Vectors

LECTURE 6

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Vectors
LECTURE 6
 Multiplication of Vectors

There are 2 types of Vector Multiplication

Scalar product Vector product

Dot product Cross product

 ^ ^ ^
A = Ax i + Ay j + Az k
If
^ ^ ^
B = Bx i + By j + Bz k

A . B = (Ax Bx) + (Ay By) + (Az Bz)

What are applications of dot product?
App. 1) If A . B = 0 , then A ⊥ B B
900

App. 2) To find angle between two vectors

B

A.B Ax B x + A y B y + A z B z θ
cos θ = =
AB √ A x2 + A y 2 + A z 2 √ B x2 + B y 2 + B z 2 A
App. 3) To find angle between two vectors

Ax = A cos α
Ay = A cos β
Az = A cos γ

A = √ Ax2 + Ay2 + Az2

 We have,

Ax Ay
cos α = cos β =
A A

Az
cos γ =
A

A x2 + A y 2 + A z 2
cos2 α + cos2 β + cos2 γ = =1
2
A
What is Vector Product / Cross Product?
a × b
a × b

θ Unit vector perpendicular

to the plane of a and b
a

a ∧
× b = a b sinθ × u

Angle between two vectors

Cross Product
Characteristics of Cross Product
1) c = a× b

a × b 2) c is perpendicular to a and b

c .a = c .b = 0
b

a
3) a × b = b × a c= a × b c ‘= b × a

a × b
│ c │ = │ c’ │

│a x b│ = │b x a│
b

θ a × b = b × a

a
a x b = -(b x a)

b × a
 ˄ ˄
i i

+ ve - ve

˄ ˄ ˄ ˄
k j k j

˄ ˄ ˄ ˄ ˄ ˄ ˄ ˄ ˄
i × j = +k k×i=+j j×k=+i
˄j × ˄i = - k˄ ˄ ˄ ˄ ˄ ˄ ˄
i×k=-j k×j=-i
How to calculate cross product of two 3D vectors?
An expression for cross product of two vectors

Let the two vectors A and B be given as,

^i ^j ^k
A = Ax^i + Ay^j + Azk^
A×B = Ax Ay Az
B = Bx^i + By^j + Bzk^ Bx By Bz

Proof ^ ^ +A B ^ ^ ^ ^ +
A × B = Ax B x i×i x y i ×j + Ax B z i×k
Ay B x ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ +
j × i + Ay B y j×j + Ay B z j ×k
Az B x ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
k × i + Az B y k × j + Az B z k ×k
 How to calculate cross product for two 3D vectors?

^ ^ +A B ^ ^ + A B ^ ^ + ˄ ˄ ˄
A × B = Ax B x i×i x y i ×j x z i×k k×i=+j
Ay B x ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
j × i + Ay By j×j + Ay Bz j ×k + ˄ ˄ ˄
i×k=-j
Az B x ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
k × i + Az B y k × j + Az B z k ×k ˄i × ˄j = +k

A × B = Ax B x 0 + Ax By ^k + Ax Bz ^ + ˄j × ˄i = - k˄
–j
Ay B x ^ +A B 0 + A B ^ + ˄j × ˄k = + ˄
–k y y y z i i
^
Az B x j + Az By –i^ + Az Bz 0 ˄k × ˄j = - ˄i

^ ˄ ˄ ˄ ˄ ˄ ˄
^ ^ i×i=j×j=k×k=0
A × B = ( A y B z – A z B y ) i + ( A z B x– A xB z ) j + ( A xB y – A y B x) k
 ^ ^ ^
A × B = ( A y B z – A z B y ) i + ( A z B x– A xB z ) j + ( A xB y – A y B x) k

Using the determinant notation,

+ – +
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
i j k A = A xi + A y j + A z k
A×B = Ax Ay Az ^ ^ ^
B = B xi + B y j + B z k
Bx By Bz

Let’s see how to solve this determinant

^ ^ ^
A × B = ( AyBz– AzBy) i (AxBz – AzBx) j + ( AxBy– AyBx) k
-
Example ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Find A × B, where, A = 2i – 5j + 3k and B = 3i + 4j – 9k.
A. 34i + 27j + 24k

B. 33i + 27j + 23k

C. 33i + 27j + 13k

D. 23i + 28j + 23k

Example ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
Find A × B, where, A = 2i – 5j + 3k and B = 3i + 4j – 9k.

