Introduction to vectors
In our day to day life, we come across many queries such
as – What is your height? How should a football player hit
the ball to give a pass to another player of his team? Observe
that a possible answer to the first query may be 1.6 meters,
a quantity that involves only one value (magnitude) which
is a real number. Such quantities are called scalars.
However, an answer to the second query is a quantity (called
force) which involves muscular strength (magnitude) and
direction (in which another player is positioned). Such
quantities are called vectors. In mathematics, physics and
engineering, we frequently come across with both types of
quantities, namely, scalar quantities such as length, mass,
time, distance, speed, area, volume, temperature, work,
money, voltage, density, resistance etc. and vector quantities like displacement, velocity,
acceleration, force, weight, momentum, electric field intensity etc.
Simply, a vector is a quantity that has both a magnitude (or size) and a direction. Both of these
properties must be given in order to specify a vector completely. A quantity with magnitude but
no direction is called a scalar.It is repreesnted as; a⃗ , b⃗ (which represent both magnitude
and scalar).
Types of vector
Zero Vector: A vector whose initial and terminal points coincide, is called a zero vector (or null
vector), and denoted as . Zero vector can not be assigned a definite direction as it has zero
magnitude. Or, alternatively otherwise, it may be regarded as having any direction. The vectors
represent the zero vector,
Unit Vector: A vector whose magnitude is unity (i.e., 1 unit) is called a unit vector. The unit
vector in the direction of a given vector is denoted by aˆ .
Coinitial Vectors: Two or more vectors having the same initial point are called coinitial
vectors.
Collinear Vectors: Two or more vectors are said to be collinear if they are parallel to the
same line, irrespective of their magnitudes and directions.
Equal Vectors: Two vectors are said to be equal, if they have the same magnitude and
direction regardless of the positions of their initial points, and written as ; a⃗ = b⃗ .
Negative of a Vector: A vector whose magnitude is the same as that of a given vector (say,
⃗
AB ), but direction is opposite to that of it, is called negative of the given vector. For example,
vector ⃗
BA is negative of the vector ⃗AB , and written as ⃗ BA = – ⃗AB .
Properties of Vector Operations
Addition and Scalar Multiplication
2. ⃗a + ( b⃗ + c⃗ ) = ( a⃗ + b⃗ ) + c⃗
1 . a⃗ + b⃗ = b⃗ + a⃗
3. a⃗ + 0⃗ = a⃗
4. a + ( − a⃗ ) = ⃗0
5. c ( a⃗ + b⃗ ) = c ⃗a + c b⃗
6. ( c + d ) ⃗a = c a⃗ + d a⃗
7. (cd) a⃗ = c(da⃗ )
8. 1a⃗ = a⃗
Dot Product
a⃗ = ⟨a1,a2,a3⟩, b⃗ ⃗ = ⟨b1,b2,b3⟩
The dot product is defined by;
= ⇒ a⃗ · b⃗ = a 1 b 1 + a 2 b 2 + a 3 b 3
Also, a⃗ . b⃗ =|a|*|b|*cosx ,where x is the angle between a⃗ and b⃗ .
NOTE:
⃗
a⃗ . b=¿ b⃗ . a⃗
a⃗ . ( b⃗ . c⃗ ) ≠ ( a⃗ . b⃗ ) . c⃗
Cross Product
a⃗ = ⟨ a1,a2,a3⟩, · b⃗ = ⟨ b1,b2,b3⟩
The cross product is defined by ·
=⇒ a⃗ × b⃗ =⟨a2b3 −a3b2,a3b1 −a1b3,a1b2 −a2b1⟩ and obeys.
Also, a⃗ × b⃗ =|a|*|b|*sinx* n^ ,where x is the angle between a⃗
and b⃗ and n^ gives its direction.
