CHAPTER 2

Vectors
Scalar and Vector Quantities

1- Scalar quantity: It is a quantity requires the specification of magnitude and has no direction.
Examples: distance (x), speed, mass (m), age, time (t), volume (V), density (), work
(W), energy (E), pressure, ………etc.
2- Vector quantity: It is a quantity requires the specification of both magnitude and direction.
Examples: displacement (x), velocity (v), acceleration (a), force (F), moment (M),
momentum, weight (G), ………etc.
 The symbol of a vector is: and its magnitude is:
 Two vectors are equal if they have the same magnitude and direction.
 For adding two vectors, they must have the same units and the direction must be taken into
account. Y
 A vector A is lying in the xy plane. It has two components:
, , and A
Ay
 X
Ax
Or and
Y
Where and are unit vectors in the directions of x and y, respectively.
Unit vectors:
X
The unit vector is: A dimensionless vector and it has a magnitude of exactly 1.
Z
 If and

, and

Also, in three components:

and
Example 1 Example 2.3 page 5 in the Book
Find the sum of two vectors A and B lying in the xy plane and given by:
and
Solution Y (m)

and 333o
27o
X (m)

*************************************************************************************
Example 2 Example 2.4 page 5 in the Book
A particle undergoes to three consecutive displacements:
cm , cm , cm
Find the resulting displacement of the particle.
Solution
cm
cm
*************************************************************************************
Example 3 Example 2.5 page 6 in the Book
A hiker begins a trip by first waking 25 km southeast from her car. She stops and set up her tent for the
night. On the second day, she walks 40 km in a direction 60o north of east, at which point she discovers a
forest ranger’s tower. Y (km) Tower
(a) Determine the components of the hiker’s displacement for each
day. B
X (km)
(b) Determine the components of the hiker’s resultant displacement R 45o
for the trip. Find an expression for R in terms of unit vectors. A
60o
Solution Tent
(a) For the first day: km
Y (km) Tower

km
A cos45 X (km)
For the second day: km 45o
B sin60 B
A sin45 A
km 60o
Tent B cos60
(b)
km
km
north of east
Example 4 Example 2.6 page 6 in the Book
A commuter airplane takes the route shown in Figure. First, it flies from the origin of the coordinate
system shown to city A, located 175 km in a direction 30.0° north of east. Next, it flies 153 km 20.0° west
of north to city B. Finally, it flies 195 km due west to city C.
Find the location of city C relative to the origin.
y (km)
Solution
km , km , km C B
B cos20
A sin30
20o
km R B sin20
A

km 30o x (km)
A cos30
km
km
north of west