CHAPTER : 14 VECTOR ALGEBRA

Vector AlgebrA
|
 14
CHAPTER

Vector AlgebrA
Chapter Objectives
Vectors and scalars, magnitude and direction of a vector. Direction cosines and direction ratios of a vector.
Types of vectors (equal, unit, zero, parallel and collinear vectors), position vector of a point, negative of a
vector, components of a vector, addition of vectors, multiplication of a vector by a scalar, position vector
of a point dividing a line segment in a given ratio. Definition, Geometrical Interpretation, properties
and application of scalar (dot) product of vectors, vector (cross) product of vectors, scalar triple product
of vectors.

Study Material
I. Concept Clarified
1. Vectors and Scalars
It is useful to separate physical quantities into two types : the first are called scalars; the second are
known as vectors.
Many physical quantities, such as mass, time, temperature are fully specified by one number or
magnitude. They are scalars. A scalar is a quantity that can be described by a single number which
can be positive, negative or zero.
But other quantities require more than one number to describe them. They are vectors. Vectors are quantities
which require the specification of a magnitude and a direction. An example of a vector quantity is the force applied
to an object to make it move.

2. Magnitude and Direction of a Vector


Because a vector has a direction as well as a magnitude we can represent a vector by drawing a line. The length
of the line represents the magnitude of the vector given some appropriate scale, and the direction of the line
represents the direction of the vector. We call this representation a directed line segment. For example, Figure
shows a vector which represents a velocity of 3 ms−1 north-east. Note that the arrow on the vector indicates the
direction
required.
It is important when writing vectors to distinguish them from scalars. Various notations are used.
B B B
AB
or or a
a
A A A

→

Generally we denote vector by AB . Vectors are also indicated by using a bold typeface such as a. It is difficult
when handwriting to reproduce the bold face and so it is conventional to make a line on vector quantities and
write a instead.
Note :
 
Two arrows represent the same vector if they have the same length and are parallel.
 Vector AlgebrA |

→ → B
Vectors AB and CD are equal even though their locations differ. This is

a useful and important property of vectors, a vector is defined only by its
D
direction and magnitude, not by its location in space. These vectors are often A
called free vectors.

C
Equal Vectors
B
 
The vector − ais a vector in the opposite direction to a , but has the a B
same magnitude as a, as shown in figure below :
A
_a
A =BA
3. Direction cosines and direction ratios of a vector

Consider a line segment OP in space in X,Y and Z direction. When this line
OP makes angle α, β and γ from X, Y and Z axes respectively then cos α, cos β and cos γ are called
→
direction cosines of OP and it is represented by l, m and n respectively.
l = cos α, m = cos β, n = cos γ
let OP = r, then coordinates of OP will be (lr, mr, nr)
Cases : Z

If l, m and n are direction cosines of r then,
 
 (
r= r liˆ + m ˆj + n kˆ ) P(x, y, z)
C
 l 2 + m2 + n2 =
1
z r
    γ
 Projections of r on coordinate axes are l r , m r and n r . α
When three numbers that are proportional to the direction cosines of a O X
x B
line are called the direction ratios of the line. β

If l, m and n are direction cosines of r and a, b and c are three numbers,
 y
l m n
such that = = then it is said that direction ratios of r are
a b c
proportional to a, b and c. A

a b c Y
Also l = ± , m= ± , n= ±
a2 + b2 + c 2 a2 + b2 + c 2 a2 + b2 + c 2

4. Types of vectors
 Equal Vector
Equal vectors are vectors that have the same magnitude and the same direction regardless of
the position of their initial points.
Note : Equal vectors may start at different positions.
 Unit Vectors B
A unit vector is a vector having magnitude unity. A unit vector is often
denoted by a lowercase letter with a circumflex, or “cap” i.e. î . D
 A
ˆi = i
i
C

Zero Vector

A zero vector is a vector having no magnitude and direction. It is obtained by subtraction of two equal vectors.
It is also known as null vector.
 Parallel Vector
Parallel vectors are vectors which have same or parallel support. They can have equal or unequal magnitudes
and their directions may be same or opposite.
 | MatheMatics

 Collinear Vector
Two vectors are collinear if they have the same direction or are parallel or anti-parallel. Parallel vectors can be
expressed in the form a = kb where a and b are vectors and ‘k‘ is a scalar quantity.

5. Position vector of a point

Position vector is a straight line having one end point fixed to a body and the other end attached
to a moving point. It is used to describe the position of the point relative to the body. Changes in
magnitude and direction are the only changes that a position vector can experience.
As the point moves, the position vector will change in length or in direction or in both length and
direction. If drawn to some scale, the change in length will signify a change in the magnitude of the
vector, while a change in direction will signify a rotation of the vector.
  
In the below diagram OA, OB and OC are the position vectors denoted by a , b and c .
A

a
B
b

c
C
6. Negative of a vector


For each vector a there exists a negative vector. This vector has direction opposite to that of vector
 
a but has the same magnitude; it is denoted by – a . A geometrical interpretation of the negative
vector is shown in Fig.

a
–a

7. Components of a vector

When we break a vector into its parts, those parts are called its components of the vector. In a
two-dimensional coordinate system, any vector can be broken into X - component and Y component.
The vector and its components form a right angled triangle as shown below.
Y
ay
a

φ
axX

In the above figure, the components can be quickly read. The vector in the component form is a .
The trigonometric ratios give the relation between magnitude of the vector and the components of the vector.
base a
=cos φ = x
hypotenuse a

altitude ay
= sin φ =
hypotenuse a

ax a cos φ and=
So = ay a sin φ
Using the Pythagorean Theorem in the right triangle with lengths ax and ay

=a ax2 + ay2

ay
Direction of the vector can be obtained as tan φ =
ax
 Vector AlgebrA |
8. Addition of vectors
   

The addition of vectors a and b is a vector c formed by placing the initial point of b on the
  
terminal point of a and then joining the initial point of a to the terminal point of b . The sum is
  
written c = a + b . This definition is called the parallelogram law for vector addition because, in

a geometrical interpretation of vector addition, c is the diagonal of a parallelogram
 
formed by the two vectors a and b .
a b

9. Multiplication of a vector by a scalar


The product of a vector a by a scalar k is a vector with magnitude k times the
 c
 
magnitude of a and with direction the same as or opposite to that of a , according

as k is positive or negative. If k = 0, k a is the null vector. The following properties
hold for scalar multiplication :
  
(k + l ) a =k a + l a (distributive law, over addition of scalars)
  
( ) 
k a + b = k a + kb (distributive law, over addition of vectors)
 
k ( l a ) = ( kl ) a (associative law for scalar multiplication)

10. Position vector of a point dividing a line segment in a given ratio

P
n
a C
r m
O
b Q

Let PQ be a line divided by a position vector r in ratio m : n internally. Also P, Q be the points represented by the
  
    m a + nb
vector OP and OQ given by a and b respectively. Then, r =
m+n

 
 m a − nb
When position vector divides PQ in the ratio m : n externally, then, r =
m−n

11. Dot Product

  

The dot product of two vectors a and b (also called the scalar product) is denoted by a.b . It is a scalar defined by
  
= a.b a b cos θ

Where θ is the angle between the vectors when their initial points coincide under the condition of range : 0 ≤ θ ≤ π.

a b θ

 Properties of Dot product

  
 hen a.b = 0 , then vectors a and b are perpendicular to each other and i.e. angle between
W
them is 90°. Also these two vectors are said to be orthogonal.
 | MatheMatics

 nother important property is that the projection of a vector u along the direction of a unit vector î is given
A

by u.i .
u

|u|

θ
∧
i
∧
u . i = |u| cos θ

It follows that any vector u can be decomposed into a component parallel to a (unit) vector î and another component
   
perpendicular to î , according to u= (u.i )i + [u − (u.i )i ]
 
1. a.b = b.a
    
2. a.( b + c ) = a.b + a.c
   
3. k ( a.b ) = a(k.b )
  
4. a.a ≥ 0 and a.a = 0 if and only if a = 0.

12. Cross Product

   
The cross product of two vectors a and b (also called the vector product) is denoted by a × b . It is a vector
defined by :
    ∧
=
a × b a b sin θ n
Where θ is the angle between the vectors when their initial points coincide under the condition of range : 0 ≤ θ
∧
≤ π and n is a unit vector along the line perpendicular to both a and b.
 
It can be seen from the figure that the magnitude of a × b is equivalent to
 
the area of the parallelogram determined by the two vectors a and b . |a × b|

 a
The direction of this new vector is perpendicular to both a and. Whether
 
a × b points “up” or “down” is determined from the fact that the three θ
   
vectors a , b and a × b form a right handed system. This means that if b
 
the thumb of the right hand is pointed in the direction of a × b and the

open hand is directed in the direction of a , then the curling of the fingers of the right hand so that it closes should

move the fingers through the angle θ , 0 ≤ θ ≤ π , bringing them to b .

a×b

b a
θ θ
a
b
b×a

 Properties of Cross product

   
1. a × b =−b × a
      
2. a × (b + c ) = a × b + a × c
 Vector AlgebrA |
   
3. k ( a × b ) =a × (k b )
     
4. a×b = 0 , if and only if a and b ( ≠ 0) are parallel i.e. θ = 0.

13. Scalar triple product of vectors

  
The triple scalar product, or box product, of three vectors u , v and w is defined by :
        
(u × v ).w = ( v × w ).u =
( w × u).v
Its importance is that, if the three vectors form a right-handed triad, then the volume V of a
parallelepiped spanned by the three vectors is equal to the box product.

v e
u h

Important :
If the three vectors do not form a right handed triad, then the triple scalar product yields the negative of the
volume.

II. Important Formula

 
1. r= r (liˆ + mjˆ + nkˆ) and l 2 + m 2 + n 2 =
1

   
2. Projections of r on coordinate axes are l r , m r and n r .

a b
3. Relation between direction cosines and direction ratio : l = ± , m= ± ,
a2 + b2 + c 2 a2 + b2 + c 2
c
n= ±
a + b2 + c2
2

 
 ma + nb
4. When position vector divides PQ in the ratio m : n internally then r =
m+n
 
 ma − nb
5. When position vector divides PQ in the ration m : n externally then : r =
   m−n
6. Dot product : a.b = a b cosθ

    ∧
7. Cross product : =
a × b a b sin θ n
        
8. Scalar triple product : (u × v ).w =
( v × w ).u =
( w × u).v
ll