Scalar and Vector

What is Scalar Quantities

What is Vector Quantities
Representation of Vectors
Type of Vectors
Vector addition
Vector Subtraction
Vector Component
What is Scalar Quantities?

A scalar is a physical quantity that has

only a magnitude.
Examples: Mass ; Length ; Time ; Temperature
; Volume ; Density ; Work ; Energy
What is Scalar?

Length of a car is 4.5 m

physical magnitude
quantity
What is Scalar?

Mass of gold bar is 1 kg

physical magnitude
quantity
What is Vector Quantities

A vector is a physical quantity that has both

a magnitude and a direction.
Examples: Position ; Displacement ; Velocity ;
Acceleration ; Momentum ; Force
What is Vector?

California North
Carolina

Position of California from North Carolina is 3600 km In west

physical quantity magnitude direction

 What is Vector?

Displacement from USA to China is 11600 km in east

physical quantity magnitude direction

Representation of Vectors

Symbolically it is
represented as AB
 Representation of Vectors

Some vector quantities are represented by their respective

symbols with an arrow above it.
r v F

Position velocity Force

Representative of Vectors

Equal Vectors : Two parallel vectors are said to be equal vectors, if they have same
magnitude.

P
A
B
Q

A =B P =Q
Representative of Vectors

Anti-parallel Vectors : Two vectors are said to be anti-parallel vectors,

if they are in opposite directions.

P
A
B Q
Representative of Vectors

Negative Vectors : Two anti-parallel vectors are said to be negative

vectors, if they have same magnitude.

P
A
Q
B

-A = B -P = Q
Vector Addition

VECTOR ADDITION If 2 similar vectors point in the SAME

direction, add them.
(Head of vector has to point tail of the other vector)

Example: A man walks 54.5 meters east, then another 30

meters east. Calculate his displacement relative to where
he started?
Answer

Example: A man walks 54.5 meters east, then another 30

meters east. Calculate his displacement relative to where
he started?
54.5 m, E + 30 m, E Notice that the SIZE of the arrow
conveys MAGNITUDE and the
way it was drawn conveys
84.5 m, E DIRECTION.
Vector Substraction

VECTOR SUBTRACTION - If 2 vectors are going in

opposite directions, you SUBTRACT.
(Head of vector has to point tail of the other vector)

Example: A man walks 54.5 meters east, then 30

meters west. Calculate his displacement relative to
where he started?
 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
Non-Collinear Vectors

When 2 vectors are perpendicular, you must use the

Pythagorean theorem.

Example :
A man walks 95 km, East then 55 km, north. Calculate his
RESULTANT DISPLACEMENT.
Answer

The hypotenuse in Physics Finish

is called the RESULTANT.
c2 a 2 b2 c a 2 b2
55 km, N c Resultant 952 552
Vertical
Component
c 12050 109.8 km
Horizontal Component

95 km,E
Start
The LEGS of the triangle are called the COMPONENTS
Direction of the Resultant

In the previous example, DISPLACEMENT was asked for and since it is

a VECTOR we should include a DIRECTION on our final answer.

W of N E of N
N of E
N of W
N of E W E
S of W S of E

W of S E of S
NOTE: When drawing a right triangle that
conveys some type of motion, you MUST S
draw your components HEAD TO TAIL.
Value of Angle

Just putting North of East on the answer is NOT specific

enough for the direction. We MUST find the VALUE of the
angle. To find the value of the
angle we use a Trig
function called TANGENT.
109.8 km 55 km, N

opposite side 55
Tan 0.5789
N of E adjacent side 95

95 km,E Tan 1 (0.5789) 30
So the COMPLETE final answer is : 109.8 km, 30 degrees North of East
Vector Component

Suppose a person walked 65 m, 25 degrees East of North.

What were his horizontal and vertical components?
H.C. = ?
The goal: ALWAYS MAKE A adjacent side opposite side
RIGHT TRIANGLE!
cosine sine
V.C = ? hypotenuse hypotenuse
25 65 m To solve for components, adj hyp cos opp hyp sin
we often use the
trigonometry functions
since and cosine. adj V .C. 65 cos 25 58.91m, N
opp H .C. 65 sin 25 27.47m, E
I do

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.
We do

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

Rv 15 m/s, N
You do

1. 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.
2. 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.