UNIT 5

VECTORS, LINES
and PLANES in
SPACE
OBJECTIVES
By the end of the unit, you must be
able to:
enumerate and apply properties of
vectors in the plane and in space;
perform and interpret vector
operations;
find the equations of a line and
equation of a plane in space; and
identify and sketch cylinders and
quadric surfaces.
5.1
VECTORS IN 2D
and IN 3D
NOTION
VECTOR
SCALAR
quantity that has both
magnitude and direction
quantity that only has
magnitude
Examples
SCALARS
MATH 37 GRADE
speed
length
time
temperature
density
mass
energy
SCALARS
VECTORS
magnetic field
velocity
displacement
acceleration
force
electric field
momentum
LIFE
VECTORS
LIFE IS NOT J UST
ABOUT MAGNITUDE.
IT NEEDS DIRECTION.
J UST FOR FUN
-something I overheard
MAGNITUDE
DIRECTION
LIFE
Geometric representation
magnitude

direction
initial point
terminal point
Example.
Consider a vector with
initial point at and
terminal point at .
A
( ) 4 2 ,
( ) 6 5,
Determine its magnitude and
direction.
Solution
1 2 3 4 5
1
2
3
4
5
-1 -2 -3 -4 -5
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
( ) 6 5,
( ) 4 2 ,
magnitude
Solution (continued)
magnitude of
A
( ) ( ) | | 6 5 4 2 , , , d =
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
2
4 6
2
2 5 + =
2
10
2
7 + =
149 =
Solution (continued)
1 2 3 4 5
1
2
3
4
5
-1 -2 -3 -4 -5
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
( ) 4 2 ,
( ) 6 5,

10
7
tan
7
10
=
7
10
tan Arc =
Solution (continued)
Hence, vector has a
magnitude of and in
the direction of .
A
149
7
10
tan Arc
Representations . . .
A vector has several representations
on the plane depending on the initial
and terminal point.
Position Representation
initial point at the origin
direction is measured from the
positive x-axis
Example. The following are
different representations of one
vector.
Initial point Terminal point
( ) 2 3, ( ) 1 1 ,
( ) 1 5 ,
( ) 4 1 ,
( ) 5 1,
( ) 2 5,
1 2 3 4 5
1
2
3
4
5
-1 -2 -3 -4 -5
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
( ) 2 3,
( ) 1 1 ,
( ) 5 1,
( ) 2 5,
( ) 4 1 ,
( ) 3 4 ,
( ) 1 5 ,
Vector in the plane
A vector is an ordered pair of
real numbers . a and b
are called as components of
the vector.

b , a
Representation
Position representation of

initial point:
terminal point:
b , a
0 0,
b , a
MUST!!!
Initial point:
Terminal point:

VECTOR COMPONENTS:

t t
y , x
i i
y , x
i t i t
y y , x x
Example 1.
Determine the components of
the vector with initial point at
and terminal point at
.
4 2 ,
6 5,
Solution:
i t i t
y y , x x
4 6 2 5 ,
10 7,
1 2 3 4 5
1
2
3
4
5
-1 -2 -3 -4 -5
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
4 2 ,
6 5,
10 7,
Example 2.
Determine the components of
the vector with initial point at
and terminal point at
.
2 3,
1 1,
Solution:
i t i t
y y , x x
2 1 3 1 ,
3 4 ,
1 2 3 4 5
1
2
3
4
5
-1 -2 -3 -4 -5
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
( ) 2 3,
1 1 ,
3 4,
( ) 3 4 ,
Equality of vectors
Two vectors are equal if their
magnitudes and directions are
equal.
Vectors and are
equal if and only if and
.
b , a
c a
d , c
d b
Magnitude and direction
Consider vector A.
The magnitude of A, , is the
length of any of its
representations.
A
The direction angle of A, , is
the measure of the angle formed
by the vector with the positive x-
axis.
A
Magnitude and direction
Consider vector . b , a A
2 2
b a A
a
b
tan
A
Also, .
A A
sin A , cos A A
Example.
Solution:
Determine the magnitude and
direction of vectors
and .
4 4, A
3 1 , B
4 4, A
2
2
4 4 A
32
2 4
1
4
4

A
tan
1 tan Arc
A
1 2 3 4 5
1
2
3
4
5
-1 -2 -3 -4 -5
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
4 4, A
A
Solution (continued)
( )
4
1
t
= tan Arc
4
Solution (continued)
1
4
4

A
tan
1 tan Arc
A
4
3
A
Solution (continued)
3
1
3
B
tan
3 tan Arc
B
3 1 , B
2 2
3 1 B
4 2
1 2
1
2
-1 -2
-1
-2
B
Solution (continued)
3 = tan Arc
B
u
3 1 , B
3
t
u =
B
Also, .
3
5t
u =
B
Example.
Solution:
Determine the components of
the vector with a magnitude of
6 units in the direction of .
3
5
A A
sin A , cos A u u
3
5
3
5
6 6
t t
sin , cos =
Solution (continued)
|
.
|

