MAT 124-13

EXERCISES on VECTORS in R2 and R3

For Exercises 1-4, write the line L through the point P and parallel to the vector ~v in the
following forms: (a) vector, (b) parametric, and (c) symmetric. For Exercises 5-6, write the
line L through the points P1 and P2 in parametric form. For Exercises 7-8, find the distance
d from the point P to the line L. For Exercises 9-10, find the point of intersection (if any)
of the given lines. For Exercises 11-12, write the normal form of the plane P containing the
point Q and perpendicular to the vector ~n. For Exercises 17-18, find the distance D from
the point Q to the plane P . For Exercises 19-20, find the line of intersection (if any) of the
given planes.
(1) P = (2, 3, −2), ~v = (5, 4, −3)
(2) P = (3, −1, 2), ~v = (2, 8, 1)
(3) P = (2, 1, 3), ~v = (1, 0, 1)
(4) P = (0, 0, 0), ~v = (7, 2, −10)
(5) P1 = (1, −2, −3), P2 = (3, 5, 5)
(6) P1 = (4, 1, 5), P2 = (−2, 1, 3)
(7) P = (1, −1, −1), L : x = −2 − 2t, y = 4t, z = 7 + t
(8) P = (0, 0, 0), L : x = 3 + 2t, y = 4 + 3t, z = 5 + 4t
(9) x = 7 + 3s, y = −4 − 3s, z = −7 − 5s and x = 1 + 6t, y = 2 + t, z = 3 − 2t
x−6 x − 11 y − 14 z+9
(10) = y + 3 = z and = =
4 3 −6 2
(11) Q = (5, 1, −2), ~n = (4, −4, 3)
(12) Q = (6, −2, 0), ~n = (2, 6, 4)
(13) (1, 0, 3), (1, 2, −1), (6, 1, 6)
(14) (−3, 1, −3), (4, −4, 3), (0, 0, 1)
(15) Write the normal form of the plane containing the lines from Exercise 9.
(16) Write the normal form of the plane containing the lines from Exercise 10.
(17) Q = (4, 1, 2), P : 3x − y − 5z + 8 = 0
(18) Q = (0, 2, 0), P : −5x + 2y − 7z + 1 = 0
(19) x + 3y + 2z − 6 = 0, 2x − y + z + 2 = 0
(20) 3x + y − 5z = 0, x + 2y + z + 4 = 0
x−6
(21) Find the point(s) of intersection (if any) of the line = y + 3 = z with the
4
plane x + 3y + 2z − 6 = 0.
(22) Simplify the following
   
1 0
   
~a = −2 + 3 1 ;
   
   
3 3
   
1 4
~b = 12   − 3   ;
1/3 1
   
1 1
~c = (1 + t)   − t ,
1−t −t
1
      
1
   0  0
d~ = t 0 + t2 −1 − 0 .
     
     
0 2 1

(23) If ~a, ~b, ~c are as in the previous problem, then which of the following expressions mean
anything? Compute those expressions that are well defined.

(i) ~a + ~b (ii) ~b + ~c (iii) π~a

(iv) ~b2 (v) ~b/~c

(vi) ~a + ~b
2
(viii) ~b/ ~c

(vii) ~b
   
 1   2 
(24) Let ~a =  −2  and ~b =  −1 . Compute:
   
   
2 1
(a) ||~a||
(b) 2~a
(c) ||2~a||2
(d) ~a + ~b
(e) 3~a − ~b
(25) Let ~u, ~v , w
~ be three given vectors, and suppose

~a = ~v + w,
~ ~b = 2~u − w,
~ ~c = ~u + ~v + w.
~

(a) Simplify p~ = ~a + 3~b − ~c and ~q = ~c − 2(~u + ~a).

