Vectors 377

5.17 GEOMETRICAL INTERPRETATION

  
The scalar triple product a . ( b  c ) represents the volume of the parallelopiped
  
having a , b , c as its co-terminous edges. G F
    ^
a . ( b  c ) = a . Area of  gm OBDC 
= Area of  gm OBDC × perpendicular distance A ^
E
n B
between the parallel faces OBDC and AEFG. – D
a –
= Volume of the parallelopiped b
     
Note. (1) If a . ( b  c ) = 0, then a , b , c are O c– C
coplanar.
1 
(2) Volume of tetrahedron (a b c).
6
Example 4. Find the volume of parallelopiped if
 ^ ^ ^  ^ ^ ^  ^ ^ ^
a   3 i  7 j  5 k, b   3 i  7 j  3 k , and c  7 i  5 j  3 k
are the three co-terminous edges of the parallelopiped.
Solution.
  
Volume = a . ( b  c )
3 7 5
= 3 7  3 = – 3 (–21 – 15) – 7 (9 + 21) + 5 (15 – 49)
7 5 3
= 108 – 210 – 170 = – 272
Volume = 272 cube units. Ans.
     
Example 5. Show that the volume of the tetrahedron having A  B , B  C , C  A as
  
concurrent edges is twice the volume of the tetrahendron having A, B , C as concurrent edges.
1      
Solution. Volume of tetrahendron = ( A  B ) . [( B  C )  ( C  A )]
6
1          
 
= ( A  B ) . [ B  C  B  A  C  C  C  A] [ C  C  0]
6
1        
= (A  B) . ( B  C  B  A  C  A )
6
1                 
= [ A . ( B  C )  A . ( B  A )  A . ( C  A)  B . ( B  C )  B . ( B  A )  B . ( C  A )]
6
1       1   
= [ A . ( B  C )  B . (C  A)]  A . ( B  C )
6 3
1 
= 2  [A B C]
6
  
= 2 Volume of tetrahedron having A, B , C , as concurrent edges. Proved.
EXERCISE 5.1
1. Find the volume of the parallelopiped with adjacent sides.
      
OA = 3 i  j , OB  j  2 k , and OC  i  5 j  4 k
extending from the origin of co-ordinates O. Ans. 20
2. Find the volume of the tetrahedron whose vertices are the points A (2, –1, –3), B (4, 1, 3)
1
C (3, 2, –1) and D (1, 4, 2). Ans. 7
3

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 378 Vectors
 ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 
3. Choose y in order that the vectors a  7 i  y j  kˆ , b  3 i  2 j  k ,
 ^ ^ ^
c  5 i  3 j  k are linearly dependent. Ans. y = 4
4. Prove that
        
[a  b , b  c , c  a]  2 [a b c]
5.18 COPLANARITY QUESTIONS
Example 6. Find the volume of tetrahedron having vertices
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
(  j  k ), ( 4 i  5 j  q k ), ( 3 i  9 j  4 k ) and 4 (  i  j  k ) .
Also find the value of q for which these four points are coplanar.
(Nagpur University, Summer 2004, 2003, 2002)
 ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Solution. Let A =  j  k , B  4 i  5 j  q k , C  3 i  9 j  4 k , D  4(  i  j  k )
  ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
AB = B  A  4 i  5 j  q k  (  j  kˆ )  4 i  6 j  (q  1) k

^  ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
AC = C  A  (3 i  9 ˆj  4 k )  ( j  k )  3 i  10 j  5 k
  ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
AD = D  A  4 (  i  j  k )  (  j  k )   4 i  5 j  5 k
1
Volume of the tetrahedron = [ AB AC AD ]
6
4 6 q1
1 1
= 3 10 5 = {4 (50  25)  6 (15  20)  ( q  1) (15  40)}
6 6
4 5 5
1 1
= {100  210  55 ( q  1)} = (  110  55  55 q)
6 6
1 55
= (  55  55 q)  ( q  1)
6 6
If four points A, B, C and D are coplanar, then ( AB AC AD ) = 0
i.e., Volume of the tetrahedron = 0
55
 ( q  1) = 0  q=1 Ans.
6
Example 7. If four points whose position vectors are a , b , c , d are coplanar, show that
           
[ a b c ]  [ a d b ]  [ a d c ]  [ d b c ] (Nagpur University, Summer 2005)
   
Solution. Let A, B, C, D be four points whose position vectors are a , b , c , d .
        
