Vector Mathematics Review

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to vector mathematics as outlined in the lecture notes.

Vector

A quantity having both magnitude and direction.

Magnitude of a vector

The length or norm of the vector, denoted as |A|.

Scaling a vector

Changing the length of a vector by a scale factor.

Unit Vector

Any vector with a unit length, often indicated with a hat.

Origin in coordinate plane

The point O labeled as (0,0) in the two-dimensional plane.

Vector addition

Placing two vectors head to tail to add them.

Vector subtraction

Adding a vector to the negative of another vector, represented as A + (-B).

Direction of a vector

A unit vector in the same direction as the vector divided by its magnitude.

Principle of superposition

The resultant force from two or more forces acting on a body is obtained by adding the corresponding vectors.

Triangle inequality

||v + w|| ≤ ||v|| + ||w||, stating that the length of the sum of two vectors is less than or equal to the sum of their lengths.