(b) Find numbers r, s, t such that r~a + s~b + t~c = ~u.
(c) Find numbers k, l, m such that k~a + l~b + m~c = ~v .
(26) Prove the Algebraic Properties

~a + ~b = ~b + ~a [vector addition is commutative] (0.1)

~a + (~b + ~c) = (~a + ~b) + ~c [vector addition is associative] (0.2)
t(~a + ~b) = t~a + t~b [first distributive property] (0.3)
(s + t)~a = s~a + t~a [second distributive property] (0.4)

(27) (a) Does there exist a number x such that

     
1 x 2
  +   =  ?
2 x 1

(b) Make a drawing of all points P whose position vectors are given by
   
1 x
p~ =   +   .
2 x
2
 (c) Do there exist a numbers x and y such that
     
1 1 2
x   + y   =  ?
2 1 1

(28) Given: points A(2, 1), B(3, 2), C(4, 4) and D(5, 2). Is ABCD a parallelogram?
(29) (a) Find a parametric equation for the line ` through the points A(3, 0, 1) and
B(2, 1, 2).
(b) Where does ` intersect the coordinate planes?
(30) (a) Find a parametric equation for the line which contains the two vectors
   
2 3
   
~a =  3  and ~b =  2 .
   
   
1 3
 
c
 1 
(b) The vector ~c =  1  is on this line. What is ~c?
 
 
c3
   
2 1
(31) Given the vectors ~a = 1 ~
and b = 1 find ~a// , ~a⊥ , ~b// , ~b⊥ for which
3 0

~a = ~a// + ~a⊥ , with a// //~b, a⊥ ⊥ ~b,

and
~b = ~b// + ~b⊥ , with b// //~a, b⊥ ⊥ ~a.
2
(a) Simplify ~a − ~b .

(32)
2
(b) Simplify 2~a − ~b

(c) If ~a has length 3, ~b has length 7 and ~a·~b = −2, then compute ~a + ~b , ~a − ~b

and 2~a − ~b .

(d) Simplify (~a + ~b)··(~a − ~b).

(33) Find the lengths of the sides, and the angles in the triangle ABC whose vertices are
A(2, 1), B(3, 2), and C(1, 4).
(34) Given: A(1, 1), B(3, 2) and a point C which lies on the line with parametric equation
1
~c = ( 03 ) + t ( −1 ). If 4ABC is a right triangle, then where is C? (There are three
possible answers, depending on whether you assume A, B or C is the right angle.)
(35) (a) Find the defining equation and a normal vector ~n for the line ` which is the
graph of y = 1 + 21 x. What is the distance from the origin to `?
(b) Answer the same two questions for the line m which is the graph of y = 2 − 3x.
(c) What is the angle between ` and m?
(36) Let ` and m be the lines with parametrizations
       
2 1 0 −2
` : ~x =   + t   , m : ~x =   + s  
0 2 −1 3

Where do they intersect, and find the angle between ` and m.

3
(37) Let ` and m be the lines with parametrizations
       
2 1 0 −2
` : ~x =  1  + t 2 , m : ~x =  1  + s  0 
       
       
−4 0 −1 3

Do ` and m intersect? Find the angle between ` and m.

