Q1: Is it possible to combine two vectors of different magnitudes to give a zero resultant?

If not, can
three vectors be so combined?
Ans.: With vectors, it is not possible to combine two of different magnitudes (through addition or
subtraction, your question did not say) to get a zero result since the vectors need to cancel out the
resultant's magnitude. Since vectors add through the triangle law (and subtraction is the same, just with
vectors in the opposite direction), then there is no way to construct a vector that has zero resultant with
different magnitudes for the other two sides.
However, with three vectors, there are many ways to get a zero resultant, where the vectors have
different magnitudes. Construct any scalene triangle, and number the vertices. Then let each vector go
from one vertex to the next. The sum of the three vectors is the zero resultant, since the end point is
the same as the starting point.
It is not possible with two vectors, and possible with three vectors.
Q2: Can a vector have zero magnitude, if one of its components is not zero?
NEVER!
Assume a general 3 dimensional vector v = ai + bj + ck, a,b,c being real numbers
now, its magnitude would be: root(a^2 + b^2 + c^2)
we all know that square of any real number, whether it be positive or negative, is always greater than or
equal to zero.
Now, assume any variable, say 'a' not being equal to zero, then its square will certainly greater than
zero, as the other two terms in the root are also >= 0, so the magnitude comes positive,
Or
Yes. If an object being pulled to the left by a force of ten newtons is also pulled in the opposite direction
by ten newtons then the resultant force on the object is zero newtons. The two components of the force
add to zero.
Q3. Can the sum of the magnitudes of two vectors ever be equal to the magnitude of the sum of the
same two vectors?
Can the sum of the magnitudes of two vectors ever be equal to the magnitude of the sum of the same
two vectors? If no, why not? If yes, when?
Yes, if one of the vectors is zero.
No, because of the angle between the two vectors.
Yes, if the two vectors are in the same direction.
No, it is impossible for the magnitude of the sum to be equal to the sum of the magnitudes.
Yes, if the two vectors are perpendicular.
Ans:
Yes, if the vectors are in the same direction. Also true if one of them is zero.
Yes, if one of the vectors is zero.*
Yes, if the two vectors are in the same direction.**
* This is because the length of the zero vector is 0
length of sum: |A + 0| = |A|
sum of lengths: |A|+|0| = |A|
** This is because a vector B pointing in the same direction as A can be represented as a non-negative
multiple of A: B=kA, k>=0
length of sums: |A+B| = |A + kA| = |A(1+k)| = (1+k)|A|
sum of lengths: |A| + |B| = |A| + |kA| = |A| +k|A| = (1+k)|A|
Q6. Can the speed of a particle ever be negative ? if so give an example; if not explain why?
>The speed of a particle can never be negative. It's *velocity* can be negative. The reason: Speed does
not reference direction and without that you cannot have a negative value. It is impossible to travel a
negative distance without direction as a reference.

>Speed =distance / time, no direction is specified. Time cannot be negative, distance cannot be negative
therefore speed cannot be negative.
Velocity (in a given direction) = distance travelled (in the same direction) / time
In this case, distance can be negative if it is travelled in the opposite direction, therefore velocity can be
negative.
>nothing can have a negative velocity. Think of it like a car, if the car isn't moving it has a velocity of
0m/s. when it is in motion it travels at a certain velocity eg. 60 m/s. even if the car was to go backwards
it would still be going at 60 m/s not -60 m/s.
Hope that helps, i tried to explain it as best as i could.
> This is a deceptive question; no, the speed of a particle cannot ever be negative, but the velocity of a
particle can be negative.
What does this mean?
Speed is a scalar quantity, which means that it only has a magnitude. For example, a baseball is thrown
with a speed of 30 m/s; there should only be positive values. On the other hand, velocity is a VECTOR
quantity, which means that it must be described by magnitude and DIRECTION. If we have an x-axis, and
you were standing at the origin, the baseball thrown to your right would have a velocity of +30 m/s, but
a baseball thrown to your left would have a velocity of -30 m/s.
It's an often- asked trick question; no, the speed of a particle cannot be negative, because in terms of
velocity and other vector functions, negativity implies direction, which a scalar quantity such as speed
should not/ cannot be described with.
Q14 a. Can an object have zero velocity and nonzero acceleration at the same time?
YES! but not permanently ,only momentarily. To explain, say that u throw a ball at velocity V upwards ,
the earth's acceleration is -G. consider T=0 at the moment of throwing. V+(-G)T is the velocity of the ball
at any instant T (after throwing). At the time T=V/(+G) *we have the ball's velocity 0 but the ball
persistently has -G acceleration* all along duration of flight until it hits ground . *Its because the object
has (-G) acceleration even at velocity 0 that the ball starts falling and finally comes down to hit the
ground*.
The ball thrown in the air is the perfect example. The acceleration is always g, but at the highest point
the velocity is zero.
A car starting from rest, at the instant it begins to move, has zero velocity and non zero acceleration. If it
had zero acceleration it would never begin to move.
Q14 b. Can an object have constant acceleration with zero velocity?if yes give an example.?
Yes you can, if the zero velocity is at one instant. As stated before, a ball thrown in the air will each
experience at one point in its motion where velocity is zero. It occurs at the point where the object
changes direction from up to down.
Looking at it from a more mathematical standpoint, if a(t) = a (a constant) and you integrate to v(t) = a*t
+ v(0), you can always find a point where v(t) = 0. Namely t = -v(0)/a.
Edit: A pendulum and a mass on a spring do not actually experience a constant acceleration, but they do
experience a non-zero acceleration at a point with zero velocity.

