CHAPTER

12 Vector Algebra

Important Definitions Algebra of vectors


™ Representation of Vectors: A vector a is represented by the Addition of Vectors
 
directed line segment AB. The magnitude of the vector a is Triangle Law
 
equal to AB , and the direction of the vector a is along the C
line from A to B.
™ Scalar Quantity: A quantity that has only magnitude and is 
not related to any direction is called a scalar quantity. c 
b
™ Vector Quantity: A quantity that has magnitude and also a
direction in space is called a vector quantity.
A  B
™ Null Vector or Zero Vector: If the initial and terminal points a
of a vector coincide, then it is called a zero vector. It is denoted      
 Result: a + b = c or AB + BC = AC
by 0 or O. Its magnitude is zero and direction indeterminate.
™ Unit Vector: A vector whose magnitude is of unit length Converse of triangle law is also true.

along my vector a is called a unit vector in the direction of Parallelogram Law

a and is denoted by â B C
™ Equal Vector: Two non-zero vectors are said to be equal
 
vectors if their magnitude is equal and directions are the same. b c
™ Collinear Vector: Two or more non-zero vectors are said to
be collinear vectors if they are parallel to the same line.
O  A
™ Like and Unlike Vector: Collinear vectors having the same a
   
  
direction are known as like vectors, while those having Result: a + b = c or OA + OB = OC
opposite directions are known as, unlike vectors.
™ Coplanar Vector: Two or more non-zero vectors are said to Properties of vector addition:
be coplanar vectors if these are parallel to the same plane.    
(i) a + b = b + a (commutative)
™ Localised Vector and Free Vector: A vector drawn parallel      
(ii) (a + b ) + c = a + (b + c ) (associative)
to a given vector through a specified point as the initial point,     
is known as a localised vector. If the initial point of a vector (iii) a + 0 = a = 0 + a
is not specified, it is said to be a free vector.     
(iv) a + ( - a ) = 0 = ( - a ) + a
™ Position Vector: Let O be the origin and A be a point such    

  (v) | a + b | £ | a | + | b |

that OA = a , then we say that the position vector of A is a.    
(vi) | a - b | ³ | | a | - | b | |
Negative of a Vector
  Multiplication of Vector by Scalars
™ Let AB be a vector directed from A to B. then − AB is a 

vector which would be directed from B to A. If a and b are vectors & m, n are scalars, then
  
Coinitial Vectors (i) m (a ) = ( a ) m = ma
Two vectors are said to be coinitial vectors if both the vectors   
(ii) m (na ) = n ( ma ) = ( mn ) a
™
have the same initial points.
  
Co-terminal Vectors (iii) (m + n ) a = ma + na

(  
)
™ Two vectors are said to be Co-terminal vectors if both the  
(iv) m a + b = ma + mb
vectors have the same terminating point.
 Subtraction of Vectors    
 ™ | a +b | £ | a | + | b |

In the given diagram a and b are represented by OA and AB.    
™ |a- b|³ |a|- |b|
We extend the line AB in opposite direction upto C, where
AB = AC. The line segment AC will represent the vector - b .
 Scalar Product or Dot Product
 
By joining the points O and C, the vector represented by OC is
™ a ×b = | a | ×| b | cos q, where 0 £ q £ p
    
a + (- b ) . i.e., denotes the vector a - b .
 ™ If a = a1 i + a2 j + a3 k and b = b1 i + b2 j + b3 k then
B 
a.b = a1b1 + a2 b2 + a3b3
      
 +b ™ If a and b are the non-zero vectors, then a ×b = 0 Û a ^ b
a   
 b a.b  
a ™ cos q =   where q is the acute angle made by a with b
O A | a || b |
 
   b.a
 –b
a

–b ™ Projection of b along a = 


|a|
C  
™ Component of a vector r in the direction of a and
Note:  
      ær.a ö   ìï (r.a ) ü ï
(i) a - a = a + (- a ) = 0 perpendicular to a are ç  ÷ a and r - í  2 ý a
(ii)
   
a- b ¹ b- a respectively. è| a |2 ø îï | a | þï
Hence subtraction of vectors does not obey the ™ i . i = j. j = k. k = 1 and 
i. j = j. i = j. k = k.i = i. k = 0
commutative law.
 
(iii) a - (b - c ) ¹ ( a - b ) - c Vector Product
 
i.e. subtaction of vectors does not obey the associative ™ The product of vectors a and b and is denoted by
   
law. a ´ b = (| a | | b | sin q)n
   
Important Properties and Formulae ™ a´ b = -b´ a
       
™ If r1 =x1i + y1 j + z1 k and r2 = x2 i + y2 j + z2 k then ™ If a = b or if a is parallel to b , then sin θ = 0 and so a ´ b = 0
          
r1 + r 2 = ( x1 + x2 )i + ( y1 + y2 ) j + ( z1 + z2 )k and r1 = r 2 ™ Distributive laws: a ´ (b + c) = a ´ b + a ´ c and
      
Û x1 = x2 , y1 = y2 , z1 = z2 . (b + c) ´ a = b ´ a + c ´ a
     
™ a and b are parallel or collinear if a = m b and only if for ™ If a = a1 j + a2 j + a3 k and b = b1 i + b2 j + b3 k then
 
some non-zero scalar m. (i) a ´ b = (a2 b3 - a3b2 )i + (a3b1 - a1b3 ) j + (a1b2 - a2 b1 )k

 = a  
™ a
=  or a | a | aˆ i j k
|a|  
      (ii) a ´ b = a1 a2 a3
™ r , a , b are coplanar if and only if r = xa + yb for some
b1 b2 b3
scalars x and y. 
  