(38) Let ` and m be the lines with parametrizations
       
−2
2 1 0  
` : ~x = α + t 2 , m : ~x =  1  + s  0 
       
       
1 0 −1 3

Here α is some unknown number. If it is known that the lines ` and m intersect,
what can you say about α?
(39) Compute
  the  following
 cross products
3 3
(a) 1 × 2
2 12  1  12 
(b) −71 7 × −71 1
  2   32
1 1
(c) 0 × 1
0
 √2  0 0 
√
(d) 1 × 2
0 0
(40) Compute the following cross products
(a) ~i √
× (~i + ~j) √
(b) ( 2~i + ~j) × 2~j
(c) (2~i + ~k) × (~j − ~k)
(d) (cos θ ~i + sin θ ~k) × (sin θ ~i − cos θ ~k)
(41) Simplify (~a + ~b) × (~a + ~b).
(42) True or False: If ~a × ~b = ~c × ~b and ~b 6= ~0 then ~a = ~c?
(43) Given A(2, 0, 0), B(0, 0, 2) and C(2, 2, 2). Let Π be the plane through A, B and C.
(a) Find a normal vector for Π.
(b) Find a defining equation for Π.
(c) What is the distance from D(0, 2, 0) to Π? What is the distance from the origin
O(0, 0, 0) to P?
(d) Do D and O lie on the same side of Π?
(e) Find the area of the triangle ABC.
(f) Where does the plane Π intersect the three coordinate axes?
(44) Does D(2, 1, 3) lie on the plane Π through the points A(−1, 0, 0), B(0, 2, 1) and
C(0, 3, 0)? The point E(1, 1, α) lies on Π. What is α?
(45) Given points A(1, −1, 1), B(2, 0, 1) and C(1, 2, 0).
(a) Where is the point D which makes ABCD into a parallelogram?
(b) What is the area of the parallelogram ABCD?
(c) Find a defining equation for the plane P containing the parallelogram ABCD.
(d) Where does P intersect the coordinate axes?
(46) Given points A(1, 0, 0), B(0, 2, 0) and D(−1, 0, 1) and E(0, 0, 2).
4
 ABCD
(a) If P = EF GH
is a parallelepiped, then where are the points C, F, G and H?
(b) Find the area of the base ABCD of P.
(c) Find the height of P.
(d) Find the volume of P.
(47) Three vertices of a parallelogram are P = (1, 3, 2), Q = (4, 5, 3), and R = (2, −1, 0).
What are the possible locations of the fourth vertex?
Answer: ( -1 , , ), or ( 3 , , ), or ( 5 , , ).
(48) Given the points A = (1, −2) and B = (4, −6), the unit vector in the direction of
AB is a~i + b~j where a = and b = .
(49) Find a vector parallel to the line 8x + 6y = 7. Answer: 9~i + b~j where b = .
(50) Find a vector of length 26 which is parallel to the line 24x − 10y = 13.
Answer: a~i + b~j where a = and b = .
(51) In R2 , x + y = 4 is the equation of a . In R3 , x + y = 4 is the equation
of a .
(52) In R2 , y = 3x2 is the equation of a . In R3 , y = 3z 2
is the equation of a .
2 2 2
(53) In R , x + y = 25 is the equation of a . In R3 ,
x2 + y 2 = 25 is the equation of a .
(54) The orthogonal projection of the point (2, 3, 5) on the xy-plane is ( , , ); on
the yz-plane is ( , , ); and on the xz-plane is ( , , ).
(55) Let ~x = (3, 2), ~y = (2, −1) and ~cz = (7, 1) be vectors in the plane. We know that
~z is a linear combination of ~x and ~y because ~z = α~x + β~y where α = and
β= .
(56) Let ~a = (5, 0, 2) and ~b = (1, −3, −2). Then
k ~ak = .
~a + ~b = ~i + ~j + ~k .
~a − ~b = ~i + ~j + ~ck .
3~a = ~i + ~j + ~k .
3~a − 2~b = ~i + ~j + ~k .
(57) Let ~x = (1, 0, 1), ~y = (0, 1, 1), and ~z = (1, 2, 3). The only number α such that
α~x + 2~y is perpendicular to ~z is α = .
(58) Find all numbers α such that the angle between the vectors 2~i + 2~j + (α − 2)~k and
2~i + (α − 2)~j + 2~k is π . Answer: α =
3
and .
(59) Find all numbers α such that the vectors 2α~i − 2 ~j − ~k and 2α~i + 3α~j − 2~k are
perpendicular. Answer: α = and .
(60) Find all numbers α such that the vectors 2α~i − ~j + 12 ~k and α~i + 2α ~j − ~k are
perpendicular. Answer: α = and .
(61) The angle in R3 between the vectors (−3, 1, 2) and (1, 2, −3) is aπ where a = .
√
(62) The angle in R4 between the vectors (1, 0, −1, 3) and (1, 3, 3, −3) is aπ where
a= .
5
(63) Let ~x = (1, 1, −1) and ~y = (2, 0, 3) . Find a scalar α such that ~x + α~y ⊥ ~x .
Answer: α = .
(64) In R3 which of the angles of triangle ABC, with vertices A = (1, −2, 0), B =
(2, 1, −2), and C = (6, −1, −3), is a right angle? Answer: the right angle is at
vertex .
(65) Suppose that the hydrogen atoms of a methane molecule CH4 are located at (0, 0, 0),
(1, 1, 0), (0, 1, 1), and (1, 0, 1) while the carbon atom is at ( 12 , 12 , 21 ). Find the cosine
of the angle θ between two rays starting at the carbon atom and going to different
hydrogen atoms. Answer: cos θ = .
(66) If a, b, c, d, e, f ∈ R, then
√ p
|ad + be + cf | ≤ a2 + b2 + c2 d2 + e2 + f 2 .
The proof of this inequality is obvious since this is just the Schwarz inequality
where
~x = ( , , ) and ~y = ( , , ).
(67) If a1 , a2 , a3 > 0, then
3
X 3
X 
1
aj ≥ 32 .
j=1 k=1
ak

