ABSTRACT
Vectors are an important part of the language of science, mathematics and engineering. This chapter initially explains the difference between scalar and vector quantities and shows how a vector is drawn and represented. Resolving a vector into components is a precursor to computing things with or about a vector quantity. The chapter shows how vectors are added and subtracted, both by drawing and by calculation, and finding the resultant of two or more vectors has many uses in engineering. Quantities such as velocity, force and acceleration, which have both a magnitude and a direction, are called vectors. The arrow end of a vector is called the ‘nose’ and the other end the ‘tail’. There are a number of ways of representing vector quantities. Adding two or more vectors by drawing assumes that a ruler, pencil and protractor are available. The chapter demonstrates how to determine resultant vectors by calculation using horizontal and vertical components and, where possible, by Pythagoras’ theorem.
