PHY 101

(General Physics I)
Dr. Hakeem I. Kuforiji

MODULE 2
 Dimension and Dimensional Analysis
• In physics, dimension describes the physical nature of a quantity.
• It is not affected by different units of measurement.
• Two different physical quantities describing the same physical
phenomenon will have the same dimension.
✓ Speed and velocity have the same dimension despite speed
being a scalar and velocity being a vector quantity.
Dimensions of some physical quantities
S/N Physical Fundamental Symbol Formular Unit Dimension
quantity /derived
1 MASS Fundamental 𝑚 - 𝑘𝑔 M

2 TIME Fundamental 𝑡 - 𝑠 T

3 LENGTH Fundamental 𝑥, 𝐿, 𝑑 - 𝑚 L

4 AREA Derived 𝐴 𝐿×𝐵 𝑚2 L2

5 VOLUME Derived 𝑉 𝐿×𝐵 𝑚3 L3
×𝐻
6 VELOCITY Derived 𝑣 𝑑ൗ 𝑚𝑠 −1 LT-1
𝑡
7 ACCELERATION Derived 𝑎 𝑣ൗ 𝑚𝑠 −2 LT-2
𝑡
8 FORCE Derived 𝐹 𝑚×𝑎 𝑘𝑔𝑚𝑠 −2 (𝑁) MLT-2
9 PRESSURE Derived 𝑝 𝐹ൗ 𝑘𝑔𝑚−1 𝑠 −2 (𝑁𝑚−2 of P) ML-1T-2
𝐴
10 FREQUENCY Derived 𝑓 1ൗ 𝑠 −1 (𝐻𝑧) T-1
𝑇
 CLASS WORK
Complete the table below
S/N Physical quantity Fundamental /derived Formular Unit Dimension

1 MOMENT 𝐹×𝑑
2 MOMENTUM 𝑚×𝑣

3 POWER 𝐹 × 𝑑ൗ
𝑡
4 IMPULSE 𝐹×𝑡
 Dimensional analysis
• This is a procedure by which the dimensional uniformity of
any equation may be checked
• It is capable of revealing the correctness or otherwise of an
equation
✓ For an equation to be correct, it must be dimensionally
uniform, which means that the left and the right-hand sides
of the equation must be dimensionally equal.
 Dimensional analysis
2 2
𝑣 = 𝑢 + 2𝑎𝑠
We can analyze this famous equation of motion as follows
𝑣 = 𝐿𝑇 −1 We can now substitute
𝑣 2 = 𝐿𝑇 −1 2 = 𝐿2 𝑇 −2 𝐿2 𝑇 −2 = 𝐿2 𝑇 −2 + 2𝐿𝑇 −2 𝐿
Similarly, for 𝑢 𝐿2 𝑇 −2 = 𝐿2 𝑇 −2 + 2𝐿2 𝑇 −2
𝑢 2 = 𝐿𝑇 −1 2 = 𝐿2 𝑇 −2 𝐿2 𝑇 −2 = 3𝐿2 𝑇 −2
𝑎 = 𝐿𝑇 −2
Since the LHS = RHS, the equation is correct dimensionally
𝑠 =𝐿
Example

Assuming that the equation below is correct dimensionally,

find the values of x, y, and z

𝑥 2𝑦 𝑧
𝐹 = 𝑘𝜌 𝑣 𝐴
where 𝐹 = 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒, 𝜌 = 𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦, 𝑣 = 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐴 = 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎
Solution
We can write
𝑀𝐿𝑇 −2 = 𝑘 𝑀𝐿−3 𝑥 (𝐿𝑇 −1 )2𝑦 (𝐿2 ) 𝑧 For 𝑇, −2 = −2𝑦, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦 = 1
𝑀𝐿𝑇 −2 = 𝑘𝑀 𝑥 𝐿−3𝑥+2𝑦+2𝑧 𝑇 −2𝑦 For 𝐿,
We now compare the powers on either side 1 = −3𝑥 + 2𝑦 + 2𝑧
of the equation 1 = −3 × 1 + 2 × 1 + 2𝑧
For 𝑀, 𝑥 = 1 1 = −3 + 2 + 2𝑧 = −1 + 2𝑧
We can finally rewrite the equation as 𝑧=1
𝐹 = 𝑘𝜌𝑣 2 𝐴
 Scalar and Vector Quantities
Scalar quantity
• Certain physical quantities can be described only in terms of a numerical value
✓ The numerical value is called MAGNITUDE
• Such quantities are called SCALAR QUANTITIES
• When you finish a task in 2 minutes, 2 min = 120 sec is the magnitude of the
time spent on the task
✓ The information is enough for us and no direction is required
• Therefore, the TIME is a scalar quantity
• Other examples of scalar quantities are: mass, distance, speed, density,
pressure, volume, temperature, voltage, energy, work (Since the dot product is
used to calculate work, it only gives a magnitude, not a direction) etc.
 Vector Quantities
• These are the physical quantities that require both magnitude and
direction for their descriptions
✓ Weight is an example of a VECTOR
✓ The weight acts vertically downward
• Other examples of vector quantities are displacement,
acceleration, force, momentum, weight, velocity, torque, current,
electric and magnetic fields, and so on
 Vector Representation

