OpenStax University Physics Volume I

Unit 1: Mechanics
Chapter 2: Vectors
University Physics Volume I
Unit 1: Mechanics
Chapter 2: Vectors
Conceptual Questions
1. A weather forecast states the temperature is predicted to be the following day. Is this
temperature a vector or a scalar quantity? Explain.
Solution
scalar
2. Which of the following is a vector: a person’s height, the altitude on Mt. Everest, the velocity
of a fly, the age of Earth, the boiling point of water, the cost of a book, Earth’s population, or the
acceleration of gravity?
Solution
velocity of a fly, acceleration of gravity
3. Give a specific example of a vector, stating its magnitude, units, and direction.
Solution
answers may vary
4. What do vectors and scalars have in common? How do they differ?
Solution
answers may vary
5. Suppose you add two vectors and What relative direction between them produces the
resultant with the greatest magnitude? What is the maximum magnitude? What relative direction
between them produces the resultant with the smallest magnitude? What is the minimum
magnitude?
Solution
parallel, sum of magnitudes, antiparallel, zero
6. Is it possible to add a scalar quantity to a vector quantity?
Solution
no
7. Is it possible for two vectors of different magnitudes to add to zero? Is it possible for three
vectors of different magnitudes to add to zero? Explain.
Solution
no, yes
8. Does the odometer in an automobile indicate a scalar or a vector quantity?
Solution
scalar
9. When a 10,000-m runner competing on a 400-m track crosses the finish line, what is the
runner’s net displacement? Can this displacement be zero? Explain.
Solution
zero, yes
10. A vector has zero magnitude. Is it necessary to specify its direction? Explain.
Solution
no
11. Can a magnitude of a vector be negative?
Solution
no
12. Can the magnitude of a particle’s displacement be greater that the distance traveled?

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Solution
no
13. If two vectors are equal, what can you say about their components? What can you say about
their magnitudes? What can you say about their directions?
Solution
equal, equal, the same
14. If three vectors sum up to zero, what geometric condition do they satisfy?
Solution
they form the sides of a triangle
15. Give an example of a nonzero vector that has a component of zero.
Solution
a unit vector of the x-axis
16. Explain why a vector cannot have a component greater than its own magnitude.
Solution
The length of a vector component is a side of a right triangle, where the hypotenuse is its
magnitude.
17. If two vectors are equal, what can you say about their components?
Solution
They are equal.
18. If vectors and are orthogonal, what is the component of along the direction of
What is the component of along the direction of
Solution
zero, zero
19. If one of the two components of a vector is not zero, can the magnitude of the other vector
component of this vector be zero?
Solution
yes
20. If two vectors have the same magnitude, do their components have to be the same?
Solution
no
21. What is wrong with the following expressions? How can you correct them? (a) (b)
(c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h )
(i) and (j)
Solution
a. , b. or , c. , d. , e. , f.
g. left side is a scalar and right side is a vector, h. , i. , j.

22. If the cross product of two vectors vanishes, what can you say about their directions?
Solution
They are parallel.
23. If the dot product of two vectors vanishes, what can you say about their directions?
Solution

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Chapter 2: Vectors
They are orthogonal.
24. What is the dot product of a vector with the cross product that this vector has with another
vector?
Solution
zero

Problems
25. A scuba diver makes a slow descent into the depths of the ocean. His vertical position with
respect to a boat on the surface changes several times. He makes the first stop 9.0 m from the
boat but has a problem with equalizing the pressure, so he ascends 3.0 m and then continues
descending for another 12.0 m to the second stop. From there, he ascends 4 m and then descends
for 18.0 m, ascends again for 7 m and descends again for 24.0 m, where he makes a stop, waiting
for his buddy. Assuming the positive direction up to the surface, express his net vertical
displacement vector in terms of the unit vector. What is his distance to the boat?
Solution
, 49 m
26. In a tug-of-war game on one campus, 15 students pull on a rope at both ends in an effort to
displace the central knot to one side or the other. Two students pull with force 196 N each to the
right, four students pull with force 98 N each to the left, five students pull with force 62 N each
to the left, three students pull with force 150 N each to the right, and one student pulls with force
250 N to the left. Assuming the positive direction to the right, express the net pull on the knot in
terms of the unit vector. How big is the net pull on the knot? In what direction?
Solution
, 110 N, to the left
27. Suppose you walk 18.0 m straight west and then 25.0 m straight north. How far are you from
your starting point and what is the compass direction of a line connecting your starting point to
your final position? Use a graphical method.
Solution
30.8 m, west of north
28. For the vectors given in the following figure, use a graphical method to find the following
resultants: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) ;
and (h)

