Objective

Chapter 1

To prepare you for other topics by providing with

some mathematical background, mainly vector

Vectors and simple calculus

AP1201 is about mechanics (motion, force) wave

(sound, wave on a string and in a pipe) and
heat

Topics for Chapter 1

What is physics?

vectors and scalars

an experimental science, in which

physicists try to understand how nature
works and how nature behaves in such
ways

Its main concern is physical

phenomena, not chemical phenomena,
not biological phenomena

physicists observe nature using

experimental techniques

Develop theories, models, laws and

principles to explain the physical
phenomena

add vectors graphically

vector components
unit vectors and components
multiplying vectors
Learn some basic of derivatives (differentiation) of
functions

What is physics?

For example, the description of

motion

You use a ruler to measure the

position and a stop watch to
measure the time

Plot a position and time graph

to describe the motion

The motion can be explained

using Newtons law

Physics is the foundation of engineering

Engineers need to know physics
Civil engineer: force, equilibrium in a
bridge
Mechanical engineer: motion in a car
engine
Biomedical: force in artificial joint
Electrical & electronics: current in device,
motion of a motor

Newtons law
F=ma

Two kinds of quantities

In physics, we must handle quantities, such as
your weight, your height.
Quantities can be obtained from experiments.
Quantities are usually represented by numbers
There are two kinds of quantities: scalar and
vector

Vectors and scalars

A scalar is a quantity represented by a single
number, such as your weight or height
A vector is a quantity having both a magnitude and a
direction.
a vector is usually
represented by a letter with an
arrow over it: A .

Magnitude of A is represented by A or A .
A typical example of vector: position of Kowloon
Tong station relative to the Central station.

Vector (relative position)

Other vector physical quantities

Apart from displacement, the following physical
quantities are also vectors

The relative position of

Kowloon Tong with
respect to Central is a
vector.
It tells you how to get
to Kowloon Tong from
central:
Walk a distance along
a certain direction
If the direction is
changed, you go to a
wrong place (red
arrow)

Velocity, momentum (come from position)

Angular velocity, angular momentum (come from
position)
Acceleration, force
electric field, magnetic field
They are usually related to motion and force

Representing vectors

Adding two vectors graphically

a vector is represented by a line with an

arrowhead at its tip graphically.

Two or more vectors may be added graphically using the head-to-tail

method. It does not depend on the order of how the vector is

The length of the line represents the

vector s magnitude.
The direction of the line represents the
vector s direction.
Representing vector using numbers
Magnitude can be represented by a
number, say v in the figure
Direction can represented by the angle
made with a fixed direction, angle
made with the x-axix

added

!" !" !" !"

A+ B = B + A

Head to tail method

Parallelogram method for adding vectors

It is independent on the order, adding in different

order gives the same result

Draw a parallelogram
with the two vectors
The sum of the two
vectors (vector R) is
the vector pointing to
the vertex between
vector A and B

Adding two vectors (collinear vectors)

Subtracting vectors

Adding vectors lying on the same straight line

!" !"
A+ B

!"
A
!"
A
!" !"
A+ B

!"
B
!"
B

This shows how to subtract vectors.

Multiplying a vector by a scalar

Components of a vectorFigure 1.17

Adding vectors graphically may not be accurate and is not convenient

If c is a scalar,
the
product cA has

Vector components provide a general method for adding vectors.

Any vector can be represented by an x-component Ax and a y
-component Ay. x and y directions are usually perpendicular.

magnitude |c|A.

Use trigonometry to find the components of a vector: Ax = Acos and

Ay = Asin , where is measured from the +x-axis toward the +y-axis.

multiplication of a vector
by a positive scalar and a
negative scalar.

A = Ax + Ay

components

The vector is the addition of its x

component and y component

Example
The red arrow
vector is the sum
of the two black
arrow vector. So
the two black
arrows are the
components of
the red arrow.

The vector A has a length of 2 and the angle

made with the x axis is 30o.
The x compoent is 2 cos 30o= 1.732
The y component is 2 sin 30o=1.

Find magnitude and direction from its components

Direction is usually denoted by an

angle measured from an axis for
example x axis

A = Ax2 + Ay2

= tan1 (

Ay
Ax

Unit vectors
Vectors are represented by
its components. Vectors
along the directions of the
components with a unit
length is called the unit
vector.
The vector C is represented
by two components and
the unit vectors are along
the direction of the two
components

Unit vectors

Unit vectorsFigures 1.231.24

Unit vector is a very convenient way of

representing the components of vectors
and representing vectors.