AD = d  a , BD  d  b and CD  d  c
  
If AD , BD , CD are coplanar, then
  
AD . (BD  CD ) = 0
     
 ( d  a ) . [( d  b )  ( d  c )] = 0
         
 (d  a) . [d  d  d  c  b  d  b  c ]= 0
       
 ( d  a ) . [ d  c  b  d  b  c ] = 0
                 
  d . ( d  c )  d . ( b  d )  d . ( b  c )  a . ( d  c )  a . ( b  a )  a .( b  c ) = 0
   
  0  0  [d b c ]  [ d d c ]  [ d b d ]  [ a b c ] = 0
   
 [ a b c ]  [ a b d ]  [ a d c ]  [ d b c ] Proved.

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 Vectors 379
EXERCISE 5.2
1. Determine  such that
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
a  i  j  k , b  2 i  4 k , and c  i   j  3 k are coplanar. Ans.  = 5/3
2. Show that the four points
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
6 i  3 j  2 k , 3 i  2 j  4 k , 5 i  7 j  3 k and  13 i  17 j  k are coplanar.
3. Find the constant a such that the vectors
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
2 i  j  k , i  2 j  3 k , and 3 i  a j  5 k are coplanar. Ans. – 4
4. Prove that four points
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
4 i  5 j  k ,  ( j  k ), 3 i  9 j  4 k , 4 (  i  j  k ) are coplanar.
  
5. If the vectors a , b and c are coplanar, show that
  
a b c
     
a . a a . b a . c
      =0
b . a b . b b . c
5.19 VECTOR PRODUCT OF THREE VECTORS (A.M.I.E.T.E., Summer, 2004, 2000)
  
  
Let a , b and c be three vectors then their vector product is written as a  (b × c ).
 ^ ^ ^
Let a = a1 i  a2 j  a3 k ,
 ^ ^ ^
b = b1 i  b2 j  b3 k ,
 ^ ^ ^
c = c1 i  c2 j  c3 k
   ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
a  ( b  c ) = ( a1 i  a2 j  a3 k )  (b1 i  b2 j  b3 k )  ( c1 i  c2 j  c3 k )
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
= ( a1 i  a2 j  a3 k )  [( b2 c 3  b3 c 2 ) i  ( b3 c1  b1c 3 ) j  ( b1c 2  b2 c1 ) k ]
^ ^
= [ a2 ( b1c2  b2 c1 )  a3 ( b3 c1  b1 c3 )] i  [ a3 ( b2 c3  b3 c2 )  a1 ( b1 c2  b2 c1 )] j
^
 [ a1 ( b3 c1  b1c 3 )  a2 ( b2 c3  b3 c 2 ) k ]
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
= ( a1 c1  a2 c 2  a3 c 3 ) ( b1 i  b2 j  b3 k )  ( a1 b1  a2 b2  a3 b3 ) ( c1 i  c 2 j  c 3 k )
     
= (a . c) b  (a . b) c . Ans.
Example 8. Prove that :
        
a  ( b  c )  b  ( c  a )  c  ( a  b )  0 (Nagpur University, Winter 2008)
Solution. Here, we have
        
a  (b  c )  b  (c  a)  c  ( a  b)
               
= [( a . c ) b  ( a . b ) c ]  [( b . a ) c  ( b . c ) a ]  [( c . b ) b  ( c . a ) b ]
                 
= [( b . a ) c  ( a . b ) c ]  [( c . b ) a  ( b . c ) a ]  [( a . c ) b  ( c . a ) b ]
                 
= [( a . b ) c  ( a . b ) c ]  [( b . c ) a  ( b . c ) a ]  [( c . a ) b  ( c . a ) b ]
=0+0+0=0 Proved.
Example 9. Prove that :
^  ^ ^  ^ ^  ^ 
i  ( a  i )  j  ( a  j)  k  ( a  k)  2 a (Nagpur University, Winter 2003)
 ^ ^ ^
Solution. Let a = a1 i  a2 j  a3 k