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Chapter 2: Vectors

Solution
a. 59.33, ; b. 46.64, ; c. 33.35, ; d. 40.98, ; e. 22.08, ; f. 30.00,
; g. 65.97, ; h. 73.66,
29. A delivery man starts at the post office, drives 40 km north, then 20 km west, then 60 km
northeast, and finally 50 km north to stop for lunch. Use a graphical method to find his net
displacement vector.
Solution
134 km,
30. An adventurous dog strays from home, runs three blocks east, two blocks north, one block
east, one block north, and two blocks west. Assuming that each block is about 100 m, how far
from home and in what direction is the dog? Use a graphical method.
Solution
360 m,
31. In an attempt to escape a desert island, a castaway builds a raft and sets out to sea. The wind
shifts a great deal during the day and he is blown along the following directions: 2.50 km and
north of west, then 4.70 km and south of east, then 1.30 km and south of west,
then 5.10 km straight east, then 1.70 km and east of north, then 7.20 km and south
of west, and finally 2.80 km and north of east. Use a graphical method to find the
castaway’s final position relative to the island.
Solution
7.34 km, south of east
32. A small plane flies 40.0 km in a direction north of east and then flies 30.0 km in a
direction north of east. Use a graphical method to find the total distance the plane covers
from the starting point and the direction of the path to the final position.
Solution

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64.8 km, north of east
33. A trapper walks a 5.0-km straight-line distance from his cabin to the lake, as shown in the
following figure. Use a graphical method (the parallelogram rule) to determine the trapper’s
displacement directly to the east and displacement directly to the north that sum up to his
resultant displacement vector. If the trapper walked only in directions east and north, zigzagging
his way to the lake, how many kilometers would he have to walk to get to the lake?

Solution
3.8 km east, 3.2 km north, 7.0 km
34. A surveyor measures the distance across a river that flows straight north by the following
method. Starting directly across from a tree on the opposite bank, the surveyor walks 100 m
along the river to establish a baseline. She then sights across to the tree and reads that the angle
from the baseline to the tree is . How wide is the river?
Solution
70 m
35. A pedestrian walks 6.0 km east and then 13.0 km north. Use a graphical method to find the
pedestrian’s resultant displacement and geographic direction.
Solution
14.3 km,
36. The magnitudes of two displacement vectors are A = 20 m and B = 6 m. What are the largest
and the smallest values of the magnitude of the resultant
Solution
26 m, 14 m
37. Assuming the +x-axis is horizontal and points to the right, resolve the vectors given in the
following figure to their scalar components and express them in vector component form.

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Chapter 2: Vectors

Solution

a. , b. , c. , d. , f.

38. Suppose you walk 18.0 m straight west and then 25.0 m straight north. How far are you from
your starting point? What is your displacement vector? What is the direction of your
displacement? Assume the +x-axis is horizontal to the right.
Solution

30.8 m, ,
39. You drive 7.50 km in a straight line in a direction east of north. (a) Find the distances
you would have to drive straight east and then straight north to arrive at the same point. (b) Show
that you still arrive at the same point if the east and north legs are reversed in order. Assume the
+x-axis is to the east.
Solution
a. 1.94 km, 7.24 km; b. proof
40. A sledge is being pulled by two horses on a flat terrain. The net force on the sledge can be

expressed in the Cartesian coordinate system as vector where and

denote directions to the east and north, respectively. Find the magnitude and direction of the
pull.
Solution
8724.7 N, south of west
41. A trapper walks a 5.0-km straight-line distance from her cabin to the lake, as shown in the
following figure. Determine the east and north components of her displacement vector. How
many more kilometers would she have to walk if she walked along the component
displacements? What is her displacement vector?