Unit vector is used to represent

components

For two dimension, we need two unit

vectors. For three dimension, we need
three unit vectors.

The unit vector i points in the +x

-direction,j points in the +y
-direction,
and points in the +z
k
-direction.

They have a length of 1 and are in the

direction of x and y in two dimension and
in the direction of x, y, z in three
dimension.

Any vector can be expressed in terms

of its! components as

All vectors can be expressed in terms of

unit vector

v = vx "i + vy "j + vz k"

vx is the x component, vy is the y

component, vz is the z component.

Components of vector
Coordinates of the end of the vector are the three
components of the vector. The end of vector v
has the coordinates vx, vy, vz, which are the
components of the vector v

Positive and negative components

The components of a vector can
be positive or negative
numbers, as shown in the
figure.
If the component is point to the
negative direction, then the
component is a negative
number

Negative
component

Calculations using components

Vector products

We can use the components of a

vector to find its magnitude and
direction:

Vectors are like scalar or numbers.

R = R2 + R2
x
y

Positive
component

They can be added. We can add two vectors

R
and tan =

y
R
x

We can use the components of a

set of vectors to find the components
of their sum:
R = A+ B

Rx = Ax + Bx ,

Ry = Ay + By

The components of the sum is the

sum of the components of all the
vectors..

How about multiplication of vectors, forming

product of two vectors.
Yes, we can multiply two vectors
Actually we have two ways of multiplying
vectors

The scalar product

Calculating a scalar product

The scalar product

(also called the
dot product ) of
two vectors is

In terms of components, the scalar product has simple

expressions.

A B = Ax Bx + Ay By + Az Bz .

! !
A B = ABcos.

The product is a
scalar so it is
called scalar
product
It is useful in
calculating work
done of a force

No need for the derivation of this expression

Later you can see work done is the dot product (scalar
product) of force and displacement
.

The vector product

Vector product

The vector
product ( cross
product ) of
two is a vector .

Later we can see that angular momentum is

the vector product of momentum and a
position vector

The product is a
vector

Torque is the vector product of force and a

position vector

It has magnitude
!" !"
A B = ABsin

and the right

-hand rule gives
its direction.
See the figure

Calculus

Simple calculus

In mechanics we need to know some calculus

for calculating velocity and acceleration

Consider a function of time x, f(x)

The derivative (differentiation) of f(x) with respect to t is

defined as df = lim f

i.e., divide f by x and gradually reduce x to very small

value (the meaning of lim )

We need to know how to do differentiation and

integration
In this course, we use a little bit calculus to
understand motion, no calculation using
calculus is needed
Next two slides introduce these two concepts.

dx

x0

x0

Slope of AC is the derivative

Slope of AB is

f
x

If f is distance, then the

derivative is the speed

Derivative of simple functions

Partial differentiation (partial derivative)

df
df
=0 ;
f (x) = ax ,
=a
dx
dx
df
df
f (x) = x ,
= 1 ; f (x) = x 2 ,
= 2x
dx
dx
df
df
f (x) = x n ,
= nx n1 ; f (x) = sin x,
= cos x
dx
dx
df
f (x) = cos x ,
= sin x
dx
df
dy
f (x) = cy(x) ,
=c
dx
dx

The function is a function of two

variables, x, y

f (x) = c ,

z = f (x, y)

Keep one variable x or y constant and

differentiate with respect to the other
variable y or x. z f df
x

dx

assuming y a constant

z f
df
=
=
assuming x a constant
y y dy

Examples (from university

physics, young and
freedman, 13th edition
pearson)
We may not have time to go through
the examples

Addition of two vectors at right angles

First add the vectors graphically.
Then use trigonometry to find the magnitude and direction of the
sum.
Follow Example 1.5. )

Adding vectors using their componentsFigure 1.22

Follow Examples 1.7 and 1.8.

Calculating a scalar product

In terms of components,
Example 1.10 shows how to calculate a scalar product in two
ways.

A B = Ax Bx + Ay By + Az Bz .

[Insert figure 1.27 here]

Finding an angle using the scalar product

Example 1.11 shows how to use components to find the angle
between two vectors.

Calculating the vector productFigure 1.32

Use ABsin to find the
magnitude and the right-hand
rule to find the direction.
Refer to Example 1.12.