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Vectors: Intensive Course P.L. Chathurika Silva

This document discusses scalars and vectors, including their definitions and properties. It covers representing and adding vectors, as well as multiplying vectors using scalar and vector products. Properties of vector addition, subtraction, and multiplication are presented along with examples of calculating position vectors and dividing a line segment between two points.

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Muhammed Ifkaz
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
24 views

Vectors: Intensive Course P.L. Chathurika Silva

This document discusses scalars and vectors, including their definitions and properties. It covers representing and adding vectors, as well as multiplying vectors using scalar and vector products. Properties of vector addition, subtraction, and multiplication are presented along with examples of calculating position vectors and dividing a line segment between two points.

Uploaded by

Muhammed Ifkaz
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Vectors

Intensive Course
P.L. Chathurika Silva
Physical
Quantities

Scalars Vectors

Have both
Have magnitude magnitude and
direction

Eg: force,
velocity,
But no direction
acceleration,
displacement

Eg: mass,length,
time
temperature,
volumn, density..
Representation of Vector
O P

ā
Magnitude- length of arrow
Vector representation b y arrow➔ ā
Magnitude➔ |ā|

Unit vector➔ magnitude is unit and can write as â


Equal vector➔ vector is equal magnitude, same direction (parallel to each other)
Zero vector ➔ null vector whose magnitude is zero
Addition of Vectors
A vector whose effect is same as two vectors is called
sum/resultant of the given vector

Properties of addition of vectors


1) Commutative Law➔ ā + ē = ē + ā
2) Associative Law
ā + (ē + ū)= (ē + ā) + ū

Subtraction of Vectors
ā - ē = ā + (- ē )➔ this again addition of negative of e

Multiplication of vectors by a number

If n is real positive no, nā➔ magnitude is n times ā and direction is same as ā


If n is negative no, nā➔ magnitude is n times ā and direction is opposite to ā
 If the coordinates of the P be (3,4,12), then find OP magnitude and direction??

Position vector of a point


 Position vector of a point A w.r.t. origin O is OA.

 AB= Position vector of B - Position vector of A


 If A=(3,4,5) and B= (6,8,9) find AB?????
Ratio Formula
 To find the position vector of a point which divides the line joining two given points
 Let A and B two points and C divides AB in the ratio of m:n. Let O be the origin
OC = (mb +na)/(m+n)
If m=n=1, then C will be the mid point and,
OC=(a+b)/2

Eg: The position vectors as follows:

A= (i+2j+4k)
B=(2i+3j+5k)
Find the position vector of C that it divides AB in the ratio 2:3????
 Product of two vectors
 This results in two different ways:
1) As a number➔ scalar product➔ ā. ƀ
2) As a vector➔ vector product➔ āxƀ

so there are two types of product of two vectors


1) Scalar/dot product
ā. ƀ= | ā || ƀ |cosӨ
Scalar product is :
I) commutative..prove??ā. ƀ= ƀ.ā
II) Distributive ā. (ƀ+ ē)= ā.ƀ+ ā.ē
Useful results
i.i=1 j.j=1 k.k=1
i.j= 0 i.k=0 j.k=0
Vector product or cross product
Cross product of two vectors defined to be a vector such that:
i. Its magnitude is ā. ƀ= | ā || ƀ |sineӨ
ii. Its direction is perpendicular to both vectors
iii. It forms with a right handed system
iv. Let Ƞ be a unit vector perpendicular to both the vectors

Geometric interpretation
ā xƀ = vector area of parallelogram OALB
 Vector product is not commutative
ā xƀ ≠ƀ x ā
ā xƀ =-ƀ x ā
If two vectors are parallel➔ ā xƀ =0
Distributive Law
āx (ƀ+ ē)= āxƀ+ āxē

Useful Results
i x i = j x j= k x k=0
ixj=-jxi=k
jxk=-kxj=I
kxi=-ixk=j

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