1.

4 Scalars & Vectors

Scalar Quantity
Only has a magnitude
Has no direction
E.g. mass, temperature, time, length, speed, energy

Vector Quantity
Has magnitude and direction
E.g. displacement, force, velocity, acceleration, momentum

Vectors
On diagram, a vector can be represented by an arrow,


! The length of the arrow, drawn to scale, represents its magnitude
! The direction of the arrow is the direction of the vector quantity

Resultant Vector
When two or more vectors of the same type are acting on a body, a single
resultant vector will be experienced.
Adding the vectors gives the resultant vector.
When adding vectors, their directions have to be considered.

Methods of Adding Vectors
1. Graphical Method (drawn to scale)
o Parallelogram
o Head-to-tail
2. Calculation (on a sketched vector diagram)
o Pythagoras theorem
o Trigonometric formula
3. Component method
o Resolve the vectors into two perpendicular components and adding the sum
of the two perpendicular vectors to find the resultant

Head-to-tail Method
Applicable to any number of vectors
Order of the vectors joined in the head-to-tail method is immaterial (will not
affect the resultant)
When the diagram formed is a closed polygon, the resultant is zero

Resolving Vector
Two vectors can add up to form a single vector
Conversely, a single vector can be considered as being made up of two component
vectors
Hence, a single vector can be resolved into two perpendicular components
o E.g. If a vector A is resolved into its components A1 and A2, what is the
relation between A and its components?






o E.g. If a vector A is ! above the horizontal, what is its horizontal
component A
x
and vertical component A
y
in terms of A and !?






o E.g. The inclined plane





An object of mass m is placed on a slope inclined at ! to the horizontal, the
component of its weight is
Along the slope " mg sin !
Perpendicular to the slope " mg cos !
Steps of Finding Resultant Using the Component Method
Resolve each of the vectors into their
components
Add up all the components in the same direction
Find the resultant of these two sum components
using Pythagoras theorem.

E.g. Vector A has a magnitude of 3.76 and is at an angle of 34.5 above
the positive x-direction. Vector B has a magnitude of 4.53 and is at an angle
of 34.1 above the negative x-direction. What is the resultant of the two
vectors?
; C = A + B
C
x
= A
x
+

B
x

C
y
= A
y
+ B
y



Vector x-component y-component
A A
x
= A cos !
A
x
= 3.76 cos 34.5

A
x
= 3.10
A
y
= A sin !
A
y
= 3.76 sin 34.5
A
y
= 2.13
B B
x
= B cos !
B
x
= 4.53 cos 34.1
B
x
= -3.75
B
y
= B sin !
B
y
= 4.53 sin 34.1
B
y
= 2.54
C C
x
= 3.10 + (-3.75)
C
x
= -0.65

C
y
= 2.13 + 2.45
C
y
= 4.67
C = "[(C
x
)
2
+ (Cy)
2
]
C = "[(0.65)
2
+ (4.67)
2
]
C = 4.72
tan ! = 0.65 = 7.92
tan ! = 4.67
! = 90 7.92 = 82.1
The resultant vector has a magnitude of 4.72 and 82.1 above the negative x-direction.

Vector Subtraction
To find the difference of two vectors, say, a and b, is denoted by a b.
It is equivalent to vector addition, with the direction of the second vector reversed.
Thus, it can also be written as a b = a + (-b))
The vectors have the same magnitude but opposite in direction.
Use the head-to-head method for diagram