Solution + – +
i j k
A×B = 2 –5 3
3 4 –9

∴ A×B = i(45 – 12) –j(–18 – 9) + k(8 + 15)

∴ A×B = 33i + 27j + 23k

Define applications of cross product?
To find unit vector perpendicular to two given vectors

Let A and B are two vectors

C = A× B

Unit vector perpendicular to both A and B ∧ C A× B

C= =
C = A× B C A ×B
 ar → →
Example Find a unit vector ⊥ to both A and B
→ ∧ ∧ → ∧∧
A=2i+4j B=i+j
A.

B.

C.

D.
Example → →
Find a unit vector ⊥ar to both A and B
→ ∧ ∧ → ∧∧
A=2i+4j B=i+j
Solution :
→ → ∧ ∧ ∧
A × B = (0 – 0) i – (0 – 0)j + (2 – 4)k
→ → → → ∧
C=A×B C = – 2k
∧ ∧ ∧
i j k C=2
→ → →
A×B= 2 4 0 ∧ C ∧
C= = –k
C
1 1 0
 To find Area of Parallelogram and Triangle

B
h
θ
A

Let A and B represent two adjacent sides of a parallelogram.

Let q be the smaller angle between the two vectors and h be the height of the
parallelogram. The magnitude of vector product of two vectors is numerically
equal to the area of a parallelogram formed by the two vectors.
To find Area of Parallelogram and Triangle

B
h
θ
A

The base of the parallelogram is Area of the parallelogram is given as,

= ⎪ A⎪ = A
Area = base × height
∴ Area = AB sinθ
The height of the parallelogram is
h = B sinθ ∴ Area = ⎪ A × B⎪
B 1) Area of a parallelogram with A and B
as the two adjacent side is,

= ⎪ A × B⎪
A

2) Area of a triangle with A and B as sides is,

1
= ⎪A × B⎪
2
 C 3) Area of a parallelogram with C and D
B as the two diagonals is,
D 1
=
⎪ C × D⎪
2
A
A
−B

B
+B
A

A
 → →
Example If A & B represents sides of a parallelogram, then find its area.
→ ∧ ∧ ∧ → ∧ ∧ ∧
If A = 2i + 3 j + k and B = 2 i + 6 j + 2 k
A. 2√10 unit sq.
B. 2√11 unit sq.
C. 2√12 unit sq.
D. 2√13 unit sq.
 Example → →
If A & B represents sides of a parallelogram, then find its area.
→ ∧ ∧ ∧ → ∧ ∧ ∧
If A = 2i + 3 j + k and B = 2 i + 6 j + 2 k

Solution :

→ → ∧ ∧
Area of Parallelogram = ⏐A × B ⏐ =–2j+6k
→ →
∧ ∧ ∧ ⏐A × B ⏐ = √4 + 36
i j k
= √40 = 2√10
→ → 2 3 1
A×B = = 2√10 unit sq.
2 6 2

∧ ∧ ∧ Thus,
= (6 – 6) i – (4 – 2) j + (12 – 6) k Area of Parallelogram = 2√10 unit sq.
Example Find the area of the triangle formed by
P = (3i + 4j + k)m and Q = (i – 2j + 2k)m as adjacent sides.
Solution A. 8.5 m2
B. 7.5 m2 Q

C. 6.5 m2
P
2
D. 5.5 m
Example Find the area of the triangle formed by
P = (3i + 4j + k)m and Q = (i – 2j + 2k)m as adjacent sides.

Solution
Q

1 P
Area of the triangle = ⎪P×Q⎪
2
i j k
∴ | P×Q | √ 100 + 25 + 100 = √ 225
P×Q = 3 4 1
=
1 –2 2 ∴ |P×Q | 15 sq. units
=
1
∴ P×Q i(8 + 2) – j(6 – 1) + k(–6 –4) A = ⎪P×Q⎪
2
=
∴ P×Q 10i – 5j – 10k 1
∴ A × 15 = 7.5 m2
= 2
=
Example

A. 0
B. -1
C. 1
D. √3
Example

Solution
Example
Example

Solution
Example A vector of magnitude a is rotated through angle θ. What is the
magnitude of the change in the vector ?

