Vector algebra
[Link] is a vector?
There are two types of physical quantities: quantities that are completely defined
by a magnitude (such as temperature, pressure, or energy), which are scalar
quantities, and quantities that also require a direction to be defined (such as
displacement or force), which are vector quantities.
There are two types of physical quantities:
- Scalar quantities
Quantities that are completely defined by a magnitude (such as temperature,
pressure, or energy), which are scalar quantities.
- Vector quantities
Quantities that also require a direction to be defined (such as displacement or
force), which are vector quantities.
A vector is a mathematical
object used to describe the second category of
quantities. A vector AB is represented by an oriented segment (an arrow) with
its end points at a starting point (A) and an end point (B).
The vector AB is characterized by: its
- Direction (orientation of the segment)
- Sense (from A to B)
- Magnitude or modulus �𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴�����⃗ � (length of the segment)
2. Vector operations: scalar multiplication, addition, and subtraction
Let us consider the two vectors �⃗
𝐵𝐵
A and B shown below A
significant observation
A+ B ≠A+B
A− B ≠A−B
3. Vector components
Any vector can be decomposed into several vectors. In particular, it can be decomposed into
three vectors ( Ax , Ay , Az ) , which are its projections onto a system of orthonormal axes (ox,
oy, oz). These three vectors are the Cartesian components of A .
We define the unit vectors i, j , k
along the axes ox, oy, and oz
respectively), So, we can write:
A = Ax + Ay + Az
So, we can write as follows:
Ax =x i ; Ax =y j ; Ax = z k
X, y, z are the Cartesian coordinates of
the endpoint of the vector A .
Observation
If : A1 = x1 i + y1 j + z1 k and A2 = x2 i + y2 j + z2 k
So , A1 + A2 = ( x1 + x2 )i + ( y1 + y2 ) j + ( z1 + z2 )k
A1 − A2 = ( x1 − x2 )i + ( y1 − y2 ) j + ( z1 − z2 )k
4. (Scalar) dot product of two vectors
The scalar product of two vectors is the algebraic number
A1. A2 = A1 . A2 cos α
where α ( A1 , A2 )
Properties of the dot product
- The scalar product is positive if α is an acute angle and negative if α is an
obtuse angle.
- It is zero if the two vectors are perpendicular.
- It is equal to the product of their magnitudes if the two vectors have the
same direction and sense.
2
Particular case : A. A = A
- The scalar product is commutative : A.B = B. A
- the scalar product is distributive with respect to addition:
A.( B + C =
) ( A.B) + ( A.C )
Analytical expression of the scalar product
If : A1 = x1 i + y1 j + z1 k and A2 = x2 i + y2 j + z2 k
A1. A2 =x1 x2 i.i + x1 y2 i. j + x1 z2 i.k + y1 x2 j.i + y1 y2 j. j + y1 z2 j.k + z1 x1 k .i + z1 y2 k . j + z1 z2 k .k
As : i.i = j. j = k .k =1 ; i. j = i.k = j.k =0
So ; A1. A2 = x1 x2 + y1 y2 + z1 z2
2
particular case : A. A = x 2 + y 2 + z 2 and as A. A = A ⇒ A = x2 + y 2 + z 2
5. vector cross product
The vector cross product of two vectors A1 , A2 is the vector V = A1 X A2 with :
- Magnitude A1 . A2 sin α
- Direction perpendicular to the plane formed by A1and A2
- sense such that the triad ( A1 , A2 , V ) is right-handed
properties of the vector product
- The cross product is zero if the two vectors are parallel.
