Vectors
Vector: A vector is a quantity having both magnitude and direction.
A vector is represented by a directed line segment. When denoted by a single letter we use bold face letter or in
manuscript by . The magnitude of is denoted by or .
• Magnitude (P-801) : If then .
• Unit vector A vector with magnitude 1 is called a unit vector. Unit vector along is denoted by

• Dot product :
The dot or scalar product of two vectors a and b, denoted by , is defined as
, where is the angle between a and b.

If and , then
+

Example:(P-807) # 1, Exercise: Dot product (P-812) # 4,8

  Examples

1. If then .
2. Unit vector along is .
3. If
then +
••  Angle between two vectors(P-809) # 3, Ex: (P-812) Angle # 17-20.
Ex# 17: Find the angle between the two vectors and
Solution: We have,
.

• Perpendicular/ orthogonal vectors (P-809) # 4 Exercise: (P-813) #23(b, c, d), 24

Ex: Vectors orthogonal, parallel # 23(b, c, d), 24.
If and , then
o the vectors are parallel if

o the vectors are orthogonal or perpendicular if

Ex# 23 (c): Determine whether the vectors and are orthogonal, parallel, or neither.
Soln: As The vectors are parallel.
•• Direction angle, Direction Cosine (P-810) # 5. Ex: Direction cosine, Direction angle (P-813) #33-37.
 
The direction angles of a nonzero vector are the angles and (in the interval ) that makes with the positive - , - and
-axes, respectively.
The cosines of these direction angles and are called the direction cosines of the vector
and .
Ex# 35: Find the direction cosines and direction angles of the vector .
Soln: Let
For direction cosines: and
Direction angles are and
• Projection (P-811) # 6; Work done (P-812) # 7, 8. Ex: Scalar projection (P-813) #39, 41-44; Work done # 49.

Ex# 44: Find the projection of onto .

Soln:
The projection of onto
•   Ex# 49: Find the work done by a force that moves an object from the point to the point along a straight line. The
distance is measured in meters and the force in newtons.

Solution: The displacement vector .

The work done is .

• Cross product (P-815) :
The cross or vector product of two vectors and , denoted by , is a vector which is Perpendicular to both and .

If and , then

Theorem If θ is the angle between and , then

 
Application:
The area of a parallelogram with sides as two vectors is the magnitude of the cross product
Area=
B(-1, 3)
Exercise (P-821)#27 C(5, 2)
Find the area of the parallelogram with vertices A(-3, 0), B(-1, 3), C(5, 2) and D(3, -1). A(-3.0)
Solution , and D(3, -1)

Area = (unit)

Exercise (P-821)# 20: Find the unit vector perpendicular/ orthogonal to both and
Solution:

Example: Area (P-818 # 4), Exercise: (P-821) Unit vector #19, 20; Area # 27,28.
••  Triple product (P-819): The product is called the scalar triple product of the vectors and .

• Application:
The volume of the parallelepiped determined by the vectors and is the absolute value of the scalar triple
product: .

• Ex# 34 (P-822): Find the volume of the parallelepiped determined by the vectors and
.
Solution: The volume of the parallelepiped determined by the vectors and is the absolute value of the scalar triple
product.
.

 If the volume of the parallelepiped determined by the vectors and is 0 (zero) then the vectors must lie in the
same plane; that is they are coplanar.

Example: Volume (P-820), Coplanar( # 5). Exercise: (P-822) Volume # 33, 34; Coplanar #37, 38.
  Exercise for practice   Exercise for practice
1. Find
5. (i) Find the projection of onto
(i) and
(ii) and .
2. Find the angle between the two vectors Solution: (ii) Find the projection of onto
(a) and .
(b) and 6. Find the unit vector perpendicular/ orthogonal to both
(c) and and
3. Determine whether the following vectors are 7. Find the volume of the parallelepiped determined by
orthogonal, parallel, or neither. the vectors and .
(i) and 8. Use the scalar triple product to verify that the vectors are
(ii) and , and
coplanar.
(iii) and .
4. Find the direction cosines and direction angles of
the following vectors:
(i) , (ii)(iii) .
 Straight lines and  planes in 3-space

 Equation of a straight line: A particular line is uniquely located in space if

 it has a known direction and passes through a point,
 it passes through two known points.
 Vector form
Consider the vector equation of a straight line passing through a point A with position vector and parallel to the
vector . Since is parallel to ,
we get , is a scalar.
If P is any point on the line with position vector , then , is a scalar parameter.

Scalar form 
If and , then
can be expressed as

Equating corresponding components, we have the scalar form as follows:

(i) Parametric form:
• 
(ii) Symmetric form: , which is the Cartesian equation of the line.

 Note that are the direction ratios(D.R.’s) of the line.

• Examples : Equations of lines (P-824) # 1,2,3. Exercise: P-831 Lines- #2, 4, 7, 10,11, 19-22.

