PROBLEMS 07 - VECTORS Page 1

Solve all problems vectorially:

( 1 ) Obtain the unit vectors perpendicular to each of
-
x = ( 1, 2, - 1 ) and
-
y = ( 1, 0, 2 ).

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29
2
,
29
3
,
29
4
: Ans
- -



( 2 ) If is the angle between two unit vectors
-
a and
-
b, then prove that
l
-
a -
-
b cos l = sin .



( 3 ) If a vector
-
r makes with X-axis and Y-axis angles of measures 45 and 60
respectively, then find the measure of the angle which
-
r makes with Z-axis.

[ Ans: 60 or 120 ]



( 4 ) If
-
x and
-
y are non-collinear vectors of R
3
, then prove that
-
x ,
-
y and
- -
y x
are non-coplanar.



( 5 ) If the measure of angle between x = j i + and y = t i - j is
4
3
, then find t.

[ Ans: 0 ]



( 6 ) Show that for any a R, the directions ( 2, 3, 5 ) and ( a, a + 1, a + 2 ) cannot be
the same or opposite.



( 7 ) If is a measure of angle between unit vectors a and b, prove that
sin
2

=
2
1
l a - b l.


( 8 ) If z and y , x are non-coplanar, prove that y x + , z y + and x z + are also
non-coplanar.




PROBLEMS 07 - VECTORS Page 2




( 9 ) Show that the vectors ( 1, 2, 1 ), ( 1, 1, 4 ) and ( 1, 3, - 2 ) are coplanar. Also
express each of these vectors as a linear combination of the other two.

=
= + =
) 4 1, 1, ( ) 1 2, 1, ( 2 ) 2 3, 1, (
); 2 3, 1, ( ) 1 2, 1, ( 2 ) 4 1, 1, ( ); 2 3, 1, (
2
1
) 4 1, 1, (
2
1
) 1 2, 1, ( : Ans
- -
- - -


[ Note: These vectors are collinear besides being coplanar. Hence, any vector of R
3

which is not collinear with them cannot be expressed as a linear combination
of these vectors even if it is coplanar with them. ]



( 10 ) Show that ( 1, 1, 0 ), ( 1, 0, 1 ) and ( 0, 1, 1 ) are non-coplanar vectors. Also express
any vector ( x, y, z ) of R
3
as a linear combination of these vectors.

+
+
+
+
+
= ) 1 1, 0, (
2
x z y
) 1 0, 1, (
2
z y x
) 0 1, 1, (
2
z y x
) z y, x, ( : Ans
- - -



( 11 ) Prove that an angle in a semi-circle is a right angle.



( 12 ) Prove that the three altitudes in a triangle are concurrent.



( 13 ) If A - P - B and
n
m

PB
AP
= , then prove that for any point O in space,
n (

OA ) + m (

OB ) = ( m + n )

OP.



( 14 ) Prove that A ( 1, 5, 6 ), B ( 3, 1, 2 ) and C ( 4, - 1, 0 ) are collinear. Find also the
ratio in which A divides BC from B.

[ Ans: - 2 : 3 ]



( 15 ) Find in which ratio and at which point does the XY-plane divide AB where A is
( 2, - 2, 1 ) and B is ( 1, 4, - 5 ).

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0 1, ,
6
11
at A from 5 : 1 : Ans -





PROBLEMS 07 - VECTORS Page 3




( 16 ) If A ( 0, - 1, - 1 ), B ( 16, - 3, - 3 ) and C ( - 8, - 1, - 2 ) are given points, then find the
point D ( x, y, z ) in space so that

= CD AB .

[ Ans: ( 8, - 3, - 4 ) ]



( 17 ) A ( 0, - 1, - 4 ), B ( 1, 2, 3 ) and C ( 5, 4, - 1 ) are given points. If D is the foot of
perpendicular from A on BC , find its position vector.

[ Ans: ( 3, 3, 1 ) ]



( 18 ) If the position vectors A, B, C of triangle ABC are c , b , a respectively, then show
that the area of triangle ABC = ) a c ( ) c b ( ) b a (
2
1
+ + .


( 19 ) Find the volume of a prism having a vertex at origin O and having coterminous
edges OC , OB , OA , where A is ( 4, 3, 1 ), B is ( 3, 1, 2 ) and C is ( 5, 2, 1 ).

[ Ans: 10 cubic units ]



( 20 ) Find the volume of tetrahedron having vertices V ( 1, 1, 3 ), A ( 4, 3, 2 ), B ( 5, 2, 7 )
and C ( 6, 4, 8 ).

units cubic
3
14
: Ans


( 21 ) If the forces of magnitudes 2 , 2 and 3 units are applied to a particle in the
directions of vectors ( - 1, 0, 1 ), ( 1, 0, 1 ) and ( 1, 1, - 1 ) respectively, then find the
magnitude and direction of the resultant force.

