Re: vector components and notation

[John Mallinckrodt <ajm@CSUPOMONA.EDU>]

Bob LaMontagne wrote:

> ... Yes, Serway does use the two vectors Ax and Ay - however, he is
> careful not to use the word "component" until he actually defines the term
> from the scalar lengths of those vectors. Then he drops the vectors Ax and Ay
> completely throughout the remainder of the text and only uses scalar
> components. I think his presentation could have been even stronger by leaving
> out those two vectors entirely - I think that was your objection and I agree
> with you. Do you have favorite textbooks that you feel take a clearer
> approach? ...

This is not a very big deal with me but, since you ask, I guess I
tend to favor what seems to me the traditional approach as
exemplified by Halliday, Resnick, and Krane (or some permutation
thereof) and other texts which limit themselves to using vectors,
scalar components of vectors, and unit vectors.  I would prefer a
textbook that indicates vectors the way we actually write them (i.e.,
as non-bold face characters with arrows over the top) and that
indicate unit vectors using non-bold face characters like x, y, and z
with "hats" (rather than bold face i, j, and k.)

John
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   A. John Mallinckrodt        http://www.csupomona.edu/~ajm
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