| 7A. Addition of Vectors multiples of a Vector k - Coordinate viewpoint
Spanning or Measurement Assumption
The positive sign + is optional in front of unsigned numbers.
The measurement assumption can be illustrated with the use of a ruler or tape measure with unit length given from metric or imperial system: 1cm, 1 inche, 1meter, 1 km, etc. In this, the choice of the unit length k and/or unit vector k is arbitrary. Further Assumption: The length and direction of a directed line segment (vector) is determined by its coordinates (length and direction) with respect to a unit vector.
7B. Length and Directions of Vector SumsWhen collinear vectors with the same direction are added, the length of resulting vector (resultant) is another vector in the same direction and with length given by the sum of the lengths of the addends.
When collinear vectors (displacements) with opposite direction are added, the length of the resultant vector is zero in the case the addends are additive inverses:
In the latter case the result has length
0 & it vanishes.
7C. Addition of Multiples of a Unit Vector kLet k be a unit vector
Then we may define real number multiples of k
Relative to the length of k, our unit length, these vectors or displacements have length 4.5, 2, 3 and 2.5 units. Addition of Negative Multiplesvectors in the same direction The sum of the two negative multiples
is calculated as follows
The sum is thus (3+2.5)(-k) = -5.5 k, or
The direction is another negative multiple. The addends and the resultant all have the same direction. Observe how we add the lengths and how the negative sign is kept.
Addition of Positive Multiplesvectors in the same direction The sum of the two positive multiples
is calculated as follows
The sum is thus (4.5+2) k = 6.5 k, or
The direction is another positive multiple. The addends and the resultant all have the same direction. Observe how we add the lengths and how the positive sign is kept. The result = (longest length + shortest length) (direction of BOTH Addition of Positive and Negative Multiplesvectors in opposite direction with The sum of the positive and negative multiples
is calculated as follows
The sum is thus (3-2)(-k) = -(3-2) k, or
Conclusion:
In this, the direction of the longest multiple (the negative one) gives the direction of the sum Addition of Positive and Negative Multiplesvectors in opposite direction with The sum of the positive and negative multiples
is calculated as follows
The sum is thus (4.5-2) k = 2 k, or
Conclusion:
In this, the direction of the longest multiple (the positive one) gives the direction of the sum Exercises:Express the following as a multiple of k
The foregoing suggest how to add real numbers in a manner that multiplication by sums of signed real numbers distributes over collinear vector addition
See the next lesson on addition of unsigned numbers for proof. |
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