Skip to main content

Scalars vs Vectors

Pātai: Scalars vs Vectors 🔗

In pairs, think about and discuss the similarities and differences between these two questions:



What is a Vector? 🔗

Discuss with your partner the difference between velocity and speed.


Example: Distance vs Displacement 🔗


Pātai 🔗

Ella drives to Sumner beach in the weekend because it is nice and hot outside. She drives $5km$ south and $10km$ west to get there.


Whakatika 🔗

Source


Scalar or Vector? 🔗

---

When dealing with problems which involve vector quantities (e.g. calculating velocity, force, etc.), you must consider the size and direction.

Which means: YOU MUST USE VECTOR DIAGRAMS (trigonometry) when working in two dimensions!


Vectors 🔗


Vector Addition 🔗

Vector Addition


Why can’t we add vectors algebraically? 🔗

You help lift a box with a friend. You both apply 5N of force to lift it. What is the resultant force? ![](../assets/1D-forces.png)
With a second box your friend pushes sideways with 5N of force while you apply 5N up. What is the resultant force? Which direction is it going? What is it's size? ![](../assets/2D-forces.png)

Vector Addition Example 🔗

A car is driven 3 km east for 200 seconds, then 4 km south for 250 seconds, then 3 km west for 150 seconds.

  1. What is the total distance the car has travelled?
  2. What is the total displacement of the car?
  3. What is the average speed of the car?
  4. What is the average velocity of the car?

$$ \begin{aligned} speed = \frac{distance}{time} \cr velocity = \frac{displacement}{time} \end{aligned} $$


Vectors Worksheet 🔗

Source


Mahi Tuatahi 🔗

  1. https://quizlet.com/au/566254686/vectors-and-scalars-flash-cards/

Ngā Whāinga Ako 🔗

  1. Complete practical vector addition examples
  2. Introduce vector subtraction
  3. Calculate vector $\Delta$

Write the date and ngā whāinga ako in your book


Vector Subtraction 🔗

Consider acceleration:




Summary: Vector subtraction is simply vector addition, where the subtracted vectors have their directions inverted.


Vectors with $\Delta$ 🔗

Velocity is a vector and a change ($\Delta$) is calculated like this:

$$ \begin{aligned} \Delta v &= v_{f} - v_{i} \cr \end{aligned} $$

Pātai: Looks like vector subraction to me. Can we turn it into addition?

$$ \begin{aligned} & \Delta v = v_{f} - v_{i} \cr & \Delta v = v_{f} + (-v_{i}) \cr \end{aligned} $$


Example / Tauria 🔗

A soccer ball collides with the crossbar of a goalpost at $5ms^{-1}$. It rebounds at $4ms^{-1}$ in the opposite direction away from the crossbar.

  1. Draw a vector diagram illustrating this
  2. Determine the ball’s change in velocity using the $\Delta v$ equation
    • Remember to use K,U,F,S,S

Practice / Whakawai 🔗


Mahi Tuatahi 🔗

  1. Mr Le Sueur walked his dog up Mt Barossa. He first walked 1.5km East in 30min and then 2.5km North in 1hr 15min. Draw a vector diagram of his displacement.
  2. Calculate his average speed
  3. Calculate his average velocity
  4. Give the direction of his displacement using an angle and a cardinal direction (e.g. 10 deg north of west).


Finding Directions 🔗

Make sure your calculator is in degrees NOT radians!


Textbook Questions 🔗


Mahi Tuatahi 🔗

  1. Sarah passes the soccer ball to Kya at a speed of $15ms^{-1}$. Kya then passes it off to Atua at a speed of $5ms^{-1}$. Draw a vector diagram for this change in velocity.
  2. Calculate the change in velocity (remember Pythagoras)
  3. Calculate the angle of the change (remember SOH-CAH-TOA)

Answer / Whakatika 🔗

$$ \begin{aligned} \Delta v^{2} &= v_{f}^{2} + v_{i}^{2} \cr \Delta v &= \sqrt{v_{f}^{2} + v_{i}^{2}} \cr \Delta v &= \sqrt{15^{2} + 5^{2}} \cr \Delta v &= \sqrt{250} = 15.81ms^{-1} \cr\cr tan(\theta) &= \frac{opp}{adj} \cr \theta &= tan^{-1}(\frac{15}{5}) = 75.6\degree \end{aligned} $$


Te Whāinga Ako 🔗

  1. Decompose vectors into horizontal and vertical components

Write the date and te whāinga ako in your book


Vector Components 🔗


Whakatika 🔗


Vector Decomposition


Pātai 🔗

Vector Decomposition

  1. Mr Le Sueur tosses a ball across the classroom with an initial velocity of $v=4ms^{-1}$ (hypotenuse), on an angle of $40\degree$. Draw a labelled vector diagram
  2. Calculate the horizontal component of the velocity
  3. Calculate the vertical component of the velocity

Whakatika 🔗

Vector Decomposition

$$ \begin{aligned} v_{x} &= v \times cos(\theta) && \text{Horizontal} \cr v_{y} &= v \times sin(\theta) && \text{Vertical} \end{aligned} $$


Textbook Pātai 🔗