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VECTOR ALGEBRA

CONTENT: 1.Scalars and Vectors.


2. Position vectors of a point.
3. Directions cosines of a vector.
4. Unit vector.
5. Collinear vector.
6. Triangle law of vector addition.
7. Section formula.
8. Condition for collinear.
9. Scalar or dot product of two vector.
line

10. Projection of a vector along a directed


11. Vector or cross product of two vector.
12.Area of a triangle.
13. Area of a parallelogram.
14. Langranges identity

IMPORTANT POINTS OF VECTOR ALGEBRA


1. Scalars and Vectors.
Scalars:Physical quantities which have only
magnitude ,but no direction
Eg . length , area ,mass.

Vector: Physical quantities which have both


magnitude and direction.
Eg . Displacement, velocity, accelartion etc
2. Position vectors of a point.
(a)

Position vector of the point P(x,y,z) is

^ y ^j+ z k^
x i+
x i^ . y ^j andz k^

(b)

are called vectors components.

(C) X,Y,Z are called scalar components.


3. Directions cosines of a vector.(a) The
angles made by position vector

OP

) with positive direction of x-axis, y-axis, z-axis

respectively called direction angles.


(b) Cosines of the above angles are called dcs
The numbers proportional to dcs are called direction
ratios

4. Unit vector
a^

Formula:
.

a
|a|

for eg: vectors

^ ^j+2 k^
a =2i

unit vector in the direction of the vector


Sol:

a +

b=( 21 ) i^

+ (-1+1)

^j

b=i
^ ^j k^

+(2-1)

a +
k^

find a

^ 0 ^j+ k^
i+

Also |a + b|

2
2
= 1 +1

= 2

The unit vector in the direction


i^ + k^
2

1 ^ 1 ^
i+ k
2 2

a +

is given

a + b
|a + b|

5. Collinear vector.
Two or more vectors are said to be collinearif they have
same or parallel support.
6. Section formula.
Internal division :
r

and

ma n b
mn

=
b

is

ma +n b
m+n

, External division: :

, Mid point : The mid point with p v


1
2

).

7. Condition for collinear.A,B,C are


collinear if

AB=
AC

8. Scalar or dot product of two vector.


a. b=|a||b|

cos

For eg: find the dot product of


=

^ ^jk^
i+

^ ^j+2 k^
2i

and angle between the vectors is

60

= 4+ 1+ 4 =3 and |b| = 1+1+1 = 3

|a|

Sol :

and of

. b
a

=3 3

1
2

9.vector or cross product of two vector.


Formula:

a
xb

= |a||b| sin

n^

10.Area of a triangle. If a and b are the


adjacent sides of a triangle then the area of the triangle is
1
|a x b|
2

given by

11. Area of a parallelogram. . If a and b are


the adjacent sides of a parallelogram then the area of the

parallelogram is given by |a x b|

EASY

QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS

Q1. If either

a = 0 b=o

then

a x b = 0 .Is the converse true? Justify

your answer with


an example.
Sol: We know that
If

a x b = |a||b|sin n^

a =0 b=0 then a x b =0

But converse is not true

For Eg: Let

^ b=i+
^ ^jk
^ ^j+ k^
a =i

a x b =

And

clearly

| |

i
j
k
1 1 1
1 1
1

a 0 , b 0

i
j k
= - 1 1 1
1 1 1

= 0

Hence

a x b = o .

Q2: Show that the points A(1,2,7),B (2,6,3) and C(3,10,-1) are collinear.
^
^ ^
Sol: P V of point A= i+ 2 j+7 k
^
^ ^
P V of point B= 2 i+6 j+ 3 k
^
^ ^
P V of point C= 3 i+10 jk

AB

^ ^j +7 k^
i+2
^
^ ^
= ( 2 i^ +6 ^j+ 3 k^ ) =( i+ 4 j4 k

AC

AC
Implies

^
^ ^
=( 3 i+10 jk

^
^ ^
( i+ 2 j+7 k

^
^ ^
=2( i+ 4 j4 k

=2 AB

AC

and

AB

are parallel vector but point A ,B ,C are

collinear.
Q3.Find the magnitude of two vectors

a b having the same magnitude

1
0
60
their
scalar
product
is
that angle b/w them is
2

Sol: Given

1
|a|=|b| , a . b =
2

We know that ,

b =

1
=
2

and

|a||b|

|a||b|

=60

cos

cos

600

and such

1
=
2
|a|

1
2

|b|=1

^ ^j+ k^,
a =i+

Q4: If

|a|=1

=1

|a|

|a||b|

b=2 i
^ ^j+3 k^,

to the vector

2 ab +3 c .