\
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
2
3
6
2
1
6 ,
A A
sin A , cos A u u
3
5
3
5
6 6
t t
sin , cos =
3 3 3 = ,
1 2 3 4 5
1
2
3
4
5
-1 -2 -3 -4 -5
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
Solution (continued)
3
5t
3 3 3 ,
6 units
horizontal component
v
e
r
t
i
c
a
l

c
o
m
p
o
n
e
n
t

Unit vector
A unit vector has a
magnitude of 1.
0 1, i =
: unit vector in the
direction of positive
x-axis
1 0, j =
: unit vector in the
direction of positive
y-axis
Unit vector
bj ai A + =
or
Given .
b , a A=
1 0 0 1 , b , a A + =
Unit vector
Unit vector in the direction of A:
Given .
b , a A=
A
b
,
A
a
U
A
=
A A
sin , cos =
Example.
Determine a unit vector in the
direction of .
5 12 ,
Solution:
Let .
5 12 = , A
=
A
U
= A
( )
2
2
5 12 +
25 144+ =
169 =
13 =
13
5
13
12
,
Illustration
2 4 6 8 10 -2
-2
2
4
6
-4 -6 -8 -10
-4
-6
8
10
5 12 = , A
=
A
U
13
5
13
12
,
-8
-10
Example.
Determine a unit vector in the
direction of the vector with a
magnitude of 10 in the direction
of .
6
t
Solution:
=
B
U
Let be the given vector.
B
B B
sin , cos u u
6 6
t t
sin , cos =
2
1
2
3
, =
VECTORS IN 3D
The 3D space
The set of all ordered triples
of real numbers is called as
the three-dimensional
number space.
3
R
( ) { } e = z , y , x | z , y , x
R
z
axis
xy-plane
xz-plane
yz-plane
y axis
x axis
-1 -2 -3 -4 -5 1 2 3 4 5
1
2
3
4
5
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
1
2
3
4
5
-2
-3
-4
-5
x
y
z
( ) 4 3 2 , , P
( ) 1 2 3 , , Q
( ) 3 4 5 , , R
Distance and midpoint
points:
( )
1 1 1 1
z , y , x P
( )
2 2 2 2
z , y , x P
( ) ( ) ( )
2
1 2
2
1 2
2
1 2
z z y y x x + +
Distance: or
2 1
P P
( )
2 1
P , P d
Distance and midpoint
Midpoint:
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ + +
2 2 2
2 1 2 1 2 1
2 1
z z
,
y y
,
x x
M
P P
points:
( )
1 1 1 1
z , y , x P
( )
2 2 2 2
z , y , x P
Example. Determine the distance
between the given points and the
midpoint of the segment joining
them.
( ) 2 3 4
2
, , P
( ) 4 2 3
1
, , P
Solution:
2 1
P P ( ) ( ) ( )
2
1 2
2
1 2
2
1 2
z z y y x x + + =
( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
2 2 2
4 2 2 3 3 4 + + =
110 = 36 25 49 + + =
Solution (continued)
( ) 2 3 4
2
, , P ( ) 4 2 3
1
, , P
|
|
.
|

\
|
+ + +
2 2 2
2 1 2 1 2 1
2 1
z z
,
y y
,
x x
M
P P
( ) ( )
|
.
|

\
|
+ + +
2
2 4
2
3 2
2
4 3
2 1
, , M
P P
|
.
|

\
|

1
2
1
2
1
2 1
, , M
P P
( ) 2 3 4
2
, , P
( ) 4 2 3
1
, , P
1 2 3 4 5
1
2
3
4
5
-1 -2 -3 -4 -5
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
1
2
3
4
5
-2
-3
-4
-5
x
y
z
|
.
|

\
|

1
2
1
2
1
2 1
, , M
P P
Vector in 3D
A vector in three-dimensional
space is an ordered triple of
real numbers . a, b
and b are called components
of the vector.

c , b , a
On the space
Position representation of
c , b , a
initial point: the origin

terminal point:
( ) 0 0 0 , ,
( ) c , b , a
Magnitude and direction
Magnitude of vector A: A
Direction angles of a non-zero
vector A:
smallest radian measure
measured from the positive side
of each axis
x
y
z
o
|

o
|

MUST!!!
Initial point:
Terminal point:

VECTOR COMPONENTS:

( )
t t t
z , y , x
( )
i i i
z , y , x
i t i t i t
z z , y y , x x
Magnitude and direction
Consider vector .
c , b , a A=
2 2 2
c b a A + + =
If , and are the direction
angles,
A
a
cos = o
A
b
cos = |
A
c
cos =
1
2 2 2
= + + | o cos cos cos where
Example.
Consider the following points.
( ) 2 3 4
2
, , P
( ) 4 2 3
1
, , P
Determine the components of the
vector with initial point at and
terminal point at .
1
P
2
P
What if the initial point is and
the terminal point is ?
2
P
1
P
( ) 2 3 4
2
, , P
( ) 4 2 3
1
, , P
1 2 3 4 5
1
2
3
4
5
-1 -2 -3 -4 -5
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
1
2
3
4
5
-2
-3
-4
-5
x
y
z
Unit vectors
0 0 1 , , i = : unit vector in the
direction of positive
x-axis
0 1 0 , , j = : unit vector in the
direction of positive
y-axis
1 0 0 , , k = : unit vector in the
direction of positive
z-axis
Unit vector
ck bj ai A + + =
Given .
c , b , a A=
A
c
,
A
b
,
A
a
U
A
=
cos , cos , cos =
Consider vector with initial
point at and terminal
point at .
( ) 5 4 2 , ,
( ) 3 1 4 , ,
Example.
A
Determine the following:
i. the components of the vector;
ii. its magnitude and directional
cosines; and
iii. the unit vector in the same
direction
Solution:
( ) 5 4 2 , , :
t
P
( ) 3 1 4 , , : P
i

components of the vector:
2 5 6 , ,
magnitude:
65
direction cosines:
65
6
= o cos
65
5
= | cos
65
2
= cos
unit vector in the
same direction:
65
2
65
5
65
6
, ,

1 2 3 4 5
1
2
3
4
5
-1 -2 -3 -4 -5
-1
-2
-3
-4
-5
1
2
3
4
5
-2
-3
-4
-5
x
y
z
2 5 6 , ,
END