.2 m @ 290

A resultant (the real one) velocity is sometimes the
result of combining two or more velocities.
 Adding Vectors
Plane example 1 (tailwind)
A small plane is heading south at speed of 200 km/h
(This is what the plane is doing relative to the air around it)
1. The plane encounters a
To understand how far the plane is
tailwind of 80 km/h.
traveling relative to the ground we need
to add the two vectors – the plane’s
heading and the tailwind.

200 km h 80 km
h We add vectors by moving them head to
200 km
h tail and finding the resultant (sum).
e km
280 h

The resulting velocity relative to

80 km/ h the ground is 280 km/h S
Adding Vectors
Plane example 2 (headwind)
A small plane is heading south at speed of 200 km/h
(This is what the plane is doing relative to the air around it)
2. It’s Texas: the wind changes How do we figure out the
direction suddenly 1800. Now the plane
encounters a 80 km/h headwind plane’s velocity relative to the
ground?
80 km
h
Move the vectors head-to-tail
and find the resultant vector.
200 km h
e 120 km The resultant vector always goes
h from the tail of the first vector
to the head of the second vector

The resultant velocity is only 120

km/h south..