PHYS201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Unit Vector
2 Nov 2016
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Two ways to add vectors: graphically. Tip to tail or head to tail. The resultant is drawn from the origin of the first vector to the end of the last vector. When you have many vectors, just keep repeating the process until all are included: algebraic. When two vectors are added, the sum is independent of the order of the addition. When adding three or more vectors, their sum is independent of the way in which the individual vectors are grouped. This is called the associative property of addition. is the commutative law of addition: (cid:1827) +(cid:1828) =(cid:1828) +(cid:1827) , (cid:1827) +(cid:4666)(cid:1828) +(cid:1829) (cid:4667)+(cid:4666)(cid:1827) +(cid:1828) (cid:4667)+(cid:1829) . A component is a projection of a vector along an axis: any vector can be completely described by its components. Are scalars, and will be referred to as the components of (cid:1827) : they are vectors and follow all the rules for vectors.