The familiar example is. A ball thrown up is momentarily at rest at its highest point. At that point if
there were no acceleration it will stay there for ever.
Acceleration means change in velocity per unit time. At an instant of time any object can be at rest. But
the next moment (the time interval may be as small as you can imagine) if the object begins to move
then there is acceleration.
Remember that if there is no acceleration it cannot change its speed from zero to any value.
Simple pendulum is another familiar example.
Any object if it has to start from rest there must be acceleration.
At the instant of starting motion the speed is zero but there is acceleration.
Also note that for the acceleration there must be a net resultant force on the object. Without this net
force there is no acceleration.
An object at rest on a table has no acceleration because the net force acting on it is zero.
The gravity pulls it down and so it has a downward acceleration; but at the same time the reaction of
the table acts upward and it gives an upward acceleration and hence the net force or net acceleration is
zero.
Q15. Can the velocity of an object reverse direction while maintaining a constant acceleration? If so,
give example?
Throw a ball straight up in the air.
During the time it is in the air, it undergoes a constant acceleration of 9.81m/s^2 downward.
As the ball reaches the top of its travel, the velocity of the ball changes from upward to downward. This
happens when the acceleration is in the opposite direction of travel.
Yes, The velocity of an object reverse direction if force (acceleration ) is in opposite direction to velocity.
As F = ma so when a force is in opposite direction to velocity then at the point of turning the direction of
velocity will reverse. For example when a body is thrown up in the gravitational field, the gravitational
force and hence constant acceleration is in opposite direction to the velocity and at the point of return
the direction of velocity reverse.
When a body is rotating in a circular path with uniform speed, the the direction of speed is opposite to
each other at diametric ends. Here magnitude of centripetal acceleration is constant.
OR
Velocity of a body reverses the direction of velocity at its highest point when it is projected vertically
upwards in uniform gravitational field.
Q7. Does average velocity has a direction associated with it?
Yes. Velocity is a vector (has direction), while speed does not. Apart from the direction, velocity and
speed are the same thing. Be sure the person asking the about average velocity understood this to avoid
confusion.
Q4. Can the magnitude of the difference between two vectors ever be greater than the magnitude of
either vector?