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Chapter 2: Vectors

Solution

3.8 km east, 3.2 km north, 2.0 km,

42. The polar coordinates of a point are and 5.50 m. What are its Cartesian coordinates?
Solution
(–2.75 m, –4.76 m)

43. Two points in a plane have polar coordinates and

Determine their Cartesian coordinates and the distance between them in the Cartesian coordinate
system. Round the distance to a nearest centimeter.
Solution

, , 5.27 m
44. A chameleon is resting quietly on a lanai screen, waiting for an insect to come by. Assume
the origin of a Cartesian coordinate system at the lower left-hand corner of the screen and the
horizontal direction to the right as the +x-direction. If its coordinates are (2.000 m, 1.000 m), (a)
how far is it from the corner of the screen? (b) What is its location in polar coordinates?
Solution

a. , b.
45. Two points in the Cartesian plane are A(2.00 m, –4.00 m) and B(–3.00 m, 3.00 m). Find the
distance between them and their polar coordinates.
Solution

8.60 m, ,
46. A fly enters through an open window and zooms around the room. In a Cartesian coordinate
system with three axes along three edges of the room, the fly changes its position from point
b(4.0 m, 1.5 m, 2.5 m) to point e(1.0 m, 4.5 m, 0.5 m). Find the scalar components of the fly’s
displacement vector and express its displacement vector in vector component form. What is its
magnitude?
Solution

D = 4.7 m
47. For vectors and calculate (a) and its magnitude and
direction angle, and (b) and its magnitude and direction angle.
Solution

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a. ; b. ,
48. A particle undergoes three consecutive displacements given by vectors
and
(a) Find the resultant displacement vector of the particle. (b) What is the magnitude of the
resultant displacement? (c) If all displacements were along one line, how far would the particle
travel?
Solution
a. , b. , (c)
49. Given two displacement vectors and
find the displacements and their magnitudes for (a)
and (b)
Solution
a. ;

b.
50. A small plane flies in a direction north of east and then flies in a
direction north of east. Use the analytical method to find the total distance the plane covers
from the starting point, and the geographic direction of its displacement vector. What is its
displacement vector?
Solution

64.8 km and 40.9º north of east, and is to the east

51. In an attempt to escape a desert island, a castaway builds a raft and sets out to sea. The wind
shifts a great deal during the day, and she is blown along the following straight lines: 2.50 km
and north of west, then 4.70 km and south of east, then 1.30 km and south of
west, then 5.10 km due east, then 1.70 km and east of north, then 7.20 km and south
of west, and finally 2.80 km and north of east. Use the analytical method to find the
resultant vector of all her displacement vectors. What is its magnitude and direction?
Solution

is to the east, 7.34 km,

52. Assuming the +x-axis is horizontal to the right for the vectors given in the following figure,
use the analytical method to find the following resultants: (a) (b) (c) (d)
(e) (f) (g) and (h)
Solution

a. , b. , c. , d. , e.

, f. , g. , h.

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53. Given the vectors in the preceding figure, find vector that solves equations (a)
and (b) Assume the +x-axis is horizontal to the right.

Solution

a. , b.
54. A delivery man starts at the post office, drives 40 km north, then 20 km west, then 60 km
northeast, and finally 50 km north to stop for lunch. Use the analytical method to determine the
following: (a) Find his net displacement vector. (b) How far is the restaurant from the post
office? (c) If he returns directly from the restaurant to the post office, what is his displacement
vector on the return trip? (d) What is his compass heading on the return trip? Assume the +x-axis
is to the east.
Solution

a. , b. R = 134.32 mi, c. , d. south of

west
55. An adventurous dog strays from home, runs three blocks east, two blocks north, and one
block east, one block north, and two blocks west. Assuming that each block is about a 100 yd,
use the analytical method to find the dog’s net displacement vector, its magnitude, and its
direction. Assume the +x-axis is to the east. How would your answer be affected if each block
was about 100 m?
Solution

D = 360.5 yd, north of east; The numerical answers would stay the
same but the physical unit would be meters. The physical meaning and distances would be about
the same because 1 yd is comparable with 1 m.

