Mathematics For Engineers 3

NMB20203
Vector Geometry
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to
• Obtain the scalar and vector triple products and appreciate their geometric
significance
 Products Of Vectors
• Dot Products / Scalar Products
If A and B are 2 vectors, the scalar product of A and B is defined as
𝐴 ∙ 𝐵 = 𝐴 𝐵 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃
Example : 𝐴 = 2𝑖 − 3𝑗 + 4𝑘 ; 𝐵 = 𝑖 + 2𝑗 + 5𝑘
then 𝐴 ∙ 𝐵 = 2 1 + −3 2 + 4 5
= 2 − 6 + 20 = 16
Since 𝐴 ∙ 𝐵 = 𝐴 𝐵 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃, we can determine the angle between

the vectors. 𝐴 = 22 + (−3)2 + 42 = 29

𝐵 = 12 + 22 + 52 = 30
• Vector Products / Cross Product
𝐴 × 𝐵 = 𝐴 𝐵 sin 𝜃
𝑖 𝑗 𝑘
𝐴 × 𝐵 = 𝑎𝑥 𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑧
𝑏𝑥 𝑏𝑦 𝑏𝑧
Example: 𝐴 = 3𝑖 − 2𝑗 + 4𝑘 ; 𝐵 = 2𝑖 − 3𝑗 − 2𝑘
𝑖 𝑗 𝑘
𝐴 × 𝐵 = 3 −2 4 = 16𝑖 + 14𝑗 − 5𝑘
2 −3 −2
𝐴 × 𝐵 = 𝐴 𝐵 sin 𝜃
𝐴×𝐵 = 162 + 142 + 52 = 477 = 21.84
𝐴 = 32 + 22 + 42 = 29 = 5.385
𝐵 = 22 + 32 + 22 = 17 = 4.123

∴ 21.84 = 5.385 4.123 sin 𝜃

𝜃 = 79°40′
Scalar Triple Products Of Three Vectors

If 𝐴, 𝐵 and 𝐶 are 3 vectors, then

A ∙ (𝐵 × 𝐶) is called the scalar triple products

If 𝐴 = 𝑎𝑥 𝑖 + 𝑎𝑦 𝑗 + 𝑎𝑧 𝑘;
𝐵 = 𝑏𝑥 𝑖 + 𝑏𝑦 𝑗 + 𝑏𝑧 𝑘;
𝐶 = 𝑐𝑥 𝑖 + 𝑐𝑦 𝑗 + 𝑐𝑧 𝑘
𝑖 𝑗 𝑘
𝑏𝑦 𝑏𝑧 𝑏𝑥 𝑏𝑧 𝑏𝑥 𝑏𝑦
𝐵 × 𝐶 = 𝑏𝑥 𝑏𝑦 𝑏𝑧 = 𝑖 𝑐 𝑐𝑧 − 𝑗 𝑐𝑥 +𝑘 𝑐 𝑐𝑦
𝑦 𝑐𝑧 𝑥
𝑐𝑥 𝑐𝑦 𝑐𝑧
𝑖 𝑗 𝑘 𝑎𝑥 𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑧
∴ A ∙ 𝐵 × 𝐶 = (𝑎𝑥 𝑖 + 𝑎𝑦 𝑗 + 𝑎𝑧 𝑘) ∙ 𝑏𝑥 𝑏𝑦 𝑏𝑧 = 𝑏𝑥 𝑏𝑦 𝑏𝑧
𝑐𝑥 𝑐𝑦 𝑐𝑧 𝑐𝑥 𝑐𝑦 𝑐𝑧
Example

If A = 2i − 3j + 4k;
𝐵 = 𝑖 − 2𝑗 − 3𝑘; 𝐶 = 2𝑖 + 𝑗 + 2𝑘
2 −3 4
then 𝐀 ∙ 𝑩 × 𝑪 = 1 −2 −3
2 1 2
= 𝟐 −𝟒 + 𝟑 + 𝟑 𝟐 + 𝟔 + 𝟒 𝟏 + 𝟒
= 𝟒𝟐
Properties of Scalar Triple Products