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 380 Vectors
^  ^ ^  ^ ^  ^
Now, L.H.S. = i  ( a  i )  j  ( a  j )  k  ( a  k )
^  ^ ^ ^ ^ ^  ^ ^ ^ ^
= i   ( a1 i  a2 j  a3 k )  i   j   ( a1 i  a2 j  a3 k )  j  
^  ^ ^ ^ ^
k   ( a1 i  a2 j  a3 k )  k 
^  ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^  ^  ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 
= i   a1 ( i  i )  a2 ( j  i )  a3 ( k  i )   j   a1 ( i  j )  a2 ( j  j )  a3 ( k  j ) 
^  ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 
 k   a1 ( i  k )  a2 ( j  k )  a3 ( k  k ) 
^  ^ ^ ^  ^ ^ ^  ^ ^ 
= i   0  a2 k  a3 j   j   a1 k  0  a3 i   k    a1 j  a2 i  0 
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
=  a2 ( i  k )  a3 ( i  j )  a1 ( j  k )  a3 ( j  i )  a1 ( k  j )  a2 ( k  i )
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
= a2 j  a3 k  a1 i  a3 k  a1 i  a2 j = 2 a1 i  2 a2 j  2 a3 k
^ ^ ^ 
= 2 ( a1 i  a2 j  a3 k )  2 a Proved.
 
Example 10. Show that for any scalar , the vectors x , y given by
   
  q (a  b)  (1  p  )  p ( a  b )
x  a  , y  a  satisfy the equations
a2 q a2
     
p x  q y  a and x  y  b . (Nagpur University, Winter 2004)
Solution. The given equations are
  
px  qy = a ...(1)
  
x  y = b ...(2)

Multiplying equation (1) vectorially by x , we get
    
x  ( px  qy ) = x  a
     
p (x  x)  q (x  y) = x  a
     
q  (x  y) = x  a, as x  x  0
     
x  a = qb , [From (2) x  y  b ] ...(3)

Multiplying (3) vectorially by a , we have
    
a  (x  a) = a  q b
       
( a . a) x  ( a . x) a = q ( a  b)
           
a2 x  ( a . x ) a = q ( a  b )  a2 x = ( a . x ) a  q ( a  b )
    
 ( a . x) a q (a  b)
x = 
a2 a2

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 Vectors 381
   
 q (a  b) a . x
x =  a where  =
a2 a2
   
  q ( a  b )
  
Substituting the value of x in (1), we get p   a  2 q y = a
 a 
 
   

   q (a  b)
q y = a  p  a  
 a2 
 
  
 (1  p  ) a p (a  b)
y =  Ans.
q a2
EXERCISE 5.3
     
1. Show that a  ( b  a )  ( a  b )  a
2. Write the correct answer
  
(a) ( A  B )  C lies in the plane of
     
(i) A and B (ii) B and C (iii) C and A Ans. (ii)
     
(b) The value of a . ( b  c )  ( a + b  c ) is
        
(ii) [ a , b , c ]  [ b , c , a ] (iii) [ a , b , c ] (iv) None of these
(i) Zero
Ans. (ii)
5.20 SCALAR PRODUCT OF FOUR VECTORS
Prove the identity
           
( a  b) . ( c  d) = ( a . c ) (b . d)  ( a . d) (b . c )
      
Proof. ( a  b ) . ( c  d ) = ( a  b ) . r
     
= a . ( b  r ) dot and cross can be interchanged. Put c  d  r
          
= a . [ b  ( c  d )] = a . [( b . d ) c  ( b . c ) d ]
       
= (a . c ) (b . d)  (a . d) (b . c )
   
a . c a .d
= Proved.
   
b . c b .d
EXERCISE 5.4
      
1. If a  2 i  3 j  k , b   i  2 j  4 k , c  i  j  k , find ( a  b ) . ( a  c ). Ans. –74
    2     
2. Prove that ( a  b ) . ( a  c )  a ( b . c )  ( a . b ) ( a . c ) .
5.21 VECTOR PRODUCT OF FOUR VECTORS
   
Let a , b , c and d be four vectors then their vector product is written as
   
( a  b)  ( c  d)
      
  
Now, ( a  b )  ( c  d ) = r  ( c  d ) [Put a  b  r ]
     
= (r . d) c  (r . c) d

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