56. If and find the

unknown constants a and b such that

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Solution
a = 5, b = 7

57. Given the displacement vector find the displacement vector so that

Solution

58. Find the unit vector of direction for the following vector quantities: (a) Force

(b) displacement and (c) velocity

Solution

a. , b. , c.
59. At one point in space, the direction of the electric field vector is given in the Cartesian
system by the unit vector If the magnitude of the electric field vector is E =

400.0 V/m, what are the scalar components and of the electric field vector at this

point? What is the direction angle of the electric field vector at this point?
Solution

60. A barge is pulled by the two tugboats shown in the following figure. One tugboat pulls on the
barge with a force of magnitude 4000 units of force at above the line AB (see the figure and
the other tugboat pulls on the barge with a force of magnitude 5000 units of force at below
the line AB. Resolve the pulling forces to their scalar components and find the components of
the resultant force pulling on the barge. What is the magnitude of the resultant pull? What is its
direction relative to the line AB?

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Solution
8754 units of force, approximately along AB
61. In the control tower at a regional airport, an air traffic controller monitors two aircraft as their
positions change with respect to the control tower. One plane is a cargo carrier Boeing 747 and
the other plane is a Douglas DC-3. The Boeing is at an altitude of 2500 m, climbing at
above the horizontal, and moving north of west. The DC-3 is at an altitude of 3000 m,
climbing at above the horizontal, and cruising directly west. (a) Find the position vectors of
the planes relative to the control tower. (b) What is the distance between the planes at the
moment the air traffic controller makes a note about their positions?
Solution

a. , ; b.

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62. Assuming the +x-axis is horizontal to the right for the vectors in the following figure, find the

following scalar products: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g)

and (h)

Solution
a. 103.92, b. –200, c. 29.25, d. 7.84, e. 30.09, f. 39.93, g. 50.34, h. 50
63. Assuming the +x-axis is horizontal to the right for the vectors in the preceding figure, find (a)
the component of vector along vector (b) the component of vector along vector (c)

the component of vector along vector and (d) the component of vector along vector
Solution
a. 8.66, b. 10.39, c. 0.866, d. 17.32
64. Find the angle between vectors for (a) and and
(b) and
Solution
a. , b.
65. Find the angles that vector makes with the x-, y-, and z- axes.
Solution

66. Show that the force vector is orthogonal to the force vector

Solution
Proof

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67. Assuming the +x-axis is horizontal to the right for the vectors in the previous figure, find the

following vector products: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f)

(g) and (h)

Solution

a. , b. , c. , d. , e. , f. , g. , h. 0

68. Find the cross product for (a) and (b)

and (c) and and

(d) and
Solution

a. , b. , c. , d.

69. For the vectors in the earlier figure, find (a) (b) and (c)

Solution

a. 0, b. 173,194, c.
70. (a) If can we conclude (b) If can we conclude
(c) If can we conclude Why or why not?
Solution
a. no, b. no, c. yes

Additional Problems
71. You fly in a straight line in still air in the direction south of west. (a) Find the
distances you would have to fly due south and then due west to arrive at the same point. (b) Find
the distances you would have to fly first in a direction south of west and then in a direction
west of north. Note these are the components of the displacement along a different set of
axes—namely, the one rotated by with respect to the axes in (a).
Solution
a. 18.4 km and 26.2 km, b. 31.5 km and 5.56 km
72. Rectangular coordinates of a point are given by (2, y) and its polar coordinates are given by
Find y and r.
Solution
y = 1.155, r = 5.333
73. If the polar coordinates of a point are and its rectangular coordinates are
determine the polar coordinates of the following points: (a) (–x, y), (b) (–2x, –2y), and (c) (3x, –
3y).
Solution

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a. , b. , (c)
74. Vectors and have identical magnitudes of 5.0 units. Find the angle between them if