𝑏𝑥 𝑏𝑦 𝑏𝑧 𝑎𝑥 𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑧
a) 𝐵 ∙ 𝐶 × 𝐴 = 𝑐𝑥 𝑐𝑦 𝑐𝑧 = − 𝑐𝑥 𝑐𝑦 𝑐𝑧
𝑎𝑥 𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑧 𝑏𝑥 𝑏𝑦 𝑏𝑧
Since interchanging 2 rows in determinant reverses the sign. If we now
interchange rows 2 and 3 and again change the sign, we have
𝑎𝑥 𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑧
𝐵 ∙ 𝐶 × 𝐴 = 𝑏𝑥 𝑏𝑦 𝑏𝑧 = 𝐴 ∙ 𝐵 × 𝐶
𝑐𝑥 𝑐𝑦 𝑐𝑧
∴ 𝐴 ∙ 𝐵 × 𝐶 = 𝐵 ∙ 𝐶 × 𝐴 = 𝐶 ∙ (𝐴 × 𝐵)
 𝑏𝑥 𝑏𝑦 𝑏𝑧 𝑎𝑥 𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑧
b) 𝐵 ∙ 𝐴 × 𝐶 = 𝑎𝑥 𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑧 = − 𝑏𝑥 𝑏𝑦 𝑏𝑧
𝑐𝑥 𝑐𝑦 𝑐𝑧 𝑐𝑥 𝑐𝑦 𝑐𝑧

∴ 𝐵 ∙ 𝐴 × 𝐶 = −𝐴 ∙ 𝐵 × 𝐶

𝑎𝑥 𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑧
c) 𝐴 ∙ 𝐵 × 𝐴 = 𝑏𝑥 𝑏𝑦 𝑏𝑧 = 0
𝑎𝑥 𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑧
since 2 rows are identical.
∴ 𝐴∙ 𝐵×𝐴 =𝐵∙ 𝐶 ×𝐵 =𝐶 ∙ 𝐴×𝐶 = 0
Example

If A = i + 2j + 3k;
𝐵 = 2𝑖 − 3𝑗 + 𝑘; 𝐶 = 3𝑖 + 𝑗 − 2𝑘
1 2 3
then 𝐀 ∙ 𝑩 × 𝑪 = 2 −3 1
3 1 −2
= 1 6 − 1 − 2 −4 − 3 + 3 2 + 9
= 52

3 1 2
𝑪 ∙ 𝑩 × 𝑨 = 2 −3 1
1 2 3
= 3 −9 − 2 − 1 6 − 1 + 2 4 + 3
= −52
 Coplanar Vectors
The magnitude of the scalar triple product A ( B  C ) is equal to the volume
of the parallelepiped with three adjacent sides defined by A,B and C.

A  ( B  C )  A  ( BC sin  n)  ABC sin  n cos  n

Where
n  unit vector perpendicular to the plane containing Band C
 = angle between B and C
  angle between A and n
If A  ( B  C )  0 then the volume of the parallelepiped is zero and 𝐴, 𝐵 and C are
coplanar

Example 1
Show that 𝐴 = 𝑖 + 2𝑗 − 3𝑘; 𝐵 = 2𝑖 − 𝑗 + 2𝑘; 𝐶 = 3𝑖 + 𝑗 − 𝑘 are
coplanar.

1 2 −3
Just find 𝐴 ∙ 𝐵 × 𝐶 = 2 −1 2
3 1 −1
= 1 1 − 2 − 2 −2 − 6 − 3 2 + 3 = 0

Therefore 𝐴, 𝐵 and 𝐶 are coplanar.

Example 2
If 𝐴 = 2𝑖 − 𝑗 + 3𝑘; 𝐵 = 3𝑖 + 2𝑗 + 𝑘; 𝐶 = 𝑖 + 𝑝𝑗 + 4𝑘 are coplanar. Find
the value of 𝑝

Answer:
2 −1 3
Just find 𝐴 ∙ 𝐵 × 𝐶 = 3 2 1 = 0
1 𝑝 4
2 8 − 𝑝 + 1 12 − 1 + 3 3𝑝 − 2 = 0
7𝑝 = −21
𝑝 = −3
Exercise

Determine whether the vectors 𝐴 = 3𝑖 + 2𝑗 − 𝑘; 𝐵 = 2𝑖 − 𝑗 + 3𝑘;

𝐶 = 𝑖 − 2𝑗 + 2𝑘 are coplanar.

Answer:
Not coplanar
Vector Triple Products Of Three Vectors

If 𝐴, 𝐵 and 𝐶 are 3 vectors, then

A × (𝐵 × 𝐶)
ൠ are called the vector triple products
(A × 𝐵) × 𝐶

Consider A × (𝐵 × 𝐶) where 𝐴 = 𝑎𝑥 𝑖 + 𝑎𝑦 𝑗 + 𝑎𝑧 𝑘;
𝐵 = 𝑏𝑥 𝑖 + 𝑏𝑦 𝑗 + 𝑏𝑧 𝑘;
𝐶 = 𝑐𝑥 𝑖 + 𝑐𝑦 𝑗 + 𝑐𝑧 𝑘
𝑖 𝑗 𝑘
𝑏𝑦 𝑏𝑧 𝑏𝑥 𝑏𝑧 𝑏𝑥 𝑏𝑦
𝐵 × 𝐶 = 𝑏𝑥 𝑏𝑦 𝑏𝑧 = 𝑖 𝑐 𝑐 −𝑗 +𝑘 𝑐 𝑐𝑦
𝑦 𝑧 𝑐𝑥 𝑐𝑧 𝑥
𝑐𝑥 𝑐𝑦 𝑐𝑧
 𝑖 𝑗 𝑘
𝑎𝑥 𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑧
Then A × (𝐵 × 𝐶) =
𝑏𝑦 𝑏𝑧 𝑏 𝑏𝑧 𝑏𝑥 𝑏𝑦
𝑐𝑦 𝑐𝑧 − 𝑥 𝑐𝑥 𝑐𝑦
𝑐𝑥 𝑐𝑧

𝑖 𝑗 𝑘
𝑎𝑥 𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑧
=
𝑏𝑦 𝑏𝑧 𝑏𝑧 𝑏𝑥 𝑏𝑥 𝑏𝑦
𝑐𝑦 𝑐𝑧 𝑐𝑧 𝑐𝑥 𝑐𝑥 𝑐𝑦
Example 1

If A = 2i − 3j + k; B = i + 2j − k; C = 3i + j + 3k
Find A × (𝐵 × 𝐶)

Answer
𝑖 𝑗 𝑘
𝐵×𝐶= 1 2 −1 = 6 + 1 i − 3 + 3 j + 1 − 6 k
3 1 3
= 7i − 6j − 5k

𝑖 𝑗 𝑘
Then A × 𝐵 × 𝐶 = 2 −3 1
7 −6 −5
= 15 + 6 𝑖 − −10 − 7 𝑗 + −12 + 21 𝑘
= 21𝑖 + 17𝑗 + 9𝑘
We have another way to determining a vector triple products. It can be proved
that
A× 𝐵×𝐶 = 𝐴∙𝐶 𝐵− 𝐴∙𝐵 𝐶
or
A×𝐵 ×𝐶 = 𝐶∙𝐴 𝐵− 𝐶∙𝐵 𝐴

Example 2

If A = 3i + 2j − 2k; B = 4i − j + 3k; C = 2i − 3j + k
Find (A × 𝐵) × 𝐶 using relationship A × 𝐵 × 𝐶 = 𝐶 ∙ 𝐴 𝐵 − 𝐶 ∙ 𝐵 𝐴
Answer

If A = 3i + 2j − 2k; B = 4i − j + 3k; C = 2i − 3j + k
A×B ×C= C∙A B− C∙B A
= 6 − 6 − 2 (4i − j + 3k) − 8 + 3 + 3 (3i + 2j − 2k)
= −2 (4i − j + 3k) − 14(3i + 2j − 2k)
= −50i − 26j + 22k
Example 3

If A = i + 3j + 2k; B = 2i + 5j − k; C = i + 2j + 3k
Find 𝐴 × 𝐵 × 𝐶 and A × B × C

𝑨× 𝑩×𝑪 = 𝐴∙𝐶 𝐵− 𝐴∙𝐵 𝐶

= 1 + 6 + 6 (2i + 5j − k) − 2 + 15 − 2 (i + 2j + 3k)
= 11i + 35j − 58k

𝐀×𝑩 ×𝐂= C∙A B− C∙B A

= 1 + 6 + 6 (2i + 5j − k) − 2 + 10 − 3 (i + 3j + 2k)
= 17i + 38j − 31k

So, 𝐀× 𝐁×𝐂 ≠ 𝐀×𝐁 ×𝐂

Before we proceed, note the following concerning the unit vector

i×j =k
∴ i × i × j = i × k = −j

i×i ×j=0×j=0
∴ i×i ×j=0

So, i× i×j ≠ i×i ×j

Example 4 (Try this)

If A = 5i − 2j + 3k; B = 3i + j − 2k; C = i − 3j + 4k. Find

a) The scalar triple product 𝑨 ∙ 𝑩 × 𝑪
b) The vector triple products 𝑨 × 𝑩 × 𝑪 and (𝑨 × 𝑩) × 𝑪

Answer:
a) −12
b) A × B × C = 62i + 44j − 74k
A × B × C = 109i + 7j − 22k
 That’s all
Thank you