6.

1 SCALAR AND VECTORS

1. The motion of bodies exists all around us. It may be as simple as a child pushing a trolley, as
complex as moving down a roller coaster or as unapparent as the movement of the earth in space.

2. Motion involves the change of position of a body with respect to time (and some given frame of
reference). Important terms used in describing motion are:
 Displacement (position) (symbol – s): Distance moved in a particular direction (as
measured in a direct line from the origin), e.g. 10.2 m South East, 4.21 km due North.
 Distance (no symbol): How far a body has travelled, irrespective of direction, e.g. a runner
completing a lap of the oval travels a distance of 400 m. The displacement in this case is
zero.
 Speed (no symbol): The rate of change of position, e.g. a car is travelling at 50 km hr – 1.
 Velocity (symbol – v): The rate of change of position in a particular direction, e.g. a car is
travelling at 50 km hr – 1 South East.
 Acceleration (symbol – a): The rate of change of velocity in a particular direction, e.g. a
falling body accelerates at 9.80 m s – 2 towards the earth.

3. Physical quantities can be described by the use of a number with the appropriate units are
called SCALAR QUANTITIES. Scalar quantities have MAGNITUDE but NO DIRECTION. Other
physical quantities, which require a direction to be stated, in addition to the magnitude, for an
accurate description are called VECTOR QUANTITIES. Examples of scalar and vector quantities
are shown below.

SCALAR QUANTITIES VECTOR QUANTITIES

Time (e.g. 30 s) Displacement (e.g. 52 m South)
Distance (e.g. 7.2 m) Velocity (e.g. 4 m s – 1 North East)
Speed (e.g. 10 m s – 1) Acceleration (e.g. 9.80 m s – 2 downward)
Work (e.g. 21 J) Force (e.g. 5 N West)

4. Vector quantities can be represented by arrows. The length of the arrow represents the
magnitude of the vector quantity and the direction of the arrow indicates the direction of the vector.
5. DISPLACEMENT is defined as the straight line distance between the starting and finishing
points. Consider the travel path shown below between two towns, A and B.

The dotted path represents the total DISTANCE travelled. The straight line AB, the direct distance
between A and B, is the DISPLACEMENT in the direction of the line AB. As displacement is
distance in a given direction, it is a vector quantity.

Read Pearson 6.1. Do 6.1 Review.

STAWA Set 14, Experiment 14.1
WACE Study Guide Do 4.1.

6.2 ADDING VECTORS IN ONE AND TWO DIMENSIONS

1. When a body is subjected to two (or more) displacements the final displacement from the
starting position is not equal to the total displacement travelled (unless the individual
displacements are in the same direction).

To determine the exact location (distance and direction from the starting position) of a body, it is
necessary to determine the RESULTANT displacement.

A resultant of two (or more) vectors may be defined as the single vector which on its own will
produce the same effect as the two vectors combined.

2. To determine the resultants:

a) Place the vectors head to tail (in any order).

b) Draw in the resultant which is from the tail of the first vector to the head of the last.

c) If the vectors have been drawn to scale, then the magnitude of the resultant and the
direction can be measured – otherwise both can be calculated.

3. The method of determining resultants is often referred to as the “head to tail” or “triangle”
method.

EXAMPLE 1: What is the resultant displacement of a displacement of 63 m East and a

displacement of 46 m West?

EXAMPLE 2: Determine the resultant displacement if a person walks 50 m South to a corner and
then 200 m West to go to the local store.
Read Pearson 6.2. Do 6.2 Review.
STAWA Set 14, Experiment 14.1
WACE Study Guide Do 4.1.

6.3 SUBTRACTING VECTORS IN ONE AND TWO DIMENSIONS

VECTOR SUBTRACTION: To subtract one vector from another, its negative is added to the other
vector.

A – B = A + (– B)

EXAMPLE 1: PARALLEL VECTORS

Subtract 4 N West from 6 N East.

EXAMPLE 2: Problems involving a change in vector quantities are subtraction problems.