- It is not commutative : AX B ≠ BX A
- It is anticommutative : AX B = −( BX A)
- It is distributive with respect to addition : AX ( B + C
= ) ( AX B) + ( AX C )
Analytical expression of the cross product
If A1 = x1 i + y1 j + z1 k and A2 = x2 i + y2 j + z2 k
A1 X A2 = x1 x2 iX i + x1 y2 iX j + x1 z2 iX k + y1 x2 jX i + y1 y2 jX j + y1 z2 jX k + z1 x1 k X i + z1 y2 k X j + z1 z2 k X k
As : iX i = jX j = k X k = 0 ;
iX J = − jX i = k
jX k = −k X j = i
kX i = −iX k = j
So ;
A1 X=
A2 x1 y2 k − x1 z2 j − y1 x2 k + + y1 z2 i + z1 x1 j − z1 y2 i
A1 X A2 = ( y1 z2 − z1 y2 )i + ( z1 x2 − x1 z2 ) j + ( x1 y2 − y1 x2 )k
we can represent this outcome as a determinant, which, when expanded with
respect to the first row, yields the value V
𝚤𝚤⃗ 𝚥𝚥�⃗ 𝑘𝑘�⃗
�⃗ = ����⃗
𝑉𝑉 ����⃗2 =
𝐴𝐴1 𝑋𝑋𝐴𝐴 𝑥𝑥1 𝑦𝑦1 𝑧𝑧1
𝑥𝑥2 𝑦𝑦2 𝑧𝑧2
𝑦𝑦 𝑧𝑧1 𝑥𝑥1 𝑧𝑧1 𝑥𝑥 𝑦𝑦1
�⃗ = ����⃗
𝑉𝑉 ����⃗2 =𝚤𝚤⃗� 1
𝐴𝐴1 𝑋𝑋𝐴𝐴 �⃗ � 1
𝑦𝑦 2 𝑧𝑧2 �-𝚥𝚥⃗�𝑥𝑥2 𝑧𝑧2 �+𝑘𝑘 𝑥𝑥2 𝑦𝑦2 �
�⃗ = ����⃗
𝑉𝑉 ����⃗2 =(𝑦𝑦1 𝑧𝑧2 − 𝑧𝑧1 𝑦𝑦2 )𝚤𝚤⃗-(𝑥𝑥1 𝑧𝑧2 − 𝑧𝑧1 𝑥𝑥2 ) 𝚥𝚥⃗+(𝑥𝑥1 𝑦𝑦2 − 𝑦𝑦1 𝑥𝑥2 ) 𝑘𝑘�⃗
𝐴𝐴1 𝑋𝑋𝐴𝐴
6. Derivative of a vector
"If: 𝐴𝐴⃗=𝐴𝐴⃗(𝑡𝑡) where t is a variable (which, in this context, represents time).
During a time interval Δt, we observe a change Δ𝐴𝐴⃗ in vector 𝐴𝐴⃗
Δ𝐴𝐴⃗= 𝐴𝐴⃗(t+ Δt)- 𝐴𝐴⃗(𝑡𝑡)
The derivative of 𝐴𝐴⃗ with respect to t is :
𝑑𝑑𝐴𝐴⃗ ∆𝐴𝐴⃗
= lim ( )
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 ∆𝑡𝑡→0 ∆𝑡𝑡
(Note that ∆ is not a multiplicative factor; rather, it is an operator denoting
“variation of”).
In Cartesian coordinates:
�⃗
𝐴𝐴⃗(𝑡𝑡) = 𝑥𝑥(𝑡𝑡)𝚤𝚤⃗ + 𝑦𝑦(𝑡𝑡)𝚥𝚥⃗+z(t) 𝑘𝑘
�⃗
�����⃗ = ∆𝑥𝑥𝚤𝚤⃗ + ∆𝑦𝑦𝚥𝚥⃗+∆z 𝑘𝑘
∆𝐴𝐴
𝑑𝑑𝐴𝐴⃗ ∆𝑥𝑥 ∆𝑦𝑦 ∆𝑧𝑧
= lim ( 𝚤𝚤⃗ + 𝚥𝚥⃗ + 𝑘𝑘 �⃗ )
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 ∆𝑡𝑡→0 ∆𝑡𝑡 ∆𝑡𝑡 ∆𝑡𝑡
𝑑𝑑𝐴𝐴⃗ ∆𝑥𝑥 ∆𝑦𝑦 ∆𝑧𝑧
= lim 𝚤𝚤⃗ + lim 𝚥𝚥⃗ + lim �⃗
𝑘𝑘
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 ∆𝑡𝑡→0 ∆𝑡𝑡 ∆𝑡𝑡→0 ∆𝑡𝑡 ∆𝑡𝑡→0 ∆𝑡𝑡
𝑑𝑑𝐴𝐴⃗
⇒ 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
=
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
𝚤𝚤⃗ +
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
𝚥𝚥⃗ +
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
�⃗
𝑘𝑘