Note: a⃗ , b⃗ and a⃗ × b⃗ are all vectors in three dimensions.
a⃗ × b⃗ ≠ b⃗ × a⃗
a⃗ × ( b⃗ × c⃗ ) ≠ ( a⃗ × b⃗ ) × c⃗
Vectors in Three Dimensions:
All of the previous ideas can be extended to three dimensions. The diagram below shows a
three dimensional co-ordinate system.
If you arrange your thumb and the first two fingers on your right hand in the same directions as
the three axes in the diagram, with the thumb pointing in the z- direction, then first finger point
will point in the x-direction and the second finger will point in the y-direction. When a screw is
screwed in the z-direction, your right hand will rotate (anti-clockwise) from the x-axis towards
the y-axis.
The point P has co-ordinates (2,1,3). It can be reached by moving 2 units along the x-axis from
the origin (0,0,0), then moving 1 unit parallel to the y-axis, then moving 3 units parallel to the z-
axis.
The projection of point P (2, 1, 3) onto the (x, y)-plane is (2, 1, 0), the projection onto the (y, z)-
plane is (0, 1, 3), and the projection onto the (z, x)-plane is (2, 0, 3).
Example
In three dimensions, i, j and k represent the unit vectors which have tails at the origin and which
point along the x-, y- and z-axes in a positive direction.
The position vector of the point P(2, 1, 3) above is PQ = 2i + j + 3k.
PQ has components[2,1,3] and length |PQ| = √ 2∗2+1+3∗2 . = 14.
In general, the length of the three dimensional vector [x, y, z] is √ x 2+ y 2+ z 2.
Application of vector
Vectors are fundamental in mathematics and physics,
with applications spanning various fields. Here are some
key areas where vectors are applied:
1. Physics and Engineering
- Motion and Force Analysis: Vectors represent velocity,
acceleration, and force. For instance, they help calculate
net force using vector addition in mechanics.
- Electromagnetism: Electric and magnetic fields are
described using vector quantities.
- Fluid Dynamics: Velocity fields in fluids are represented
as vector fields.
- Structural Engineering: Stress and strain analysis in
beams and structures use vectors.
2. Computer Graphics and Game Development
- Rendering 3D Models: Vectors define positions,
directions, and transformations in 3D space.
- Animation: Vectors control motion paths and calculate
collisions.
- Lighting: Normals (vectors perpendicular to surfaces)
determine light reflection and shading.
3. Robotics and AI
- Path Planning: Robots use vectors for navigation and
obstacle avoidance.
- Machine Learning: Feature vectors represent data points
in multi-dimensional space.
4. Navigation and Geolocation
- Aviation and Marine Navigation: Vectors describe wind
direction, aircraft velocity, and current flow in water.
- GPS Systems: Positioning relies on vector-based
calculations of satellite data.
5. Astronomy and Space Science
- Orbital Mechanics: Vectors describe the position,
velocity, and momentum of celestial objects.
- Satellite Tracking: Positions and trajectories are
analyzed using vectors.
6. Economics and Business
- Optimization: Vectors represent quantities in multi-
objective optimization.
- Data Visualization: Vector fields help visualize trends
and dynamics in financial models.
7. Medicine and Biology
- Biomechanics: Muscle forces and joint movements are
studied using vectors.
- Genetics and Molecular Modeling: Vectors represent
molecule orientations and movements.
8. Environmental Science
- Weather Forecasting: Wind direction and speed are
vectors in meteorological models.
- Oceanography: Ocean currents and wave propagation
are described using vector fields.
9. Mathematics and Computer Science
- Linear Algebra: Operations like vector addition, dot
product, and cross product are fundamental.
- Data Science: Vectors are central to clustering,
dimensionality reduction, and more.
Vectors are versatile tools that simplify complex problems
across disciplines by breaking them into components that
are easier to analyze and compute. Would you like a
deeper dive into any specific application?
REAL LIFE EXAMPLES:
FORCE:
Two forces F1 and F2 with magnitudes 20 and
30lb , respectively, act on an object at a point P as
shown. Find the resultant forces acting at P .
WORK:
