2024/2025

DIRE DAWA UNIVERSITY

College of Natural and Computational Sciences
Department of Mathematics
Applied Mathematics I (Math 1041) for pre-engineering
Worksheet I - Vectors

1. Let u = (2, −7, 1), v = (−3, 0, 4) and w = (0, 5, −8). Find:

(a) 3u − 4v (b) 2u + 3v − 5w

2. Given that a = 2i + 3j − k, b = i − j + 2k, and c = 3i + 4j + k, find

(a) a + 2b − c (b) a vector d such that a − b + c + 3d = 0.

3. Given a = i + 2j + 3k, b = 2i − 2j + k, find a vector c such that a − 2b + c = i + j − 2k.

4. Find x and y, where:

(a) (x, 3) = (2, x + y) (b) (4, y) = x (2, 3)

5. Let a be the vector with initial point (−2, 3, 1) and terminal point (4, 5, −2).
(a) Write the component form of a.
(b) Write a as a linear combination of standard unit vectors.
(c) Find the magnitude of a.
(d) Find the unit vector in the direction of a.
(e) Find a vector of magnitude 4 units in the direction of a.
6. Find a unit vector that is oppositely directed to vector v = (2, 2, 2).
7. Let a = i + 2j–3k. Find a vector b of length 5 whose direction is opposite to that of a.
8. Find a vector that has the same direction as v = (−2, 4, 2) but has length 6.
9. If a = i − j + 3k and b = −2i + j − k, then find the unit vector in the direction of a + b.
10. Which of the following vectors in R3 are parallel to u = (−2, 1, 3)?
 
(a) a = (4, −2, −6) 2 1 (c) w = (−8, 6, 12)
(b) v = − , , 1
3 3

11. Determine the values of p and m for which a = −2i + pj + 3k and b = mi + 3j + 9k are parallel
vectors.
12. Let u = 2i − 3j + 4k and v = 3i + j − 2k. Find:

(a) u · v (b) ∥u∥ (c) ∥v∥

13. Find u · v using the given information:

π
(a) ∥u∥ = 1, ∥v∥ = 2, the angle between u and v is .
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(b) ∥u∥ = 2, ∥v∥ = 3, the angle between u and v is 1350 .

14. Let a = 3i − 4j + 12k and b = i − k. Find cos θ , where θ the angle between the vectors a and b.
15. If u = (2, −3, 4) and v = (−1, 2, 0), and w = (5, −1, 2) find the angle between u − 2v and u + 2w.
16. Given ∥a∥ = 4, ∥b∥ = 6 and θ = 600 , where θ is the angle between the two vectors, then determine

(a) a · b (b) ∥3a + 2b∥

17. Let a = 2i + j − 3k. Find the direction cosines of a.

18. Find the direction angles of the vector a = (1, 2, 3).
19. Let a = 2i − j + 2k and b = i + 3j − 2k, then find:

(a) the projection of a vector a onto b. (b) the projection of a vector b onto a.

20. Let u = 2i − 3j + 4k, v = 3i + j − 2k, and w = i + 5j + 3k. Find

(a) u × v (b) w × u

21. Determine whether a and b are perpendicular.

√ √
(a) a = i, b = j (b) a = 2i + 3j + k, b = −i + 2 j + 5k

22. Given a = 3i − 2j and b = 4i − cj, where c ∈ R, then find

(a) c so that a and b are orthogonal. (b) c so that a and b are parallel.

23. Find the values of x such that the vectors u = (3, 2, x) and v = (2x, 4, x) are orthogonal.
24. Let a = −3i + 2j − 3k, b = i + 3j − 5k, and c = i − 2k, then find

(a) a × c (b) a · (a × b) (c) b · (a × b) (d) b · (a × c)

25. If a and b are two vectors such that a · b = ∥a × b∥, then find the angle between a and b.
26. Let a = 2i + 3j − k and b = i − 2j + 2k. Find a vector perpendicular to a and b.
27. Find a unit vector that is orthogonal to both u = 3i − j + 2k and v = 4i − 2j − k.
28. Find the unit vector perpendicular to a vector a = 2i − 3j.
29. Find the value of ∥a × b∥ if ∥a∥ = 3 and ∥b∥ = 5 and a · b = 12.
30. Find the area A of the triangle with vertices P(1, 1, 1), Q(2, 3, 5), and R(−1, 3, 1).
31. Find the area of a parallelogram
(a) whose adjacent sides are a = i − 4j + 7k and b = −3i − 4j + 6k.
(b) with vertices P (1, 1, 3), Q (2, 5, 9), R (4, 8, 2), and S (3, 4, −4).
32. Find the volume of a parallelepiped with edges represented by the vectors a = i + 2j − 3k, b = i − 3k,
and c = i − 3j + 6k.
33. Find the volume V of the parallelpiped formed by the vectors u = (2, 1, 3), v = (4, −2, 2) and w = (1, 1, 5).

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34. Write the a) vector equation b) parametric equations and c) symmetric equations for the line
(a) passes through the point (1, 3, 2) and parallel to the vector 2i − j + 3k.
(b) passes through the points (1, 0, 2) and (−3, 2, 4).
35. Find parametric equations for the line that contains the point (2, −1, 5) and is parallel to the line with
x−2 y+1 z−5
equations = = .
3 −3 −2
36. Find symmetric equations for the line that contains the point (−2, 1, 3) and is parallel to the line with
equations x = −1 + 2t, y = 2 − t, z = 3 − 4t.
37. Let P = (2, 5, −7) and Q = (4, 3, 8).
→
(a) Find PQ
→
(b) PQ
(c) For the line l through P and Q, find
i. a vector equation of l ii. parametric equations of l. iii. symmetric equations of l.
38. Find the distance D from the point (5, 0, −4) to the line with symmetric equations

y+2 z+1
x–1 = =
−2 3

39. Find the distance D from the origin to the line that contains the point (−3, −3, 3) and is parallel to
the vector 2i − 3j + 5k.
40. Find the distance D from the point (1, –2, 5) to the line

x = 1 + 3t, y = –2–4t, z = 12t

.
−2 − x 3−z
41. Find the distance between the point P (1, 2, −1) and the line = −y =
−3 −2
42. Let l be a line passing through (1, 2, 1) and (3, −1, 4), then find the distance between l and the origin.
43. Find an equation of the plane that contains the point (9, 10, −7) and has normal vector N = 2i–3k.
44. Find an equation of the plane passing through
(a) the point (−4, 3, 1) that is perpendicular to the vector a = −4i + 7j − 2k.
(b) the points (1, 2, −3), (2, 3, 1), and (0, −2, −1).
45. Find the possible vector normal to the plane Π : −2x + 5y + 2z = 5.
46. Find the distance between the point P and the plane Π, where:
(a) P (−1, 1, 2) and Π : 3x − 2y + z − 1 = 0.
(b) P (−2, 2, 2) and Π : 2x + 3y + 4z = −1.
47. Find the distance D between the point P(−3, 1, 3) and the plane 5x + z = 3y − 4.
48. Find the distance D from the point (1, −2, 5) to the plane 3(x − 1) − 4(y + 2) + 12z = 0.