SCALARS & VECTORS

SCALAR QUANTITIES
Physical quantities which can completely be specified by a number (magnitude)
having an appropriate unit are known as "SCALAR QUANTITIES".
Scalar quantities do not need direction for their description.
Scalar quantities are comparable only when they have the same physical dimensions.
Two or more than two scalar quantities measured in the same system of units are equal if they have the
same magnitude and sign.
Scalar quantities are denoted by letters in ordinary type.
Scalar quantities are added, subtracted, multiplied or divided by the simple rules of algebra.
EXAMPLES
Work, energy, electric flux, volume, refractive index, time, speed, electric potential, potential difference,
viscosity, density, power, mass, distance, temperature, electric charge, electric flux etc.
VECTORS
QUANTITIES
Physical quantities having both magnitude and direction
with appropriate unit are known as "VECTOR QUANTITIES".
We can't specify a vector quantity without mention of direction.
vector quantities are expressed by using bold letters with arrow sign such as:
vector quantities can not be added, subtracted, multiplied or divided by the simple rules of algebra.
vector quantities added, subtracted, multiplied or divided by the rules of trigonometry and geometry.
EXAMPLES
Velocity, electric field intensity, acceleration, force, momentum, torque, displacement, electric current,
weight, angular momentum etc.
REPRESENTATION OF
VECTORS
On paper vector quantities are represented by a straight line with arrow head pointing the direction of
vector or terminal point of vector.
A vector quantity is first transformed into a suitable scale and then a line is drawn with the help of the
scale choosen in the given direction.

ADDITION OF VECTORS
PARALLELOGRAM LAW
OF VECTOR ADDITION
Acccording to the parallelogram law of vector addition:
"If two vector quantities are represented by two adjacent sides or a parallelogram
then the diagonal of parallelogram will be equal to the resultant of these two vectors."
EXPLANATION

Consider two vectors . Let the vectors have the following orientation

parallelogram of these vectors is :

According to parallelogram law:

RESOLUTION OF VECTOR
DEFINITION
The process of splitting a vector into various parts or components is called "RESOLUTION OF VECTOR"
These parts of a vector may act in different directions and are called "components of vector".
We can resolve a vector into a number of components .Generally there are three components of vector
viz.
Component along X-axis called x-component
Component along Y-axis called Y-component
Component along Z-axis called Z-component
Here we will discuss only two components x-component & Y-component which are perpendicular to each
other.These components are called rectangular components of vector.
METHOD OF
RESOLVING
A VECTOR INTO
RECTANGULAR
COMPONENTS

Consider a vector acting at a point making an angle with positive X-axis. Vector is
represented by a line OA.From point A draw a perpendicular AB on X-axis.Suppose OB and BA
represents two vectors.Vector OA is parallel to X-axis and vector BA is parallel to Y-axis.Magnitude
of these vectors are Vx and Vy respectively.By the method of head to tail we notice that the sum of these

vectors is equal to vector .Thus Vx and Vy are the rectangular components of vector .

Vx = Horizontal component of .

Vy = Vertical component of .

MAGNITUDE OF
HORIZONTAL
COMPONENT
Consider right angled triangle 
 MAGNITUDE OF
VERTICAL COMPONENT
Consider right angled triangle 

MULTIPLICATION & DIVISION OF VECTOR BY A NUMBER (SCALAR)

MULTIPLICATION
OF A VECTOR
BY A SCALAR
When a vector is multiplied by a positive number (for example 2, 3 ,5, 60 unit etc.) or a scalar only its
magnitude is changed but its direction remains the same as that of the original vector.
If however a vector is multiplied by a negative number (for example -2, -3 ,-5, -60 unit etc.) or a scalar
not only its magnitude is changed but its direction also reversed.

The product of a vector by a scalar quantity (m) follows the following rules:

(m) = (m) which is called commutative law of multiplication.

m(n ) = (mn) which is called associative law of multiplication .

(m + n) =m +n which is called distributive law of multiplication .

DIVISION
OF A VECTOR
BY A SCALAR

The division of a vector by a scalar number (n) involves the multiplication of the vector by the
reciprocal of the number (n) which generates a new vector.
Let n represents a number or scalar and m is its reciprocal then the new vector is given by :

where m = 1/n
and its magnitude is given by:

The direction of is same as that of if (n) is a positive number.

The direction of is opposite as that of if (n) is a negative number.

Addition of vectors by Head to Tail method (Graphical Method)

Head to Tail method or graphical method is one of the easiest method used to find the resultant vector of
two of more than two vectors.
DETAILS OF
 METHOD

Consider two vectors and acting in the directions as shown below:

In order to get their resultant vector by head to tail method we must follow the following steps:
STEP # 1
Choose a suitable scale for the vectors so that they can be plotted on the paper.
STEP # 2

Draw representative line of vector

Draw representative line of vector such that the tail of coincides with the head of vector .

STEP # 3
Join 'O' and 'B'.

represents resultant vector of given vectors and i.e.

STEP # 4
Measure the length of line segment and multiply it with the scale choosen initially to get the
magnitude of resultant vector.
STEP # 5
The direction of the resultant vector is directed from the tail of vector to the head of vector .