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5
2
cos ,
5
1
cos ,
5
2
cos , 5 : Ans
1 1 1 - - -



( 22 ) A boat is sailing to the east with a speed of 10 2 km / hr. A man on boat feels
that the wind is blowing from the south-east with a speed of 5 km / hr. Find the true
velocity of the wind.

/ north towards east with

10
3
cos angle an at hr km 5 5 : Ans
1 -




PROBLEMS 07 - VECTORS Page 4



( 23 ) A force of magnitude 2 10 units is acting on a particle in the direction j i 3
-
- and
a force of magnitude 3 13 units is acting on the same particle in the direction
j 3 i 2
-
+ . Under the influence of these forces, the particle is displaced from A ( 1, 2 )
to B ( 6, 4 ). Find the work done. [ Ans: 74 units ]



( 24 ) Prove that the diagonals of a rhombus bisect each other orthogonally.



( 25 ) If a pair of medians of a triangle are equal, then show that the triangle is isosceles.



( 26 ) Show that the perpendicular bisectors of sides of any triangle are concurrent.



( 27 ) Prove that the diagonals of a rhombus are bisectors of its angles.



( 28 ) If

AD is a bisector of BAC in triangle ABC and if D BC , then show that

AC
AB

DC
BD
= .



( 29 ) ABCDEF is a regular hexagon. Prove that . AD 3 AF AE AD AC AB

+

=



( 30 ) Show that centroid and in-centre of an equilateral triangle are the same. Find the
incentre of the triangle with vertices ( 6, 4, 6 ), ( 12, 4, 0 ) and ( 4, 2, - 2 ).

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3
4
,
3
10
,
3
22
: Ans



( 31 ) If A is ( 1, 2, 1 ) and B is ( 4, - 1, 2 ), then find S ( x, y, z ) such that
2

= AS AB .

[ Ans: ( 7, - 4, 3 ) ]






PROBLEMS 07 - VECTORS Page 5




( 32 ) Let A ( 1, 2, - 1 ) and B ( 3, 2, 2 ) be given points. Find in which ratios from A and
at which points do the XY-, YZ- and ZX-planes divide AB.

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plane - ZX to parallel is AB ;
2
5
2, 0, 3, : 1 ; 0 2, ,
3
5
2, : 1 : Ans -



( 33 ) Show that ( 6, 0, 1 ), ( 8, - 3, 7 ) and ( 2, - 5, 10 ) can be three vertices of some
rhombus. Find the co-ordinates of the fourth vertex of this rhombus.

[ Ans: ( 0, - 2, 4 ) ]



( 34 ) Show that ( 1, 2, 4 ), ( - 1, 1, 1 ), ( 6, 3, 8 ) and ( 2, 1, 2 ) are the vertices of a
trapezium. Find the area of this trapezium.

59
2
3
: Ans



( 35 ) Find the area of the parallelogram ABCD if a AC =

and b BD =

b a
2
1
: Ans



( 36 ) Find the volume of a prism having a vertex at origin and having edges
k j i 2 OA + +

= , k j i 3 OB +

= - and k j i OC - - +

= .

[ Ans: 4 cubic units ]



( 37 ) Show that ( 4, 5, 1 ), ( 0, - 1, - 1 ), ( 3, 9, 4 ) and ( - 4, 4, 4 ) cannot be the vertices
of any tetrahedron.



( 38 ) Find the volume of the tetrahedron with vertices ( 4, 5, 1 ), ( 0, - 1, - 1 ), ( 3, 9, 4 )
and ( 1, 2, 3 ).

units cubic
3
28
: Ans



PROBLEMS 07 - VECTORS Page 6




( 39 ) A mechanical boat is rowing towards the north with speed of 8 km / hr. If wind blows
from the east with the speed of 10 km / hr, find the resulting speed of the boat and
also the direction of resulting motion of the boat.

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/ north towards east with
41
5
cos of angle an at hr km 41 2 : Ans
1 -
-


( 40 ) A river flows with a speed of 5 units. A person desires to cross the river in a
direction perpendicular to its flow. Find in which direction should he swim if his speed
is 8 units.

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river the of flow of direction the with
8
5
cos of angle an At : Ans
1 -
-


( 41 ) If speed of a particle is 5 units towards the east and 8 units towards the south-
west, then find the resultant speed of the particle and its direction.

south towards east with

13
3
cos of angle an at units 13 : Ans
1 -



( 42 ) A boat speeds towards the north at 6 2 units. A man on the boat feels that the
wind is blowing from the south-east at 5 units. Find the true velocity of the wind.

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north towards east with
314
5
cos of angle an at units 157 : Ans
1 -
-


( 43 ) A steamer moves to the north-east with a speed of 40 units. A passenger on the
steamer feels the wind to be blowing from the north with 25 2 units. Find the true
velocity of the wind.

south towards east with

17
4
cos of angle an at units 34 5 : Ans
1 -



( 44 ) A particle is displaced from A ( 2, 1 ) to B ( 4, 2 ) when forces of magnitudes 5 4 in
the direction j i 2 + and 5 6 in the direction j 2 i - are applied. Find the work
done.

[ Ans: 20 units ]