4.

Motion in a plane

Vectors
Equal vectors have the same magnitude and direction.

Addition of vectors
Head – to –tail /triangle method

Parallelogram method

Vector addition follows commutative and associative laws.

A + B = B + A [Commutative]
(A + B ) + C = A + (B+C) [Associative]

Null vector has zero magnitude.

Subtraction of vector:
   
a b a ( b)

Unit vector
Unit vector is a vector of unit magnitude along the direction of the vector.

a 
nˆ a nˆ a
a

In 2-D vector, a can be expressed as

a axiˆ ay ˆj

If a makes angle with x axis, then
ax = a cos and ay = a sin
ay
a a ax2 a y2 , tan
ax
The same process is used to resolve a vector into three components along x-axis, y-axis,
and z-axis.

Resultant of two vectors

  
R a b
  
R a bR
2 2
a b 2 a b cos (Law of cosines)
Whereas law of sines is given as,
r a b
sin sin sin

Position vector
The position vector is expressed as
r̂ xiˆ yjˆ zkˆ
  
r r r
x x iˆ y y ˆj z z kˆ
xiˆ yjˆ zkˆ

Velocity

 r
Average velocity, v
t 
 dr
Instantaneous velocity, v vxiˆ v y ˆj vz kˆ
dt
dx dy dz
Where, vx , vy , vz
dt dt  dt 
 v v v
Average acceleration, a
t  t
 dv
Instantaneous acceleration, a axiˆ a y ˆj az kˆ
dt
dvx dvy dvz
Where, ax , ay , az
dt dt dt

Acceleration
 
a a a2x a2 y
   1 2
r r0 v0t at
2
  
v v0 at

Projectile motion
x = (v0 cos ) t
1
y = (v0 sin ) t - gt2
2
vx = v0 cos 0
vy = v0 sin 0 –gt

Equation of parabolic projectile path

gx 2
y tan 0 x 2
2 v0 cos 0
2
v sin
Maximum height of projectile, hm = 0 0

2g
v sin
Time taken to reach max height, tm = 0 0

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