I MPORTANT POI NTS: VECTORS

o A ll physical quantities having direction are not vectors. For exam ple, the electric current possesses direction but it is a scalar
quantity because it can not be added or m ultiplied according to the rules of vector algebra.
o A vector can have only tw o rectangular com ponents in plane and only three rectangular com ponents in space.
o A vector can have any num ber, even infinite com ponents. (m inim um 2 com ponents)
o Follow ing quantities are neither vectors nor scalars : Relative density, density, viscosity, frequency, pressure, stress, strain,
m odulus of elasticity, poissons ratio, m om ent of inertia, specific heat, latent heat, spring constant loudness, resistance,
conductance, reactance, im pedance, perm ittivity, dielectric constant, perm eability, susceptibility, refractive index, focal length,
pow er of lens, B oltzm an constant, Stefans constant, G as constant, G ravitational constant, Rydberg constant, Plancks
constant etc.
o D istance covered is a scalar quantity.
o The displacem ent is a vector quantity.
o Scalars are added, subtracted or divided algebraically.
o V ectors are added and subtracted geom etrically.
o D ivision of vectors is not allow ed as directions cannot be divided.
o U nit vector gives the direction of vector.
o M agnitude of unit vector is 1.
o U nit vector has no dim ensions.
o 1

.

.

.

= = = k k j j i i
o 0


= = = k k j j i i
o j i k i k j k j i

,

,

= = =
o 0

.

.

.

= = = i k k j j i
o 0

= A A . A lso 0

= A A B ut A A A A

=
B ecause A A A

and A A

is collinear w ith A

o M ultiplication of a vector w ith 1 reverses its direction.
If B A

= , then A = B and B A

= .
If 0

= + B A , then A = B but B A

= .
o M inim um num ber of collinear vectors w hose resultant can be zero is tw o.
o M inim um num ber of coplaner vectors w hose resultant is zero is three.
o M inim um num ber of non coplaner vectors w hose resultant is zero is four.
o Tw o vectors are perpendicular to each other if 0 . = B A

.
o Tw o vectors are parallel to each other if . 0 = B A


o D isplacem ent, velocity, linear m om entum and force are polar vectors.
o A ngular velocity, angular acceleration, torque and angular m om entum are axial vectors.
o D ivision w ith a vector is not defined because it is not possible to divide w ith a direction.
o D istance covered is alw ays positive quantity.
o The com ponents of a vectors can have m agnitude than that of the vector itself.
o The rectangular com ponents cannot have m agnitude greater than that of the vector itself.
o W hen w e m ultiply a vector w ith 0 the product becom es a null vector.
o The resultant of tw o vectors of unequal m agnitude can never be a null vector.
o Three vectors not lying in a plane can never add up to give a null vector.
o A quantity having m agnitude and direction is not necessarily a vector. For exam ple, tim e and electric current. These
quantities have m agnitude and direction but they are scalar. This is because they do not obey the law s of vector addition.
o A physical quantity w hich has different values in different directions is called a tensor. For exam ple : M om ent of inertia has
different values in different directions. H ence m om ent of inertia is a tensor. O ther exam ples of tensor are refractive index,
stress, strain, density etc.
o The m agnitude of rectangular com ponents of a vector is alw ays less than the m agnitude of the vector
o If B A

= , then
y y x x
B A B A = = , and
z z
B A = .
o If C B A

= + . O r if 0

= + + C B A , then B A

, and C

lie in one plane.

o If C B A

= , then C

is perpendicular to A

as w ell as B

.
o If | | | | B A B A

= , then angle betw een A

and B

is 90.
o Resultant of tw o vectors w ill be m axim um w hen = 0 i.e. vectors are parallel.
| | 0 cos 2
2 2
m ax
Q P PQ Q P R + = + + =
o Resultant of tw o vectors w ill be m inim um w hen u = 180 i.e. vectors are anti-parallel.
| | 180 cos 2
2 2
m in
Q P PQ Q P R = + + =
Thus, m inim um value of the resultant of tw o vectors is equal to the difference of their m agnitude.
o Thus, m axim um value of the resultant of tw o vectors is equal to the sum of their m agnitude.
W hen the m agnitudes of tw o vectors are unequal, then
0
m in
= = Q P R |] | | | [ Q P

=
Thus, tw o vectors P

and Q

having different m agnitudes can never be com bined to give zero resultant. From here, w e conclude
that the m inim um num ber of vectors of unequal m agnitude w hose resultant can be zero is three. O n the other hand, the m inim um
num ber of vectors of equal m agnitude w hose resultant can be zero is tw o.
o A ngle betw een tw o vectors A

and B

is given by

| | | |
.
cos
B A
B A


=
o Projection of a vector A

in the direction of vector B

| |
.
B
B A

=
o Projection of a vector B

in the direction of vector A

| |
.
A
B A

=
o The vectors k j i

+ + is equally inclined to the coordinate axes at an angle of 54.74 degrees.
o If C B A

= , then 0 . = C B A

.
o If 0 . = C B A

, then B A

. and C

are coplanar.
o If angle betw een A

and B

is 45,
then | | . B A B A

=