If |x| denotes the length of a vector x, then for two vectors a and b we have
|a - b|^2 = |a|^2 - 2 a.b + |b|^2
Take a.b < 1/2 |b|^2 , which is always possible by changing the angle between a and b, then the length
of |a-b| exceeds that of a.
The difference vector can have a length greater than the length of the sum vector:
|a - b| = |a|^2 - 2 a.b + |b|^2
|a + b| = |a|^2 + 2 a.b + |b|^2
|a - b| - |a + b| = -4 a.b
This difference is positive when a.b is negative which of course is possible.
So the magnitude of the difference can be greater than the magnitude of their sum.
But be careful, the difference cannot be greater than the sum of the magnitudes (triangle inequality):
|a - b| <= |a| + |b| always.
This you see from
|a - b|^2 = |a|^2 - 2 a.b + |b|^2
this is maximal when - 2 a.b = 2 |a| |b| { when cosine = -1 }
So
|a - b|^2 <= |a|^2 + 2 |a| |b| + |b|^2 = (|a| + |b|)^2
Hence
|a - b| <= |a| + |b| .
>Yes.
if a^ and b^ are two vectors then their diff is c^=b^-a^ or a^-b^
Now if the angle between these two vectors is 90deg greater than 90deg then the |c^| will be greater
than either one.Simple example take two vectors 3 and 4 at 90deg than their diff is the hypotenuse and
its magnitude is 5. No,because of Triangle inequality |a^+b^|>|c^|
Why is TIME not a vector quantity
Suppose time is a vector quantity.Then it should obey vector law of addition.As you say it has only one
direction,The resultant will always be an algebraic addition of the individual times.So by this property it
is a scalar.
As a vector needs the direction to be specified for its complete information.But as time is always going
forward,there is no need to mention its direction.Hence time fails to satisfy one of the basic properties
of a vector.
If the resultant of three vectors is zero they must be will in the same plane?
Not necessarily. Suppose you have three vectors (ax + by + cz), (gx + hy +iz) and (mx + ny + oz) then as
long as a+g+m = b+h+n = c+i+o = 0 the resultant is zero.

Take 3 general vectors:

V1=(a,b,c)
V2=(d,e,f)
V3=(g,h,i)
They are represented by matrix:
|a,b,c|
|d,e,f|
|g,h,i|
CASE 1:
If the vectors are not in one plane (they are in one space) by addition, substraction and multiplication of
the lines of matrix you can get this:
|1,0,0|
|0,1,0|
|0,0,1|
it represents 3 vectors which you can not combine to form
zero vector sum unles taking their zero multiple. It also represents base for 3D space from which every
other 3D vector can be generated.
CASE 2:
If the matrix can be modified to form:
|1,0,0|
|0,1,0|
|0,0,0|
then the vectors lie in one plane (the botom line can be omitted)
e.g. : 2*|1,0,0|+3*|0,1,0| = |2,3,0|
2*|1,0,0| + 3*|0,1,0| + |-2,-3,0| = |0,0,0|
CASE 3:
If the matrix can be modified to form:
|1,0,0|
|0,0,0|
|0,0,0|
then the vectors lie in line (zero lines omitted)
eg.:2*|1,0,0|+3*|1,0,0|+|-5,0,0|=0
So answer is: three 3D vectors can sum in zero vector (0,0,0) if the vectors lie in one plane or in one line
not in 3D space.
FOR 4 VECTORS:
general matrix:
|a,b,c|
|e,f,g|

|h,i,j|
|k,l,m|
results in:
|1,0,0|
|0,1,0|
|0,0,1|
|0,0,0|
or in one of the preceeding cases.
so sum of 4 vectors can form zero vector if they lie in 3D space or in plane or line.
It holds even for m dimensional system of vectors.
m dimensional system is represented by m vectors represented by m lines matrix (multiple of vectors
must not result in zero vector.
(if you cant understand its probably not your fault. The linear algebra is the key word you want to serach
for)
>Three vectors, yes. ( if one is zero then I assume that it has no 'plane' that it lies in )
Four vectors, no , you can easily check this by pointing up a bit and north then down a bit and north to
get a resultant on the same level north of where you started then point level and a bit west of south
followed by level and east to get back where you started (resultant is 0 but youve been up , down and
sideways in a way that wan't fit on a plane).
Does a unit vector have units?
No it doesn't. A unit vector indicates direction only. The length of the orthogonal components are
RELATIVE to the absolute length of the vector, thus cannot have a unit.
For instance, let X'=X/x where X is a vector, x is a scalar and X' is a unit vector. X has length and direction
and x has length only, thus X' has direction only.
Here's an example.
C = A + B where A=3m*A' and B=4m*B'
(where A and B are orthogonal)
cC' = aA' + bB'
C' = (a/c)A' + (b/c)B'
= xA' + yB'
c = sqrt(3m^2+4m^2) = 5m (by pythagorous)
x = (3m/5m) = (3/5) (notice that the units cancel out!)
y = (4m/5m) = (4/5) (notice that the units cancel out!)