Sol: Since

2 ab +3 c

=2

^
^j+ k^,
c =i2

^ ^j+ k^
i+

k
^
^
2 i j+3 ^

)-(

Find a uit vector parallel

^
^ ^
+3( i2 j+ k

^
^ ^
= 3 i3 j+2 k

|
2 a b +3 c|

32+3 2+2

unit vector parallel t

o
2 ab +3 c

22
=

2 a b +3 c
|
2 a b +3 c|

1 (
2 ab +3 c
22

k
^
^j+2 ^
3 i3
)=
1

22
Q5:

If

^ ^j+3 k^
a =2i+2
,

prepinduclar to c
Sol:

Here

a +

such that

, then find the value of .

^ ^j+3 k^
a =2i+2
,

Since

b=i+2
^ ^j + k^, c =3 i+
^ ^j

a a +

b=i+2
^ ^j+ k^, c =3 i+
^ ^j
=(2-) ^
i+ 2 ( 1+ ) ^j +( 3+ )

is prepinduclar to c

k^

is

).

a +

(2-)

c =0

=0

3+2 ( 1+ ) 1+(3+ ) 0

=8

Q6:Find the projection of the vector


Sol: Let

^ ^j
i

^ ^
on the vecto i+ j

a . b
b

^ ^j
^ ^
a =i
, b=i+ j
a

. = (1)(1) + (-1) (1)


b
=1-1=0

b= 1+1

Projection o

2
a

on

^ ^j+2 k^
a =2i
,

Q7: For given vectors


the direction of the vector
Sol:

Also

a +

|a + b|

b=( 21 ) i^

a +

^ 0 ^j+ k^
i+

12+12

b=i
^ ^j k^

^
+ (-1+1) j

0
2

^
+(2-1) k

=0

find a unit vector in

The unit vector in the direction

a +

a + b
|a + b|

is given

^ k^
i+
= 2

1 ^ 1 ^
i+ k
2 2 .
^
^ ^
Q8: Find the midpoint of the vector joining the points P( 2i +3 j + 4 k ) and Q (
^ ^j2 k^
4 i+
r

Sol: let
r =

.
be the position vector of point M

^ ^j+ 4 k^ ) +(4 i+
^ ^j2 k^ )
( 2i+3
2

( 6^i+ 4 ^j+2 k^ )

^ ^ ^
= 3 i+2 j+ k

Q9: Find a unit vector perpendicular to each of the vector


an(

We have

b
) where
a +
a

^ ^j+ k^
a =i+

.
a +

b
)

^
^ ^
and b=i+2 j+3 k

^
b
^ ^
= 2 i+3 j+ 4 k
^
b
^
= j2 k
b

a +

A vector which is perpendicular both

and a

is given

by

Now

a +

b
) x(

b
)=

^j
i^
k^
2 3
4
0 1 2

^
^
^
= 2 i+4 j2 k

|P| = 4+ 16+4 = 24 = 2 6

The required unit vector is

P =
|P|

IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

1 ^ +
i
6

2 ^ j
6

1 ^
k
6

(= P

say)

^ ^j3 k^
a = 5 i

Q10: If
a +

and

and

^
b
^ ^
= i+ 3 j5 k

, then show that the vector

are perpendicular .

Sol : we know that two non-zero vector are perpendicular if their scalar
product is zero.
a +

Here

So

Hence (

a +

a +

^ ^j3 k^
5 i

==

b
) .(

^ ^j3 k^
5 i

b
) and (

^
^ ^
) + ( i+ 3 j5 k )

)-

^ 3 ^j5 k^ )
( i+

^
^ ^
= 6 i+2 j8 k
^
^ ^
= 4 i4 j+ 2 k

k
^
6 i+2 ^j8 ^
b

)=
) =24-8-16=0
^
^j+ 2 k^
4 i4

b
) are perpendicular vectors.

QUESTIONS FOR PRACTICE:


^
^
1.Find the value of x and y so that the vectors 2 i +3 j
^
^
x i +y j

are equal.(x=2,y=3)
2. Find a unit vector in the direction of vector

^ ^j+2 k^
i+
6
.

and

^ ^j+2 k^
a = i+

^ ^ ^
3. Find a vector in the direction of vector5 i j +2 k
has magnitude 8 units

which

4. Find the direction cosines of the vector

^ 2 ^j+ 3 k^
i+
. (

1
2
3

,
(
,
(
14
14
14 ,)
5. Find the position vector of a point R which divides the line

joining the points

^ ^ ^
P( I +2 J K

2:1(i)internally (ii) externally.

k
^ ^j+ ^
and Q(- i+

in the ratio

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