Ex# 2 (P-831): Find the vector equation and parametric equations for the line which passes through the point and
parallel to the vector
Solution: Let be the position vector of the point P.
The position vector of the given point .
Then, the vector equation of the line is

The parametric equations of the line is

Symmetric form: .
• 
 The vector equation of the line that passes through two points:

 The vector equation of the line that passes through a point and orthogonal to two vectors:

Ex# 9 (P-831): Find the parametric equations and symmetric equations for the line through the points and
Solution: Let be the position vector of any point P on the straight line.
The position vector of the given points :
and
Then, the vector equation of the line

The parametric equations:

The symmetric equations:

.
 
Ex# 10 (P-831): Find the parametric equations and symmetric equations for the line through the point and
perpendicular to both and .
Solution: Let be the position vector of any point P on the straight line.
The position vector of the given point

The vector equation of the line

The parametric equations:

The symmetric equations:

.
  Ex# 21 (P-831): Determine whether the lines and are parallel, skew or intersecting. If they intersect find the point of
intersection.
, .
Soln: Let us write the equations as ,
The D.R. of the first line is , the D.R. of the second line is 7,
and they are not proportional so the lines are not parallel.
Coordinates of any point on the lines are
,, and ,,
Equating and ,
Solving the above equations, we have and
The values of are:
from first line and from second line
The values are equal and the lines intersect.
Now , ,
The point of intersection is .
  Exercise for practice   Exercise for practice

1. Find the vector equation and parametric equations (ii)

for the line which passes through the point and
parallel to the line
(iii) , .
2. Find the parametric equations and symmetric
equations for the line through the origin and the
point

3. Find the vector equation and parametric equations

for the line which passes through the point
and parallel to the line

4. Determine whether the lines and are parallel,

skew or intersecting. If they intersect find the point of
intersection.
(i)
• Equation

  of a plane:
A plane in 3D coordinate space is determined
 by a point and a vector perpendicular to the plane. The perpendicular vector is called normal vector.
 by three points on the plane.

 Scalar product form

The vector equation of a plane passing through the point with position vector and perpendicular to the vector (i.e. is
a normal to the plane) is
(since are perpendicular)

 Cartesian form
If and , then becomes

This is the Cartesian equation of the plane.

Here is the D.R.s of the normal to the plane.

• Example: Equation of planes (P-827) # 4, 5.

• Ex: Planes- (P-831) # 23, 24, 26, 27, 33, 34; Points of intersection # 6, Ex: Angle # 51, 53, 55;
• Angle between planes # 7.
•Ex#
  24 (P-831): Find an equation of the plane through the point and with normal vector .
Solution:
be the position vector of the given point ,
normal to the plane and
position vector of any point on the plane.
Then, the equation of the plane .
.
Ex#26 (P-831): Find an equation of the plane through the point and perpendicular to the line
.
Solution:
The direction vector of the given line
the normal vector to the plane
Then is the position vector of the given point
The equation of the plane .
.
  Ex# 27 (P-831): Find an equation of the plane through the point and parallel to the plane
Solution:
is the position vector of the given point
The normal vector to the plane
Since the plane is parallel to the given plane,
The equation of the plane is .
.
  Ex# 34: Find an equation of the plane through the points , and . R(7,1,-4)

Solution: The vectors and corresponding to and are

P(3,0,-1) Q(-2,-2,3)

Since both and lie in the plane, their cross product is orthogonal to the plane and can be taken as the normal vector.
Thus,

With the point and the normal vector the equation of the plane ..

.
• 
Ex# 53 (P-832): Determine whether the planes are parallel, perpendicular, or neither. If neither, find the

angle between them. and .

Solution: The normal vectors of these planes are and .

Since the D.R’s are not proportional, so they are not parallel.
Now,
Since the two planes are not orthogonal.
If is the angle between the planes,
  Exercise for practice

1. Find an equation of the plane through the origin and perpendicular to the vector .
2. Find an equation of the plane through the point and parallel to the plane
3. Find an equation of the plane through the points , and .
4. Determine whether the planes are parallel, perpendicular, or neither. If neither, find the angle between them.
(i) and .
(ii) and .
 MCQ
1. The magnitude of the vector .
 (a) (b) (c) (d)
2. Given the vectors and . Find .
 (a) (b) (c) (d)
3. The vectors and are
 (a) Parallel (b) Orthogonal (c) None
4. Given the vectors and . Find .
  (a) (b) (c) (d)
5. For the two vectors and , it is given and . The area of the parallelogram with sides and is
  (a) (b) (c) (d)
6. For the two given points P(0, 3, -4) and Q(-2, 5, 2) find .
 (a) (b) (c) (d)
7. The equation of the line is in
 (a) Vector form, (b) Symmetric form, (c) parametric form.
8. For the equation of a line , find the point on the line and component of the direction vector.
 (a) (b) (c) (d)
9. The normal vector of the equation of the plane
  (a) (b) (c) (d)