PHY10 Lesson 1

VECTORS

SCALAR QUANTITY
A quantity completely described by a single number, or
magnitude, (plus unit).
EXAMPLE: temperature, time, distance, mass, speed,
VECTOR QUANTITY
A quantity completely described by a magnitude and a
direction in space.
EXAMPLE: displacement, weight, force, velocity,
momentum,..
A
points to
vectors
direction

proportional
to vectors
magnitude

DIRECTIONS
N

+y

WN EN
+x

NW

NE

SW

SE

WS ES
+z
S

DIRECTIONS
+90O

-270O

+180O

+270O

-180O

-90O

VECTORS
resultant vector the vector sum of two or more
concurrent vectors.
equilibrant vector a single vector that balances two
or more concurrent vectors.
equivalent vectors two vectors that have the same
magnitude and direction.
parallel vectors two vectors that have the same
direction.
anti-parallel vectors two vectors that have opposite
directions.
negative of a vector a vector that has the same
magnitude as but opposite the direction of another
vector.

COMPONENTS OF VECTORS
y
A

Ay

Ax

x-component:

Ax A cos

y-component:

Ay A sin

magnitude of
the vector:

y
A

Ax

Ay
x

angle of the
vector:

Ax Ay

tan

Ay
Ax

VECTOR ADDITION: Graphical/Polygon Method

C +B +A
C

C
A +B +C

VECTOR ADDITION: Component Method

Cx

Bx
Ay

A
By

Cy

Ax
Summation of vectors along x-axis:

x Ax Bx C x A cos A B cos B C cos C

Summation of vectors along y-axis:

y Ay B y C y A sin A B sin B C sin C

VECTOR ADDITION: Component Method

x Ax Bx C x

Bx

Ax

Cx

y Ay B y C y

Ay

By

Cy

magnitude of
the resultant:

angle of the
resultant:

R x y

tan

y
y