Solution

75. Starting at the island of Moi in an unknown archipelago, a fishing boat makes a round trip
with two stops at the islands of Noi and Poi. It sails from Moi for 4.76 nautical miles (nmi) in a
direction north of east to Noi. From Noi, it sails west of north to Poi. On its return leg
from Poi, it sails east of south. What distance does the boat sail between Noi and Poi? What
distance does it sail between Moi and Poi? Express your answer both in nautical miles and in
kilometers. Note: 1 nmi = 1852 m.
Solution

76. An air traffic controller notices two signals from two planes on the radar monitor. One plane
is at altitude 800 m and in a 19.2-km horizontal distance to the tower in a direction south of
west. The second plane is at altitude 1100 m and its horizontal distance is 17.6 km and
south of west. What is the distance between these planes?
Solution
2.28 km

77. Show that when then where is the angle between

vectors and
Solution
proof
78. Four force vectors each have the same magnitude f. What is the largest magnitude the
resultant force vector may have when these forces are added? What is the smallest magnitude of
the resultant? Make a graph of both situations.
Solution
4f, 0
79. A skater glides along a circular path of radius 5.00 m in clockwise direction. When he coasts
around one-half of the circle, starting from the west point, find (a) the magnitude of his
displacement vector and (b) how far he actually skated. (c) What is the magnitude of his
displacement vector when he skates all the way around the circle and comes back to the west
point?
Solution
a. 10.00 m, b. c. 0
80. A stubborn dog is being walked on a leash by its owner. At one point, the dog encounters an
interesting scent at some spot on the ground and wants to explore it in detail, but the owner gets

impatient and pulls on the leash with force along the leash. (a)
What is the magnitude of the pulling force? (b) What angle does the leash make with the
vertical?
Solution

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a. F = 167.5 N, b.

81. If the velocity vector of a polar bear is how fast and in what

geographic direction is it heading? Here, and are directions to geographic east and north,
respectively.
Solution
22.2 km/h, south of west
82. Find the scalar components of three-dimensional vectors and in the following figure
and write the vectors in vector component form in terms of the unit vectors of the axes.

Solution

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83. A diver explores a shallow reef off the coast of Belize. She initially swims 90.0 m north,
makes a turn to the east and continues for 200.0 m, then follows a big grouper for 80.0 m in the
direction north of east. In the meantime, a local current displaces her by 150.0 m south.
Assuming the current is no longer present, in what direction and how far should she now swim to
come back to the point where she started?
Solution
240.2 m, south of west
84. A force vector has x- and y-components, respectively, of –8.80 units of force and 15.00
units of force. The x- and y-components of force vector are, respectively, 13.20 units of force
and –6.60 units of force. Find the components of force vector that satisfies the vector
equation
Solution

85. Vectors and are two orthogonal vectors in the xy-plane and they have identical

magnitudes. If find
Solution

or

86. For the three-dimensional vectors in the following figure, find (a) (b) and (c)

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Solution

a. , b. 76.60, c. 1.024

87. Show that is the volume of the parallelepiped, with edges formed by the three
vectors in the following figure.

Solution

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proof

Challenge Problems
88. Vector is 5.0 cm long and vector is 4.0 cm long. Find the angle between these two

vectors when and

Solution

89. What is the component of the force vector along the force vector

Solution

90. The following figure shows a triangle formed by the three vectors and If vector

is drawn between the midpoints of vectors and show that

Solution
proof
91. Distances between points in a plane do not change when a coordinate system is rotated. In
other words, the magnitude of a vector is invariant under rotations of the coordinate system.
Suppose a coordinate system S is rotated about its origin by angle to become a new
coordinate system as shown in the following figure. A point in a plane has coordinates (x, y)
in S and coordinates in
(a) Show that, during the transformation of rotation, the coordinates in are expressed
in terms of the coordinates in S by the following relations:

(b) Show that the distance of point P to the origin is invariant under rotations of the
coordinate system. Here, you have to show that

(c) Show that the distance between points P and Q is invariant under rotations of the
coordinate system. Here, you have to show that

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Solution
proof

This file is copyright 2016, Rice University. All Rights Reserved.

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