In different literatures, you will see a vector

being represented as:
✓a boldface letter e.g. A or
✓With an arrow in the letter such as 𝑨
✓The magnitude of the vector A is written as A
 Vector Representation
A line with an arrow head at its tip can also be used to represent a
vector
✓ The length of the line indicates the magnitude of the vector
✓ The direction of the arrow shows the direction of the vector

Vector A with magnitude 10 unit Vector A with magnitude 5 unit and Vector A with magnitude 3 unit and
and in the NE direction in the western direction in the southern direction
 Resultant and Equilibrant Vectors

4𝑁 8𝑁 • A single vector having the same

effect as two or more vectors
(acting together) is called the
➢ The resultant is 8 − 4 𝑁 resultant vector
➢ This is 4 𝑁 in the Eastern • Equilibrant is a force that
direction balances all other forces acting on
➢ The equilibrant it −4 𝑁 a body so that the net force is zero.
➢ This means 4 𝑁 in the ✓ Equal and opposite to the resultant
Western direction force
 Components of Vector
A component is a projection of a vector along an axis.
✓ All vectors can be completely described by their components
✓ Any vector located between two components will always have
a value on each of the components
✓ A vector acting exactly along a component will be zero on the
other components
 y Components of Vector

✓ 𝐴Ԧ𝑦 is the component of A along the y-axis

✓ 𝐴Ԧ𝑥 is the component of A along the x-axis
𝐴Ԧ𝑦 𝑨 ✓ 𝐴Ԧ𝑦 and 𝐴Ԧ𝑥 are scalar quantities
✓ By the definition of sine and cosine
𝑂𝑝𝑝 𝐴𝑑𝑗
sin 𝜃 = and cos 𝜃 =
𝐻𝑦𝑝 𝐻𝑦𝑝
x ✓ 𝐴Ԧ𝑦 = 𝐴 sin 𝜃 (component of A on y-axis)
0
𝐴Ԧ𝑥 ✓ 𝐴Ԧ𝑥 = 𝐴 cos 𝜃 (component of A on x-axis)
Vector A at 𝜃˚ to the x-axis
 Components of Vector
y
✓ Since a vector can be moved parallel to
itself, then 𝐴Ԧ𝑦 can be moved as shown
in the diagram
𝑨 ✓ The two components form two sides of
𝐴Ԧ𝑦
a right-angled triangle with a
hypotenuse of length A
✓ Then the magnitude and direction of A
x
0 are obtained respectively as:
𝐴Ԧ𝑥
Components of Vector A
−1
𝐴𝑦
𝐴 = 𝐴2𝑥 + 𝐴2𝑦 𝜃 = tan
𝐴𝑥
 y
Vector Resolution
The x-component of 𝑨 is (𝐴Ԧ𝑥 )
𝐴Ԧ𝑥 = 𝑨 cos 𝜽
𝑨
𝑪 The y-component of 𝑨 is (𝐴Ԧ𝑦 )
𝐴Ԧ𝑦 = 𝑨 sin 𝜽
𝑫
0 x The x-component of 𝑩 is (𝐵𝑥 )
𝐵𝑥 = 𝑩 sin 𝜶
𝑩
The y-component of 𝑩 is (𝐵𝑥 )
𝐵𝑦 = 𝑩 cos 𝜶
• Vector 𝑪 has no component on the x-axis
• Similarly, vector 𝑫 does not have a component on the y-axis
• Their resolution respectively to x and y give zero.
 Addition and Subtraction of Vector
• Vector addition and subtraction is quite different from the
addition and subtraction of scalar or numerical values
• For a scalar, 2 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 + 3 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 = 5 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡
• In the case of vector, 2 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 + 3 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 MAY NOT be
5 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡
• Some of the addition methods include: graphical, algebraic,
polygon etc.
 Polygon Method of Vector Addition
Consider the three vectors A, B, and C

-B is equal
in magnitude
but opposite
to B
 Vector Addition
• Vector addition is commutative
𝑨+𝑩=𝑩+𝑨
• Vector addition is associative
𝑨+ 𝑩+𝑪 = 𝑨+𝑩 +𝑪

CLASS WORK
Using the polygon method, prove the
associativity of vector addition
Parallelogram Method of Vector Addition