™ If the position vectors of the points A and B be a and b ™ If two vectors a and b are parallel, then q = 0 or p i.e. sin q
then, the position vectors of the points dividing the line AB = 0 in both cases.
   
mb + na ™ Two vectors a and b are parallel if their corresponding
in the ratio m : n internally and externally are and
  m+n components are proportional.
mb - na
, respectively. 1  
m- n ™ Area of the triangle ABC = | AB ´ AC |
  2
If r = xi+ y j + zk then | r | = x 2 + y 2 + z 2 
™ ˆi ´ iˆ = ˆj ´ ˆj = kˆ ´ kˆ = 0, iˆ ´ ˆj = kˆ, ˆj ´ kˆ = iˆ, kˆ ´ iˆ = ˆj
      
™ Given vectors x1 a + y1 b + z1 c, x2 a + y2 b + z2 c, ™ Unit vector perpendicular to the plane of a and b is

     
x3 a + y3 b + z3 c, where a, b, c are non-coplanar vectors,  
a´ b
nˆ = ±  
x1 y1 z1 |a´ b|
will be coplanar if and only if x2 y2 z2 = 0  
  a´ b
x3 y3 z3 ™ If q is the angle between a and b , then sin q =  
| a ||b |

24 JEE (XII) Module-4 PW

    
Scalar Triple Product ™

a ´ (b ´ c) is a vector in the plane of vectors b and c .
 
™ If a = a1 i + a2 j + a3 k, b = b1 i + b2 j + b3 k and ™ The
 vector
  triple  product
  is not commutative i.e.,
a ´ (b ´ c) ¹ (a ´ b) ´ c
    a1 a2 a3
    
  
c = c1 i + c2 j + c3 k , then ( a ´ b ) ×c = [ a b c ] = b1 b2 b3 .     a .c a .d
™ Lagrange’s identity: (a ´ b).(c ´ d ) =    
c1 c2 c3 b .c b.d
            
™ [a b c] = [b c a ] = [c b a ] but [a b c] = - [a c b] etc. = (a . c)(b . d ) - (a . d )(b . c)
            
™ If any two of the vectors a, b, c are equal, then [a b c] = 0. ™ (a ´ b ) ´ (c ´ d ) = [a b d ]c - [a b c ]d
The position of dot andcross      
™
 in a scalar
  triple
 product can be = [c d a ]b - [c d b ] a
interchanged. Hence, (a ´ b) ×c = a ×(b ´ c)
™ The value of a scalar triple product is zero if two of its vectors Distance between Lines
are parallel. (i) If two parallel lines are given by
         
™ a, b, c are coplanar if and only if [a b c] = 0. r1 = a1 + Kb and r2 = a2 + Kb , then distance (d) between
Volume of the parallelepiped whose coterminous edges are them is given by
™
    
formed by a, b, c = [a b c]. b × (a2 − a1 )
d=

™ Volume of a tetrahedron with three coterminous edges |b |
      
   1  AB.( p ´ q ) (b - a ).( p ´ q )
a, b, c = [a b c] . Shortest Distance =   =  
6 | p´ q| | p´ q|
™ Volume of prism on a triangular base with three coterminous  
The two lines directed along p and q will intersect only if
   1 
edges a, b, c = [a b c] . shortest distance = 0.
2 Reciprocal System of Vectors
™ In particular i .( ˆj ´ kˆ) = 1
ˆ   
™ If a, b, c be any three non-coplanar vectors so that
[iˆ ˆj kˆ] = 1    
  [a b c] ¹ 0 then the three vectors a ', b ', c ' defined by the
™ [ K a b c ] = K [a b c ]      
         b´ c  c´ a  a´ b
™ [(a + b ) c d ] = [a c d ] + [b c d ] equations a ' =    , b ' =    , c ' =    are called
[a b c] [a b c] [a b c]
               
™ [a - b b - c c - a ] = 0 and [a + b b + c c + a ] = 2 [a b c ] the reciprocal system of vectors to the given vectors a, b, c.
      ™ Properties of Reciprocal system of vectors:
a .a a .b a .c      
            
™ [a b c ]2 = b . a b . b b . c = [a ´ b b ´ c c ´ a ] (i) a . a ' = b . b ' = c . c ' = 1
   
      (ii) [a b c] [a ' b ' c '] = 1
c .a c .b c .c      
(iii) i ' = i, j ' = j , k ' = k
Vector Triple Product       
      (iv) If {a ', b ', c '} is reciprocal system of {a, b, c} and r is
™ If a, b, c be any three vectors, then (a ´ b) ´ c and
   any vector, then
      
a ´ (b ´ c) are known as vector triple product. r = (r. a )a '+ (r. b)b '+ (r. c)c '
                        
™ a ´ (b ´ c) = (a . c) b - (a . b) c and (a ´ b) ´ c = (a . c) b - (b . c) a r = (r. a ')a + (r. b ')b + (r. c ')c

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