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OUTLINE : 1. INTRODUCING VECTORS. 1.1 Scalars. 1.2 Vectors. 1.3 Unit vectors. 1.4 Vector algebra. 1.5 Simple examples. 1.1 Scalars. A scalar is a quantity with magnitude but no direction, any mathematical entity that can be represented by a number. Examples: Mass, temperature, energy, charge ...
Our basic unit types (dimensions) are length (L), time (T) and mass (M). When we do dimensional analysis we focus on the units of a physics equation without worrying about the numerical values.
Many of you will know a good deal already about Vector Algebra — how to add and subtract vectors, how to take scalar and vector products of vectors, and something of how to describe geometric and physical entities using vectors.
these units can be used to describe other physical quantities such as velocity (m/s), and acceleration (m/s2). Sometimes the string of units gets to be so long that we contract them into a new unit called a derived unit. For example, A unit of force has base units of kg m s2! newton or N where the newton (N) is a derived unit. 3.1 Physical ...
Let xˆ be a vector of unit magnitude pointing in the positive x-direction, yˆ, a vector of unit magnitude in the positive y -direction, and z ˆ a vector of unit magnitude in the positive z - direction.
The mathematicians have come up with a special kind of vector called a unit vector which comes in very handy in physics. By definition a unit vector has magnitude 1, with no units. By convention, a unit vector is represented by a letter marked with a circumflex. The circumflex is an accent mark that appears above the letter.
Example. Write the polar unit vectors r and θ in terms of the Cartesian unit vectors x and y . Unit Vectors. We are familiar with the unit vectors in Cartesian coordinates, where . points in the x-direction and . y-direction.