We can determine the resultant R

using the cosine rule

𝑅2 = 𝐴2 + 𝐵2 − 2𝐴𝐵 cos 180 − 𝜃

Similarly, the direction of R can be

obtained the using the sine rule

sin 180 − 𝜃 sin 𝛼

=
𝑅 𝐴

where 𝛼 is the angle made by the resultant with the x-axis

CLASS WORK
An athlete swims with a velocity of 4 m/s
perpendicularly across a river flowing
gently at 3 m/s. Find the resultant
velocity of the athlete relative to the
river. (5 m/s, 53° to the direction of the
river flow)
Unit Vector
y
• It is a vector of magnitude 1
• A unit vector is dimensionless
• It describes the direction in space
𝒋
and have no other physical
𝒊
x significance
𝒌
• 𝒊, 𝒋 and 𝒌 are unit vectors on x, y,
z and z-axis respectively

Unit vectors along x, y, and z-axis

Vector in the Cartesian coordinate system
Magnitude of A is given as:
In the Cartesian coordinate system, any
vector can be represented in terms of 𝑨 = 42 + 32 + 122 = 169 = 13
its components along the three The direction is
mutually perpendicular axes — x, y, 𝐴𝑥 4
cos 𝛼 = = 𝛼 = cos−1 4/13 = 72.5°
and z, using the unit vectors 𝐢, 𝐣, 𝐤. e.g. 𝐴 13
𝐴𝑦 3 𝛼 = cos −1 3/13 = 76.6°
𝑨 = 𝐴𝑥 𝑖 + 𝐴𝑦 𝑗 + 𝐴𝑧 cos 𝛼 =
𝐴
=
13
Example of a vector in Cartesian coordinates 𝐴𝑧 12 𝛼 = cos −1 12/13 = 22.6°
cos 𝛼 = =
𝐴 13
𝑨 = 4𝑖 + 3𝑗 + 12𝑘
The vector pointed in the z-direction, slightly tilted
Vector A has a magnitude of 13 units, and it points in a toward the x–y plane, since its z-component is
direction determined by the ratio of its components (4 : 3 : dominant.
12)
 Unit Vector
Two vectors 𝑨 and 𝑩 at angle 𝜃 to each other

𝑨+𝑩= 2+4 𝑖+ 1+2 𝑗+ 3−5 𝑘

= 6i + 3j − 2k
𝜃
 Dot and Cross products
• Dot or scalar product is • Cross or vector product
𝑨. 𝑩 = 𝑨 𝑩 cos 𝜃 𝑨 × 𝑩 = 𝑨 𝑩 sin 𝜃
This can be This shows that:
➢ positive 0 < 𝜃 < 90 ➢ the vector product of two
➢ negative (90 < 𝜃 < 180), parallel or anti parallel vectors
or is zero.
➢ zero (𝜃 = 90) ➢ When the vectors a
perpendicular to each other, the
cross product is maximum.
➢ The vector product is not
commutative (𝑨 × 𝑩 ≠ 𝑩 × 𝑨)
 Consider vectors A and B in the
Example Figure. Find:
(i) 𝑨 × 𝑩
(ii) the value of 𝜃 (the angle
between the vectors)

(i) Evaluating 𝑨 × 𝑩
𝒊 −𝒋 𝒌
𝜃 𝑨×𝑩= 𝟐 𝟏 𝟑 = −𝟓 − 𝟔 𝒊 − −𝟏𝟎 − 𝟏𝟐 𝒋 + 𝟒 − 𝟒 𝒌
𝟒 𝟐 −𝟓
= −𝟏𝟏𝒊 + 𝟐𝟐𝒋 + 𝟎𝒌

= −𝟏𝟏𝒊 + 𝟐𝟐𝒋
(ii) Evaluating the value of 𝜃
𝑨. 𝑩 = 𝑨 𝑩 cos 𝜃 𝑨 = 22 + 12 + 32 = 14
𝑨. 𝑩 =(2𝑖 + 𝑗 + 3𝑘). (4𝑖 + 2𝑗 − 5𝑘) 𝑩 = 42 + 22 + −5 2 = 45
Using the dot product rules Then,
𝑨. 𝑩 = 𝑨 𝑩 cos 𝜃
𝐢 ⋅ 𝐢 = 1, 𝐣 ⋅ 𝐣 = 1, 𝐤 ⋅ 𝐤 = 1
𝐢 ⋅ 𝐣 = 0, 𝐢 ⋅ 𝐤 = 0, 𝐣 ⋅ 𝐤 = 0 −5 = 14 × 45 cos 𝜃

−5
cos 𝜃 = = −0.199
= (2 × 4)(𝑖. 𝑖) + (1 × 2)(𝑗. 𝑗) + 3 × −5 (k. k) 630

𝜃 = cos−1 (−0.199) = 101.5°

= 8 + 2 − 15 = −5
CLASS WORK

Given two vectors 𝑨 = 𝑖 − 3𝑗 + 2𝑘 and 𝑩

= 2𝑖 + 2𝑗 − 3𝑘, find the magnitude of the
vectors 𝟐𝑨 − 𝟑𝑩