Vector Notes
Vector Notes
1. If |𝑎⃗| = 5 , |𝑏⃗⃗| = 13 𝑎𝑛𝑑 |𝑎⃗ × 𝑏⃗⃗| = 25 , 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑎⃗. 𝑏⃗⃗
2. If 𝑎⃗ = 𝑖̂ + 4𝑗̂ + 2𝑘̂ , ⃗⃗⃗
𝑏 = 3𝑖̂ − 2𝑗̂ + 7𝑘̂ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐⃗ = 2𝑖̂ − 𝑗̂ + 4𝑘̂ , find the vector ⃗𝒅⃗ which is
perpendicular to both 𝑎⃗ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏⃗⃗ and such that 𝑐⃗. 𝑑⃗ = 15
3. Express the vector 𝑎⃗ = 5𝑖̂ − 2𝑗̂ + 5𝑘̂ as the sum of two vectors such that one is parallel to the vector
⃗⃗⃗
𝑏 = 3𝑖̂ + 𝑘̂ and the other is perpendicular to 𝑏⃗⃗.
𝜃 1
4. If 𝑎̂ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏̂ are unit vectors and 𝜃 is the angle between them, then prove that cos = |𝑎̂ + 𝑏̂|
2 2
⃗⃗ ⃗⃗ ⃗⃗
5. If 𝑎⃗ × 𝑏 = 𝑎⃗ × 𝑐⃗ such that 𝑎⃗ ≠ 0 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏 ≠ 𝑐⃗ , then show that 𝑏 = 𝑐⃗ + 𝜆𝑎⃗ ,where 𝜆 is a constant⃗⃗⃗⃗
6. If 𝑎⃗ = 𝑖̂ + 𝑗̂ + 𝑘̂ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ⃗⃗⃗𝑏 = 𝑗̂ − 𝑘̂ then find the vector 𝑐⃗ such that 𝑎⃗ × 𝑐⃗ = 𝑏⃗⃗ and 𝑎⃗. 𝑐⃗ = 3.
7. Find the unit vector perpendicular to the plane containing the points A(3, -1, 2) B(1, -1, -3) and C(4,
-3, 1)
8. If 𝑎⃗ + 𝑏⃗⃗ + 𝑐⃗ = 0 𝑎𝑛𝑑 |𝑎⃗| = 3, |𝑏⃗⃗| = 5, |𝑐⃗| = 7 then show that the angle between 𝑎⃗ 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏⃗⃗ is 600
9. Show that the four points A,B,C and D with position vectors 4𝑖⃗ + 5𝑗⃗ + 𝑘⃗⃗, −𝑗⃗ − ⃗⃗⃗⃗ 𝑘, 3𝑖⃗ + 9𝑗⃗ + 4𝑘⃗⃗ and
4(−𝑖⃗ + 𝑗⃗ + 𝑘⃗⃗) respectively are coplanar.
10. The scalar product of the vector 𝑎⃗ = 𝑖̂ + 𝑗̂ +
𝑘̂ 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑣𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑢𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑣𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 ⃗⃗⃗ 𝑏 = 2𝑖 + 4𝑗̂ − 5𝑘̂ and 𝑐⃗ = 𝜇𝑖̂ +
2𝑗̂ + 3𝑘̂ is equal to one.Find the value of 𝜇 and hence find the unit vector along 𝑏⃗⃗ + 𝑐⃗.
11. Find the area of the triangle with vertices A(1, 1, 2) , B(2, 3, 5) and C(1, 5, 5) using the property of
vectors.
12. Find all vectors of magnitude 10 3 that are perpendicular to the plane containing the vectors iˆ+
2+ˆj kˆ and iˆ+ 3ˆ+j 4kˆ .
13. A vector 𝑟⃗ is inclined at equal angles to the three axes. If the magnitude of 𝑟⃗ is 2 √3 units, find 𝑟⃗ .
14. If 𝑎⃗ + 𝑏⃗⃗ + 𝑐⃗= 0 show that 𝑎⃗ × 𝑏⃗⃗ = 𝑏⃗⃗ × 𝑐⃗ = 𝑐⃗ × 𝑎⃗
b2 c2 a 2
15. Prove that in any triangle ABC,cosA= , where a, b, c are the magnitudes of the sides
2bc
opposite to the vertices A, B, C, respectively.
1
16. If 𝑎⃗, 𝑏⃗⃗, 𝑐⃗ determine the vertices of a triangle, show that (𝑎⃗× 𝑏⃗⃗ + 𝑏⃗⃗ × 𝑐⃗ + 𝑐⃗ × 𝑎⃗)gives the vector
2
area of the triangle. Hence deduce the condition that the three points If 𝑎⃗, 𝑏⃗⃗, 𝑐⃗ are collinear. Also find
the unit vector normal to the plane of the triangle.
1
17. Show that area of the parallelogram whose diagonals are given by 𝑎⃗ and 𝑏⃗⃗ is |𝑎⃗ × 𝑏⃗⃗| . Also find
2
the area of the parallelogram whose diagonals are 2iˆ+ ˆj+ kˆ and iˆ +3ˆj+ kˆ .
18. If 𝑎⃗, ⃗⃗𝑏,
⃗⃗ 𝑐⃗ are three vectors such that |𝑎⃗| = 5, |𝑏| = 12, |𝑐⃗| = 13 and 𝑎⃗ + 𝑏⃗⃗ + 𝑐⃗= 0,find the value of
a . b b . c c . a
19. If 𝑎⃗, ⃗⃗𝑏,
⃗⃗ 𝑐⃗ are three vectors such that |𝑎⃗| = |𝑏| = |𝑐⃗| show that 𝑎⃗ + 𝑏⃗⃗ + 𝑐⃗ is equally inclined to
𝑎⃗, ⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑏 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐⃗
20. If a b c d and a c b d show that a d is parallel to b c where a d and b c
If 𝑎⃗, 𝑏⃗⃗, 𝑐⃗ are unit vectors such that 𝑎⃗.𝑎⃗, 𝑎⃗. 𝑎⃗=0 and the angle between b and c is 𝜋6,then prove that (i) 𝑎⃗ =
±(𝑏 × 𝑐 ) (ii)[a+b b+c c+a]=±1