Change in = final – initial

– 1
A billiard ball approaches the cushion at right angles at a speed of 3.2 m s and rebounds
normally (at right angles) at 2.8 m s – 1. What is the change in velocity?

Read Pearson 6.3. Do 6.3 Review.

STAWA Set 14, Experiment 14.1
WACE Study Guide Do 4.1.

6.4 VECTOR COMPONENTS

A vector can be resolved into two perpendicular component vectors. Perpendicular component
vectors are at right angles to each other. Any component vectors must be smaller in magnitude
than the original vector. The hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle is the longest side of the triangle
and the other two sides are each smaller than the hypotenuse. A right-angled triangle vector
diagram can be drawn with the original vector as the hypotenuse and the perpendicular
components drawn from the tail of the original to the head of the original. The perpendicular
components can be determined by trigonometry.

Read Pearson 6.4. Do 6.4 Review. Do Chapter 6 Review.

STAWA Set 14, Experiment 14.1
WACE Study Guide Do 4.1.

7.1 DISPLACEMENT, SPEED AND VELOCITY

1. To quantify motion we need to measure both time and distance. The distance may be measured
from some reference point at specific intervals of time. In the laboratory these measurements can
be made by using rulers and a watch, ticker timers, multi-flash photography or with motion
detectors. The data collected can then be represented graphically or analysed using equations of
motion.

EXAMPLE

2. Speed is easily calculated by dividing the distance travelled by the time taken. However there is
an important difference between average speed and instantaneous speed. Average speed
provides an overall description of motion and does not indicate variations of speed that may have
occurred during the time under consideration. Instantaneous speed is the actual speed at any
particular moment.

total distance covered

Average speed =
time taken

3. Speed and velocity are often used interchangeably but they do have different meanings. Speed
is a scalar quantity and simply tells how fast a body is moving. Velocity is a vector quantity and
tells us how fast a body is moving as well as the direction of motion. In calculating velocity we
consider displacement (which is a vector quantity) instead of distance (which is a scalar quantity).
Hence:

distance
Average speed =
time

where distance is measured in metres (m), time in seconds (s) and average speed in metres per
second (m s – 1).

displacement s
Average velocity = vav =
time t

where displacement is measured in metres (m), time in seconds (s) and average velocity in metres
per second (m s – 1).

The symbol for displacement is s, for time is t and for average velocity is vav.
EXAMPLE

John rides his bicycle from his home in order to visit Sean. John has to travel 80 m due East, 150
m due South and then 120 m due East in order to reach Sean. He completes his ride in 65
seconds. Determine: (a) The distance John travelled, (b) his displacement, (c) his average speed,
(d) his average velocity.

Read Pearson 7.1. Do 7.1 Review.

STAWA Set 14, Experiment 14.1
WACE Study Guide Do 4.1.
7.2 ACCELERATION

Read Pearson 7.2 Do 7.2 Review.

STAWA Sets 14, 15 Experiments 14.1, 14.2, 15.1, 15.2.
WACE Study Guide Do 4.1.
7.3 GRAPHING POSITION, VELOCITY AND ACCELERATION OVER TIME

You can describe the motion of an object as a line graph. This allows you to quickly interpret the
entire motion, much as pictures are able to describe a scene. Features that will become important
to understand include the slope (or gradient) and the area under the graph.
Read Pearson 7.3 Do 7.3 Review.
STAWA Sets 14, 15 Experiments 14.1, 14.2, 15.1, 15.2.
WACE Study Guide Do 4.1.
7.4 EQUATIONS FOR UNIFORM ACCELERATION

Read Pearson 7.4 Do 7.4 Review.

STAWA Sets 14, 15 Experiments 14.1, 14.2, 15.1, 15.2.
WACE Study Guide Do 4.1.
7.5 VERTICAL MOTION
Read Pearson 7.5 Do 7.5 Review. Do Chapter 7 Review
STAWA Sets 14, 15 Experiments 14.1, 14.2, 15.1, 15.2.
WACE Study Guide Do 4.1.