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1. Vector Quantities

Vectors are those quantities which have been described by the magnitude of the quantity and its direction.

2. Linearly Independent and Dependent Vectors

A set of vectors a1 , a 2 ...., a n is said to be linearly independent if

y1 a1 + x 2 a 2 + ...+ x n a n = 0  x1 = x 2 = ... = x n = 0

A set of vectors a1 , a 2 ...., a n is said to be linearly dependent if there exists scalars x1, x2 , …, xn
not all zero such that

x1 a1 + x 2 a 2 + ... + x n a n = 0.

3. Collinearity

(i) Two vectors a1 and a 2 are collinear  a1 =  a 2 for some scalar λ

(ii). Three vectors a1 , a 2 and a 3 are collinear, if there exists scalars x, y, z such that

xa1 + ya 2 + za 3 = 0, where x+y+z=0

Also the points A , B, C are collinear if AB = BC for some scalar λ .

4. Coplanarity

(i). Three vectors a1 , a 2 , a 3 are coplanar if one of them is a liner combination of the other two

if there exist scalars x and y such that a 3 = x a1 + y a 2

(ii). Four vectors a1 , a 2 , a 3 and a 4 are coplanar if scalars x, y, z, w not all zero simultaneously
such that

xa1 + ya 2 + za 3 + wa 4 = 0 = 0 where x + y + z + w = 0.

5. Scalar or Dot product

The scalar product of two vectors a and b is given by

a.b =| a | | b | cos  (0    )

Where θ is the angle between a & b.

5.1 Properties of the Scalar Product

(i) a . a =| a | = a
2 2
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(ii) Two vectors a and b make an acute if a.b  0, an obtuse angel if a .b < 0 and are inclined at

a right angle if a . b = 0 .

a.b
(iii) Projection of a on b =
b

a.b
(iv) Projection of b on a =
a

(v) Components of r in the direction of a and perpendicular to a are

 r.a   r.a 
 2  a and r −  2  a respectively.
 a   a 

(vi) If ˆi, ˆjand kˆ are three-unit vectors along three mutually perpendicular lines, then

ˆi, ˆj = ˆj.jˆ = kˆ .kˆ = 1and ˆi.jˆ = ˆj.kˆ = k.i

ˆ ˆ=0

( ) ( )
(vii) a + b − a − b = a − b and (a + b) = a + b + 2a .b
2 2 2 2 2

6. Vector or cross Product

The vector product of two vectors a and b is given by a  b = a b = a b sin  n,

ˆ ( 0     ) where
θ is the angle between a & b, nˆ is the unit vector perpendicular to a & b.

6.1 Properties of the Vector Product

(i) a  b = − b  a(i.e., a  b  b  a)

(ii) ab = 0

(iii) (a  b) = a b − (a .b)
2 2 2 2

ˆi ˆj kˆ
(iv) a − = a1ˆi + a 2 ˆj + a 3 kˆ & b = b1ˆi + b 2 ˆj + b 3kˆ then a  b = a1 a2 a3
b1 b2 b3

(v) The vector perpendicular to both a and b is given by a  b.

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ab
(vi) The unit vector perpendicular to the plane of a and b is and a vector of magnitude λ
ab
(a  b)
perpendicular to the plane of (a & b or b & a) is 
ab

(vii) If ˆi, ˆj, kˆ are three-unit vectors along three mutually perpendicular lines, then

(viii) If a & b are collinear then a  b = 0, (a b  0)

(ix) (a) The area of a triangle if adjacent sides are a & b is given by
1
ab
2

(b) The Area of a parallelogram if adjacent sides are a & b is given by –

ab

(c) The Area of a parallelogram if diagonals are c and d is given by

1
= cd
2
7. Scalar Triple Product

If a, b and c be there vectors, there (a  b).c called the scalar triple product of these three
vectors.

Note: the scalar triple product is usually written as (a  b).c = [a b c] or[a, b , c] and termed as
the box a,b,c.

7.1 Properties of scalar Triple product

(i) a.(b  c) = (a  b).c

(ii)  a b c  =  b c a  =  c a b  =  b a c  = −  c b a  = − a c b 
           
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(iii) If λ is a scalar then   a, b, c  =   a, b, c 
   

(iv) If a = a1ˆi + a 2 ˆj + a 3 k,
ˆ b = b ˆi + b ˆj + b kˆ and c = c ˆi + c ˆj + c k,
1 2 3 1 2 3
ˆ

a1 a 2 a3
a b c  = a  b.c = b1 b 2 b3
 
c1 c2 c3

(v) The value of scalar triple product, if two of its vectors are equal, is zero .i.e.,  a b b  = 0
 

(vi) a b c1 + c2  = a b c1  + a b c2 
     
(vii) The volume of the parallelepiped whose adjacent sides are represented by the vectors
a, b and c is a b c 

(viii) The volume of the tetrahedrane whose adjacent sides are represented by the vectors
1
a, b and c is a b c 
6 

(ix) The volume of the triangular prism whose adjacent sides are represented by the vectors

1
a, b and c is a b c  .
2

(x) If a b c  = 0  a , b and c are coplanar.