The proof of this is obvious from the Schwarz inequality when we choose

~x = and ~y = .
(68) The volume of the parallelepiped generated by the three vectors ~i + 2~j − ~k, ~j + ~k,
and 3~i − ~j + 2~k is .
(69) The equations of the line containing the points (3, −1, 4) and (7, 9, 10) are
x−3 y−j z−k
= =
2 b c
where b = ,c= ,j= , and k = .
(70) The equations of the line containing the points (5, 2, −1) and (9, −4, 1) are
x−h y−2 z−k
= =
a −3 c
where a = ,c= ,h= , and k = .
(71) Find the equations of the line containing the point (1, 0, −1) which is parallel to the
x−4 2y − 3 3z − 7
line = = .
2 5 6
x−h y−d z+1
Answer: = = where a = , b= , h= , and
a b 4
d= .
(72) The equation of the plane containing the points (0, −1, 1), (1, 0, 2), and (3, 0, 1) is
x + by + cz = d where b = ,c= , and d = .
(73) The equation of the plane which passes through the points (0, −1, −1), (5, 0, 1), and
(4, −1, 0) is ax + by + cz = 1 where a = ,b= , and c = .
6
 a
(74) The angle between the planes 4x + 4z − 16 = 0 and −2x + 2y − 13 = 0 is π where
b
a= and b = .
(75) Suppose that ~u ∈ R3 is a vector which lies in the first quadrant of the xy-plane and
has length 3 and that ~v ∈ R3 is a vector that lies along the positive z-axis and has
length 5. Then
(a) k ~u × ~v k = ;
(b) the x-coordinate of ~u × ~v is 0 (choose <, >, or =);
(c) the y-coordinate of ~u × ~v is 0 (choose <, >, or =); and
(d) the z-coordinate of ~u × ~v is 0 (choose <, >, or =).
7
√
(76) Suppose that ~u and √ ~v are vectors in R both of length 2 2 and that the length
of ~u − ~v is also 2 2. Then k ~u + ~v k = and the angle between ~u and ~v
is .
(77) Verify the following properties of the inner product on Rn : If ~x, ~y , and ~z are vectors
in Rn and α is a scalar. Then
(a) (~x + ~y ) · ~z = ~x · ~z + ~y · ~z;
(b) (α~x) · ~y = α(~x · ~y );
(c) ~x · ~y = ~y · ~x;
(d) ~x · ~x ≥ 0;
(e) ~x · ~x = √0 only if ~x = ~0; and
(f) k ~xk = ~x · ~x.
(78) Explain how to use the Schwarz inequality to show that if a, b, c > 0, then
 2
1 1 1 1 1 1
a + b + c ≤ a2 + b 2 + c 2 .
2 3 6 2 3 6
(79) Show that for all real numbers a, b, and θ
√
|a cos θ + b sin θ| ≤ a2 + b 2 .

(80) Show that the parallelogram law holds in R3 . That is, prove that if ~x, ~y ∈ R3 ,
then
k ~x + ~y k2 + k ~x − ~y k2 = 2k ~xk2 + 2k ~y k2 .
(81) Prove that if ~a and ~b are vectors in R3 , then
k ~a × ~bk2 = k ~ak2 k ~bk2 − h~a, ~bi2 .
−→ −→
(82) Consider the vectors P Q and RS in R3 , where P = (2, 1, 5), Q = (3, 5, 7), R =
−→ −→
(1, −3, −2) and S = (2, 1, 0). Does P Q = RS?

