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Vector Algebra

A vector is a quantity that has both magnitude and direction, such as displacement, velocity, and force. It can be represented by arrows with length and orientation. A scalar is a quantity that only has magnitude. Unit vectors have a magnitude of 1 and are used to define the direction of other vectors. The dot and cross products are operations used to relate vectors and result in either a scalar or vector. The dot product yields a scalar and relates the magnitudes and angle between vectors. The cross product yields a vector that is perpendicular to the two input vectors and can be used to find things like torques.

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112 views2 pages

Vector Algebra

A vector is a quantity that has both magnitude and direction, such as displacement, velocity, and force. It can be represented by arrows with length and orientation. A scalar is a quantity that only has magnitude. Unit vectors have a magnitude of 1 and are used to define the direction of other vectors. The dot and cross products are operations used to relate vectors and result in either a scalar or vector. The dot product yields a scalar and relates the magnitudes and angle between vectors. The cross product yields a vector that is perpendicular to the two input vectors and can be used to find things like torques.

Uploaded by

Ibn Sina
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Vector Analysis

A vector is a quantity having both magnitude and direction, such as displacement,


velocity, force and acceleration.

A scalar is a quantity having magnitude but no direction, such as mass, time and any
real number.

Unit vector: a unit vector is a vector having unit magnitude. If 𝐴⃗ is a vector with
𝐴⃗
magnitude |𝐴⃗| ≠ 0 then |𝐴⃗| is a unit vector having the same direction as 𝐴⃗

The rectangular unit vectors 𝒊̂, 𝒋̂ , 𝒌̂ : An important set of vectors are those having the
directions of the positive 𝑥, 𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑧 axes of a three dimensional rectangular coordinate
system and are denoted by 𝑖̂, 𝑗̂ , 𝑘̂.

Components of a vector: Let (𝐴1 , 𝐴2 , 𝐴3 ) be the vector 𝐴⃗. The vectors 𝐴1 𝑖̂, 𝐴2 𝑗̂ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐴3 𝐾
̂
are called the rectangular component vectors or simply component vectors of 𝐴⃗ in the
𝑥, 𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑧 direction respectively.

̂ is the vector 𝐴⃗ so that can be written as


The sum or resultant of 𝐴1 𝑖̂, 𝐴2 𝑗̂ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐴3 𝐾

𝐴⃗ = 𝐴1 𝑖̂ + 𝐴2 𝑗̂ + 𝐴3 𝐾
̂

The magnitude of 𝐴⃗ is |𝐴⃗| = √𝐴12 + 𝐴22 + 𝐴23

The position or radius vector 𝑟⃗ from 𝑂 to the point (𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧) is written as

̂
𝑟⃗ = 𝑥𝑖̂ + 𝑦𝑗̂ + 𝑧𝐾

And has magnitude |𝑟⃗| = √𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2

 If 𝐴⃗ = 3𝑖̂ − 2𝑗̂ + 𝐾̂,𝐵 ⃗⃗ = 2𝑖̂ − 4𝑗̂ − 3𝐾̂ , 𝐶⃗ = −𝑖̂ + 2𝑗̂ + 2𝐾̂ find the magnitudes of
a) 𝐶⃗ b) 𝐴⃗ + 𝐵 ⃗⃗ + 𝐶⃗ c) 2𝐴⃗ − 3𝐵⃗⃗ − 5𝐶⃗
 Find a unit vector parallel to the resultant of vectors ⃗⃗⃗⃗ ̂,
𝑟1 = 2𝑖̂ + 4𝑗̂ − 5𝐾
𝑟2 = 𝑖̂ + 2𝑗̂ + 3𝐾
⃗⃗⃗⃗ ̂
 If 𝐴⃗ = 3𝑖̂ − 𝑗̂ − 4𝐾
̂,𝐵 ̂ , 𝐶⃗ = 𝑖̂ + 2𝑗̂ − 𝐾
⃗⃗ = −2𝑖̂ + 4𝑗̂ − 3𝐾 ̂ find
a) 2𝐴⃗ − 𝐵 ⃗⃗ + 3𝐶⃗ b)|𝐴⃗ + 𝐵
⃗⃗ + 𝐶⃗| c) |3𝐴⃗ − 2𝐵 ⃗⃗ + 4𝐶⃗| d) a unit vector parallel to
3𝐴⃗ − 2𝐵
⃗⃗ + 4𝐶⃗
The Dot and Cross Product
The Dot or Scalar product of two vectors 𝐴⃗ and 𝐵
⃗⃗ are denoted by 𝐴⃗. 𝐵
⃗⃗ is defined as the
product of the magnitudes of 𝐴⃗ and 𝐵
⃗⃗ and the cosine of the angle 𝜃 between them. In
symbols 𝐴⃗. 𝐵
⃗⃗ = |𝐴⃗||𝐵
⃗⃗|𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃

The following laws are valid:

1) 𝐴⃗. 𝐵 ⃗⃗ = 𝐵 ⃗⃗ . 𝐴⃗
2) 𝑖̂. 𝑖̂ = 𝑗̂. 𝑗̂ = 𝑘̂. 𝑘̂ = 1 , 𝑖̂. 𝑗̂ = 𝑗̂. 𝑘̂ = 𝑘̂ . 𝑖̂ = 0
3) If 𝐴⃗ = 𝐴1 𝑖̂ + 𝐴2 𝑗̂ + 𝐴3 𝐾 ̂ and 𝐵 ⃗⃗ = 𝐵1 𝑖̂ + 𝐵2 𝑗̂ + 𝐵3 𝐾
̂ then
𝐴⃗. 𝐵
⃗⃗ = 𝐴1 𝐵1 + 𝐴2 𝐵2 + 𝐴3 𝐵3
4) If 𝐴⃗. 𝐵
⃗⃗ = 0 then 𝐴⃗ and 𝐵
⃗⃗ are perpendicular

Cross product:

1) 𝐴⃗ × 𝐵 ⃗⃗ = −𝐵 ⃗⃗ × 𝐴⃗
2) 𝑖̂ × 𝑖̂ = 𝑗̂ × 𝑗̂ = 𝑘̂ × 𝑘̂ = 0 , 𝑖̂ × 𝑗̂ = 𝑘̂ , 𝑗̂ × 𝑘̂ = 𝑖̂, 𝑘̂ × 𝑖̂ = 𝑗̂
3) If 𝐴⃗ = 𝐴1 𝑖̂ + 𝐴2 𝑗̂ + 𝐴3 𝐾 ̂ and 𝐵 ⃗⃗ = 𝐵1 𝑖̂ + 𝐵2 𝑗̂ + 𝐵3 𝐾 ̂ then
𝑖̂ 𝑗̂ 𝑘̂
𝐴⃗ × 𝐵⃗⃗ = |𝐴1 𝐴2 𝐴3 |
𝐵1 𝐵1 𝐵1

 Find the angle between 𝐴⃗ = 2𝑖̂ + 2𝑗̂ − 𝐾 ̂,𝐵⃗⃗ = 6𝑖̂ − 3𝑗̂ + 2𝐾


̂
 Find the projection of the vector 𝐴⃗ = 𝑖̂ − 2𝑗̂ + 𝐾
̂ on the vector 𝐵
⃗⃗ = 4𝑖̂ − 4𝑗̂ + 7𝐾
̂

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