A. 2a sin θ/2
B. 2a cos θ/2
C. 2a sin θ
D. 2a cos θ
Example A vector of magnitude a is rotated through angle θ. What is the
magnitude of the change in the vector ?

Solution →
a2 →
Δa

θ
→
a1

See figure, here

→ → →
Δa = a2 – a1
Example A vector of magnitude a is rotated through angle θ. What is the
magnitude of the change in the vector ?

Solution Hence
→
a2 → → →
Δa Δa =⎮ a2 – a1⎮ = [a22 + a12 – 2a2a1 cos θ] 1/2
θ = [2 a2 (1 – cos θ)] 1/2
→ = [22 a2 (sin 2 θ/2 )] 1/2
a1
= 2 a sin θ/2

See figure, here

→ → →
Δa = a2 – a1

(1 – cos θ) = 2 sin2 θ/2

 → →
Example If a and b are two vectors perpendicular to each other and
→ → → → → →
|a| = |b| = 1, determine the angle between ( a + b ) and (2a + b ).

A.

B.

C.

D.
 → →
Example If a and b are two vectors perpendicular to each other and
→ → → → → →
|a| = |b| = 1, determine the angle between ( a + b ) and (2a + b ).

Solution →
→
Let θ be the angle between a and b
→ → → →
( a + b ).(2a + b ) = 2a2 + a.b + 2 a.b + b2
= 2a2 + 3 a.b + b2
= 2a2 + b2 = 2(1) + (1) = 3

→ →
|a + b| = √a2 + b2 + 2ab cos θ
= √(1)2 + (1)2 + 2(1)(1) cos 90 = √2
 → →
|2a + b| = √(2a)2 + b2 + 2(2a)b cos θ = √4(1)2 + (1)2 + 4(1)(1) cos 90

= √5
Let α be the angle between
→ → → →
( a + b ) and (2a + b )

→ → → → 3
( a + b ).( 2a + b )
cos α = =
→ → → → √2 √5
|a + b||2a + b|

3 3
cos α = α = cos–1
√10 √10
Example Find component of vector
(i) x-axis
(ii)
Given - , and
A.

B.

C.

D.
Example Find component of vector
(i) x-axis
(ii)
Given - , and

Solution

(i) Component of along x-axis is 3.

(ii) Component of = R (say) along c is
 → → → →
Example If a and b are the vectors AB and BC determined by the adjacent
sides of a regular hexagon. What are the vectors determined by
the other sides taken in order?
E D

F C

A a B
 → → → →
Example If a and b are the vectors AB and BC determined by the adjacent
sides of a regular hexagon. What are the vectors determined by
the other sides taken in order?
E D
Solution Given

From the method of vector addition

(or subtraction) we can show that,
F C

Then b

A a B
 → → → → → →
Example If |a| = 1, |b| = 2 , |c| = 4 then resultant a + b + c CANNOT
have a magnitude of :
A. 7
B. 1
C. 5

D. 0
 → → → → → →
Example If |a| = 1, |b| = 2 , |c| = 4 then resultant a + b + c CANNOT
have a magnitude of :

Solution Here for a 𝚫

a+b<c
2+1<4
∴ 𝚫 not possible
Hence,
If , then the value of is

A.

B.

C.

D.
The value of is

A.
B.
C.
D.
If and , then value of will be

A.
B.
C.
D.
A vector points vertically upward and points towards north. The vector
product is
A. Zero
B. Along west
C. Along east
D. Vertically downward
The angle between the vectors and is 𝝷. The value of the triple
product is
A. A2B
B. Zero
C. A2Bsin𝝷
D. A2Bcos𝝷
If , then which of the following statements is wrong

A.
B.
C.
D.
Which of the following is the unit vector perpendicular to and ?

A.

B.

C.

D.
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