 

(xi) If  a b c  =  d a b  + d b c  +  d c a   a , b , c & d are coplanar.

       

(xii) Three vectors a , b , c form a right-handed or left-handed system according as

a b c   or  0,
 

a.b b.u c.u

(xiii) a b c   u v w  = a.v b.v c.v
 
a.w b.w c.w

(xiv) a , b + d , c + r  = a b c  + a b r  + a d c  + a d r 
         
8. Vector Triple Product

The vector triple product of three vectors a , b & c is the vector a  (b  c) and

( ) ( )
a  (b  c) = ( a .c ) b − ( a.c ) c . Also, a  b  c = ( a .c ) b − b .c a
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Clearly a  (b  c)  a  b  c( )
Equality holds if either a or b or c is zero or c is collinear with a or b is perpendicular to both
a and c.
9. Scalar product of four Vectors

If a , b , c , d are four vectors, the products ( a  b ) .( c  d ) is called scalar products of four vectors.

( ) ( )
a .c b.c
i.e., a  b − . c  d =
a .d b.d

This relation is known as Lagrange’s Identity.

10. Vector product of four Vectors

If a , b , c , d are four vectors, the products ( a  b )  ( c  d ) is called vector products four vectors.
( ) ( )     ( ) ( )
i.e., a  b  c  d = a b d  c − a b c  d Also, a  b  c  d = a b d  b − a b c  a.
   
An expression for any vector r , in space, as a linear combination of three non-coplanar vectors
a , b , c.

 r b c a +  r c a  b +  r a b c
r=    
a b c 
 
11. Reciprocal System of Vectors

If a , b, c be any three non-coplanar vectors so that  a b c   0, then the three vectors a , b , c

 
defined by the equations

bc ca a b 

a '= ,b' = , c'=   are called reciprocal system of vectors to the vectors
a b c  a b c   a bc 
   
a , b , c.

11.1 Properties of Reciprocal system of Vectors

(i) a .a ' = b.b ' = c.c ' =1

(ii) a.b ' = b.c ' = c a ' = 0

(iii)  a b c   a 'b 'c ' =1

  
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b ' c ' c ' a ' a ' b '
(iv) a= , b= , c=
 a ' b ' c ' a 'b ', c ' a ', b 'c '
     

(v) The system of unit vectors ˆi, ˆj, kˆ is its own reciprocal i.e., ˆi ' = ˆi , ˆj' = ˆj & kˆ ' = kˆ .

12. APPLICATION OF VECTORS TO GEOMETRY

(1) The bisectors of the angles between the lines r = x a and r = y b

a b
r =     (  R )
a b
 
‘+’ sing gives internal bisector and ‘- ‘sign gives external bisector.

(2) Section Formula: If a & b are the P.V. of A and B and r be the P.V. of the point P which
divides to join of A and B in the ratio m : n then

mbna
r=
mn

‘+’ sign taken for internal

‘- ‘sign taken for external.

(3) a , b , c be the position vectors of three vertices of  ABC and r be the position vector of
a+b+c
the centroid of  ABC . Then r =
3
(4) Equation of straight line

(i) Vector equation of the straight line passing through origin and parallel to a is given by
r = ta , where t is scalar.

(ii) Vector equation of the straight line passing through a and parallel to b is given by
r = a + t b , where t is scalar.

(iii) Vector equation of the plane passing through a , b & c is

r = (1 − s − t ) a + s b + t c

Where s & t are scalars.

(5) Perpendicular distance of the line

r = a + t b from the point P(P.V.c)

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(c − a) b
b

(6) Perpendicular distance of the plane i.e., r .n = p forms the point P having position vector a
a .n − p
is
n

(7) The condition that two lines r = a + t b , and r = a + t1 b , (where t & t1 are scalars) to be

coplanar (non-parallel) is given by  a − c , b , d  = 0

 
(8) The shortest distance between two non-intersecting lines (skew lines
 b d (a − c) 
r = a + t b , and r = c + t1 d ( where t & t1 are scalars) is given by  
bd

(9) Vector equation of sphere with centre a and radius p is r − a = p

(10) Vector equation of sphere when extremities of diameter being a , b is given by

(r − a ).( r − b) = 0

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