Appendix 1

Vector algebra

A vector in the context of mechanics is defined as a A1-2 Multiplication of vectors

quantity having magnitude and a direction and
therefore may be represented by a line segment. A Sca[arproduct
vector V may be written as Ve where V is the scalar
magnitude and e is a unit vector in the direction of V. In
this book a distinction is made between the always
positive modulus 1 VI and the scalar magnitude V which Figure Al.2
may be positive or negative.
The scalar product of two vectors (Fig. A1.2) is defined
as
A.l Addition of vectors
By definition two vectors are added by the parallelo- A.B= IAI/B/cosa=B.A (A1.5)
gram law as shown in Fig. A1.l. Hence i.i=j.j=k.k= 1
and i.j=j.k= k.i= 0
therefore A.B = A,B,+A,B,+A,B, (A1.6)
If one vector is a unit vector e, then
A . e = IAlcosa (A1.7)
If i , j and k are unit vectors in the x-, y- and which is the component of A in the direction of e.
z-directions respectively, then The work done by a force F over a displacement ds is
V = V,i+ V y j + V,k (Al.l) dW=F-ds (A1.8)
where V, , V, and V , are the scalar components of V. and the power is
By Pythagoras’s theorem,
ds
IVI =d(v,z+vyz+v:) (A1.2) F-- =F-v
dt
(A1.9)

From Fig. A l . l it is seen that

Vector product
A+B =(A,+B,)i+(A,+B,)j
+(A,+B,)k (A1.3)
=B+A
Since V = Ve,
V,i+ V y j + V,k
e= (A1.4)
d(v,z+vyz+V:)
= li+mj+ni The vector product of two vectors (Fig. A1.3) is defined
as
where I, m and n are the direction cosines of the unit
vector e relative to the x - , y- and z-axes respectively. AXB=/AIIBIsinae=-BXA (A 1.10)
 i i
(Al.ll) See Fig. A1.5. By definition
AXB= A, A, A,
dV -
_ V(t + At) - V ( t )
Bx By B, - limat+o (A1.19)