(83) For the points P = (1, −1, 1), Q = (2, −2, 2), R = (2, 0, 1), S = (3, −1, 2), does
−→ −→
P Q = RS?
−→
(84) For the points P = (0, 0, 0), Q = (1, 3, 2), R = (1, 0, 1), S = (2, 3, 4), does P Q =
−→
RS?
(85) Let ~v = (1, 0, 0) and w ~ = (a, 0, 0) be vectors in R3 . Show that k wk ~ = |a| k ~v k.
(86) Let ~v = (a, b, c) and w = (3a, 3b, 3c) be vectors in R3 . Show that k wk ~ = 3 k ~v k.
(87) Let ~u = (u1 , u2 , u3 ), ~v = (v1 , v2 , v3 ), w = (w1 , w2 , w3 ) be vectors in R3 . Prove that
~u + (~v + w)
~ = (~u + ~v ) + w ~
7
 (88) Let ~v = (2, 1, −1) and w ~ = (3, −4, 2) in R3 .
(a) Find ~v − w.
~
(b) Find 3~v + 2w. ~
(c) Write ~v and w ~ in component form.
(d) Find the vector ~u such that ~u + ~v = w. ~
(e) Find the vector ~u such that ~u + ~v + w ~ = ~0.
~v
(f) Find the unit vector k ~vk .
(89) For vectors ~v = v1 ~i + v2 ~j + v3 ~k and w
~ = w1 ~i + w2 ~j + w3 ~k in component form, the
dot product is still ~v · w~ = v1 w1 + v2 w2 + v3 w3 . Prove the cosine theorem. More
precisely, Let ~v , w
~ be nonzero vectors, and let θ be the angle between them. Then
~v · w
~
cos θ = (0.5)
k ~v k k wk
~
(90) Find the angle θ between the vectors ~v = (2, 1, −1) and w
~ = (3, −4, 1).
(91) For any vectors u, ~v , w,
~ and scalar k, we have
(a) ~v · w ~ · ~v
~ =w Commutative Law
(b) (k~v ) · w
~ = ~v · (k w)
~ = k(~v · w)
~ Associative Law
(c) ~v · ~0 = 0 = ~0 · ~v
(d) ~u · (~v + w)
~ = ~u · ~v + ~u · w
~ Distributive Law
(e) (~u + ~v ) · w
~ = ~u · w
~ + ~v · w
~ Distributive Law
(f) |~v · w|
~ ≤ k ~v k k wk
~ Cauchy-Schwarz Inequality
(92) For any vectors ~v , w,~ we have
(a) k ~v k2 = ~v · ~v
(b) k ~v + wk
~ ≤ k ~v k + k wk
~ Triangle Inequality
(c) k ~v − wk~ ≥ k ~v k − k wk~
(93) Let ~v = (5, 1, −2) and w ~ = (4, −4, 3). Calculate ~v · w.~
(94) Let ~v = −3~i − 2 ~j − ~k and w ~ = 6~i + 4 ~j + 2 ~k. Calculate ~v · w.
~
(95) Find the angle θ between the vectors ~v and w. ~
(a) ~v = (5, 1, −2), w ~ = (4, −4, 3)
(b) ~v = (7, 2, −10), w ~ = (2, 6, 4)
(c) ~v = (2, 1, 4), w~ = (1, −2, 0)
(d) ~v = (4, 2, −1), w ~ = (8, 4, −2)
(e) ~v = − i + 2 j + ~k, w
~ ~ ~ = −3~i + 6 ~j + 3 ~k
(f) ~v = ~i, w~ = 3~i + 2 ~j + 4~k
(96) Let ~v = (8, 4, 3) and w ~ = (−2, 1, 4). Is ~v ⊥ w? ~ Justify your answer.
(97) Let ~v = (6, 0, 4) and w ~ = (0, 2, −1). Is ~v ⊥ w? ~ Justify your answer.
(98) For ~v = (2, 1, 4), w ~ = (1, −2, 0), verify the Cauchy-Schwarz Inequality |~v · w| ~ ≤
k ~v k k wk.
~
(99) For ~v = (4, 2, −1), w ~ = (8, 4, −2), verify the Cauchy-Schwarz Inequality.
(100) ~ = (1, −2, 0), verify the Triangle Inequality k ~v + wk
For ~v = (2, 1, 4), w ~ ≤ k ~v k+k wk.
~
(101) ~v = (4, 2, −1), w ~ = (8, 4, −2), verify the Triangle Inequality k ~v + wk ~ ≤ k ~v k + k wk.
~
8
(102) Prove or give a counterexample: If ~v · w ~ = 0 for all ~v , then w~ = ~0.
(103) Prove or give  a counterexample:
 If ~u · ~v = ~u · w
~ for all ~u, then ~v = w.
~
(104) Prove that  k ~v k − k wk~  ≤ k ~v − wk
~ for all ~v , w. ~
(105) For nonzero vectors ~v and w, ~ the projection of ~v onto w ~ (sometimes written as
projw~ ~v ) is the vector ~u along the same line L as w ~ whose terminal point is obtained
by dropping a perpendicular line from the terminal point of ~v to L. Show that
|~v · w|
~
k ~uk = .
k wk
~
(106) Let α, β, and γ be the angles between a nonzero vector ~v in R3 and the vectors
~i, ~j, and~k, respectively. Show that cos2 α + cos2 β + cos2 γ = 1.
(Note: α, β, γ are often called the direction angles of ~v , and cos α, cos β, cos γ
are called the direction cosines.)
(107) If the cross product ~v × w ~ of two nonzero vectors ~v and w~ is also a nonzero vector,
then it is perpendicular to both ~v and w. ~
(108) If θ is the angle between nonzero vectors ~v andw ~ in R3 , then prove that
k ~v × wk
~ = k ~v k k wk
~ sin θ (0.6)
(109) Let 4P QR and P QRS be a triangle and parallelogram, respectively. The area
AP QR of 4P QR is 12 bh, where b is the base of the triangle and h is the height. So
we see that
b = k ~v k and h = k wk~ sin θ

