Vectors Summary

Vectors

Summary

 

a vector quantity requires magnitude (length), direction and sense.

quantities that can be shown by vectors include force, velocity, acceleration and displacement.

vectors can be shown by line segments, matrices or as unit vectors (with i and j components).

vectors can be added, subtracted, multiplied by scalars (numbers). these operations can be shown on diagrams.

position vectors start at the origin.

Key Skills
  • add, subtract vectors and multiply by scalars using matrices or unit vectors.
  • illustrate these operations on diagrams.
  • find the magnitude of a vector.

 

Vocabulary

vector, scalar, magnitude, matrix, inverse, commutative, associative, translation, displacement vector, unit vector, position vector, coordinates.