Exercise 1.

3 Scalar and Vectors

1. If the swallows fly due north and cover 200 km on the first day, 300 km on the second day, and 250
km on the third day, draw a vector diagram of their trip and find their total displacement for the
three-day journey.

2. Suppose a car pulling forward with a force of 20 000 N was pulled back by a rope that Joe held in his
teeth. Joe pulled the car with a force of 25 000 N. Draw a vector diagram of the situation and find the
resultant force.

3. If St. Louis Cardinals homerun king, Mark McGwire, hit a baseball due west with a speed of 50.0
m/s, and the ball encountered a wind that blew it north at 5.00 m/s, what was the resultant velocity of
the baseball?

4. The Maton family begins a vacation trip by driving 700 km west. Then the family drives 600 km
south, 300 km east, and 400 north. Where will the Matons end up in relation to their starting point?
Solve graphically.

5. Ralph is mowing the back yard with a push mower that he pushes downward with a force of 20.0 N
at an angle of 30.0° to the horizontal. What are the horizontal and vertical components of the force
exerted by Ralph?

6. A kite flies in still air is 4.0 ms-1. Find the magnitude and direction of the resultant velocity of the kite
when the air flows across perpendicularly is 2.5 ms-1. If the distance of the kite is 30 m from the
player, what is the time taken for the kite to fly? Calculate the height of the kite from the ground.

7.
 Five coplanar forces act on a particle, as drown in Figure above. Draw a scaled force polygon for
these forces. State the magnitude and direction of the resultant of these forces.
8. The figure shows 3 forces F1, F2 and F3 acting on a point O. Calculate the resultant force and the
direction of resultant.

9. Calculate the scalar product of vector F and s below.

F = 5N

= 60
S = 5M

10. There are two vector a and b, calculate the a  b.

b = 18 unit

a = 12 unit

Sollution
1.
2.

3.

4.
5.

6.

2.5 cm
B C

4 cm 4.72 cm

A D

Scaled to 1 cm : 1 m s-1

Figure 1- 5
Draw a straight line from A to B with the length of 4 cm, (1 cm : 1 m s-1). And another line B to C with the length of 2.5 cm. the
angle of ABC is 90 degree. The resultant of the vector can be measured from A to C, 4.72 cm.
This answered can be converted into 4.72 ms-1.
Using the protractor the angle of DAC is 58 degree. Meaning that the kite is moving at speed of 4.71 m s-1 and 58 degree from the
ground.

The distance from A to C is 30m, the time taken from A to C is :

s 30m
t   6.37 s
v 4.71ms 1
And the height of the kite is :
DC
 sin 
AC

DC  30m  sin 58  25.44m

7.

45
D
5 cm
4 cm

45 C

2 cm
4 cm
F

3 cm
G
A B

Scaled to 1 cm: 1 N

Figure 1- 7
Draw the polygon using a scaled 1 cm : 1N, refer to figure1- 6. The angle of the vector must be referred to the figure 5 while
connecting the head and tail of every vector.

The resultant of the vector can be measured using metre ruler from A to F and it’s length is 3.5 cm, meaning that 3.5 N
And it’s direction or angle, is 21 degree from the ground.
8.
 Figure 1- 10

Step one : Draw the axis x and y

Step two : resolve the vector that is not on any axis into two component, x and y
Step three : determine their angle
Step four : tabulate the component according their axis.
Force Component X Component Y
Mag: 3N No Component
F1 +3N 0
Dir : to the Right (+)
Mag : 5N Cos 30= 4.33N Mag : 5N sin 30 = 2.5 N
F2 -4.33N +2.5N
Dir : to the left (-) Dir : upward (+)
Mag: 4N Cos 60= 2N Mag: 4N sin 60
F3 -2N -3.46N
Dir : to the left (-) Dir : downward (-)
F x -3.33N F y -0.96N
Table 1- 8

Step Five : Calculate magnitude and direction of the resultant force.

Magnitude,
R  F    F 
x
2
y
2

R    3.33N     0.96 N 
2 2

R  3.47 N
And

  arctan 
Fy

Direction of R,  Fx
 0.96N
  arctan  16.08
 3.33N

9.
F  S  (5 N )(5m) cos 60  12.5 Nm
 
a  b  (12)(18) sin 90  216
10. Magnitude,
Direction :
 b

a
 
a b