CHAPTER 1 VECTOR SCALARS AND The sum of a number of vectors     a b c d (i) Draw the vectors as a chain. D d A c E B a C b (ii) Then:   a b AC c  AC AD bc  AD   AD d AE     a b c d AE Thus the sum of all vectors is given by the single vector joining the start of a, b, c, d the first to the end of the last – in this case, . If the vector diagram is a closed AE figure e.g. E F f D e d ~ ~ ~ A c a ~ ~ C ~ B b the end of the last vector coincides with the beginning of the first, the resultant sum is a vector with no magnitude.
CHAPTER 1 VECTOR AND SCALARS The sum of a number of vectors a  b  c  d  (i) Draw the vectors as a chain. A E d c D a B b C (ii) Then: a  b  AC AC c  AD bc  AD AD  d  AE a  b  c  d  AE Thus the sum of all vectors a, b, c, d is given by the single vector joining the start of the first to the end of the last – in this case, AE . If the vector diagram is a closed figure e.g. f F e ~ E d ~ D A ~ a ~ B b ~ C c ~ the end of the last vector coincides with the beginning of the first, the resultant sum is a vector with no magnitude.