All Topics  
Position vector

 

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Position vector
 
 
  Topics Position vector Topic Home

clude> A position, location or radius vector is a vector which represents the position of an object in space
Space

Space is the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which Physical body and events occur and have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physics usually consider it, with time, to be part of the boundless four-dimensional continuum known as spacetime....
 in relation to an arbitrary reference point
Point (geometry)

In geometry, topology and related branches of mathematics a spatial point describes a specific object within a given space that consists of neither volume, area, length, nor any other higher dimensional analogue....
. The concept applies to two- or three-dimensional space
Three-dimensional space

Three-dimensional space is a geometric model of the physical universe in which we live. The three dimensions are commonly called length, width, and depth , although any three mutually perpendicular directions can serve as the three dimensions....
. The term is also used as a means of deriving displacement by the spatial comparison of two or more position vectors and are usually 2- or, through hyperspace
Hyperspace

Hyperspace may refer to:* A Euclidean space of dimension greater than three * A space with non-Euclidean geometry* Minkowski space, a concept, often referred to by science fiction writers as hyperspace, that refers to the four-dimensional space-time of special relativity...
-based theories, 3-dimensional or N-dimensional if belonging to an N-dimensional Euclidean hyperspace.








Discussion
Ask a question about 'Position vector'
Start a new discussion about 'Position vector'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


clude> A position, location or radius vector is a vector which represents the position of an object in space
Space

Space is the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which Physical body and events occur and have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physics usually consider it, with time, to be part of the boundless four-dimensional continuum known as spacetime....
 in relation to an arbitrary reference point
Point (geometry)

In geometry, topology and related branches of mathematics a spatial point describes a specific object within a given space that consists of neither volume, area, length, nor any other higher dimensional analogue....
. The concept applies to two- or three-dimensional space
Three-dimensional space

Three-dimensional space is a geometric model of the physical universe in which we live. The three dimensions are commonly called length, width, and depth , although any three mutually perpendicular directions can serve as the three dimensions....
. The term is also used as a means of deriving displacement by the spatial comparison of two or more position vectors and are usually 2- or, through hyperspace
Hyperspace

Hyperspace may refer to:* A Euclidean space of dimension greater than three * A space with non-Euclidean geometry* Minkowski space, a concept, often referred to by science fiction writers as hyperspace, that refers to the four-dimensional space-time of special relativity...
-based theories, 3-dimensional or N-dimensional if belonging to an N-dimensional Euclidean hyperspace.

Applications


  • In linear algebra
    Linear algebra

    Linear algebra is the branch of mathematics concerned with the study of Euclidean vectors, vector spaces , linear maps , and system of linear equations....
    , a position vector can be expressed as a linear combination of basis vectors.


  • The kinematic
    Kinematics

    Kinematics is a branch of classical mechanics which describes the motion of objects without consideration of the causes leading to the motion....
     movement of a point mass
    Point mass

    Point mass is an idealistic term used to describe either matter which is infinitely small, or an object which can be thought of as infinitely small....
     can be described by a position vector field
    Vector field

    In mathematics a vector field is a construction in vector calculus which associates a vector to every point in a Euclidean space.Vector fields are often used in physics to model, for example, the speed and direction of a moving fluid throughout space, or the strength and direction of some force, such as the magnetic field or gravity for...
     P(t) which depends on a scalar time parameter t. Inertial position vectors are used in mechanics and dynamics to keep track of the positions of particles, point masses, or rigid objects.


  • In differential geometry, position vector fields are used to describe continuous and differentiable space curves, in which case the independent parameter need not be time, but can be (e.g.) arc length of the curve.


See also

  • Curve
    Curve

    In mathematics, a curve consists of the points through which a continuous function moving point passes. This notion captures the intuitive idea of a geometrical dimension object, which furthermore is connectedness in the sense of having no continuous function or continuum ....
  • Parametric surface
    Parametric surface

    A parametric surface is a surface in the Euclidean space R3 which is defined by a parametric equation with two parameters. Parametric representation is the most general way to specify a surface....