1
AP QR = k ~v k k wk
~ sin θ
2
1
= k ~v × wk ~
2
So since the area AP QRS of the parallelogram P QRS is twice the area of the triangle
4P QR, then
AP QRS = k ~v k k wk
~ sin θ
(110) Calculate the area of the triangle 4P QR, where P = (2, 4, −7), Q = (3, 7, 18), and
R = (−5, 12, 8).
(111) Calculate the area of the parallelogram P QRS, where P = (1, 1), Q = (2, 3),
R = (5, 4), and S = (4, 2).
~ in R3 , and scalar k, we have
(112) For any vectors ~u, ~v , w
(a) ~v × w
~ = −w
~ × ~v Anticommutative Law
(b) ~u × (~v + w)
~ = ~u × ~v + ~u × w
~ Distributive Law
(c) (~u + ~v ) × w
~ = ~u × w
~ + ~v × w
~ Distributive Law
(d) (k~v ) × w
~ = ~v × (k w)
~ = k(~v × w)
~ Associative Law
(e) ~v × ~0 = ~0 = ~0 × ~v
(f) ~v × ~v = ~0
~ = ~0 if and only if ~v k w
(g) ~v × w ~
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(113) Let the vectors ~u, ~v , w ~ in R3 represent adjacent sides of a parallelepiped P , with
~u, ~v , w
~ forming a right-handed system. Show that the volume of P is the scalar
triple product ~u · (~v × w) ~ .
(114) Show that if ~v × w ~
~ = 0 for all w ~ in R3 , then ~v = ~0.
(115) Prove the following for all vectors ~v , w ~ in R3 :
(a) k ~v × wk ~ 2 + |~v · w|
~ 2 = k ~v k2 k wk
~ 2
(b) If ~v · w ~ = 0 and ~v × w ~ = ~0, then ~v = ~0 or w~ = ~0.
(116) Consider the vector equation ~a × ~x = ~b in R , where ~a 6= ~0. Show that:
3

(a) ~a · ~b = 0
~b × ~a
(b) ~x = + k~a is a solution to the equation, for any scalar k
k ~ak2
(117) Prove the Jacobi identity ~u × (~v × w) ~ + ~v × (w ~ × (~u × ~v ) = ~0
~ × ~u) + w
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(118) Show that ~u, ~v , w ~ lie in the same plane in R if and only if ~u · (~v × w) ~ = 0.
(119) For all vectors ~u, ~v , w, ~ ~z in R3 , show that

(~u × ~v ) × (w
~ × ~z) = (~z · (~u × ~v ))w
~ − (w
~ · (~u × ~v ))~z
and that
(~u × ~v ) × (w
~ × ~z) = (~u · (w
~ × ~z))~v − (~v · (w
~ × ~z))~u
Why do both equations make sense geometrically?

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