Unit: VECTORS AND 3-DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRY

Concepts and Formulae

VECTORS

Positio Definiti The position vector of point P ≡ (x1,y1,z1) with respect to

n on the origin is given by:



 
Vector OP = r = x 2 + y 2 + z 2




Directi Definiti If the position vector OP of a point P makes angles α, β
on on and γ with x, y and z axis respectively, then α, β and γ are
cosines called the direction angles and cosα, cosβ and cosγ are
called the Direction cosines of the position vector.
Directi Relation The magnitude (r), direction ratios (a, b, c)
on betwee and direction cosines (, m, n) of
ratios n drs
any vector are related as:
dcs and
magnit a m c
= , m= , n=
ude of r r r
the
vector
Vector Laws Triangle Law: Suppose two vectors are represented by
Additio two sides of a triangle in sequence, then the third closing
n side of the triangle represents the sum of the two
vectors









PQ + QR = PR
 
Parallelogram Law: If two vectors a and b are
represented by two adjacent sides of a parallelogram
  in
magnitude and direction, then their sum a +b is
represented in magnitude and direction by the diagonal
of the parallelogram.









OA ??+ OB = OC
  
Prcpert Commu For any two vectors a and b,
ies of tative    
vector  ropert a+b =b+a
a`ditio y
n
Associa   
For any three vectors a,b and c,
tive      
propert ( )
a+b +c = a+ b+c ( )
y

Multipli Definiti If a is a vector and λ a scalar.
catiof on  
Product of vector a by the scalar λ is λa.
of  
Also, |λa| = |λ||a|
aٛ vec
0or by
a
scalar
 
Properti Let a and b be any two vectors and k and m being two
es scalars
 then  
(i)k a +m a =(k+m) a
 
(ii)k(m a )= (km) a
   
(iii)k( a +b )=k a +kb





Vector Definiti The vector P1P2 joining points P1(x1 , y1 , z1 ) and P2 (x2 , y2 , z2 )
joining on
(O is the origin) is given by:
two












points P1P2 = OP2 − OP1


Magnitu The magnitude of vector P1P2 is given by
de




P1P2 = (x2 − x1 )2 + (y2 − y1 )2 + (z2 − z1 )2

Compo Vector in component form r = x i+ y j + z k
nent
Form Equality of vectors

a = a1 i + a 2 j + a 3 k

b = b1 i + b 2 j + b3 k
 
a = b ⇔ a1 = b1 , a 2 = b 2 and a 3 = b3

Operati  
a = a1 i + a 2 j + a 3 k and
ons  
b = b1 i + b 2 j + b3 k
 Addition of vectors
 
a + b =( a1 + 
) i +(
a 2 + b 2 ) j +( a 3 + b3 ) k

 
a b  a b  a
Subtraction of vectors - b =( 1 - 1 ) i +( 2 - 2 ) j +( 3 -
a
b3 k
 )   
a and b are collinear ⇔ b = λ a . where λ
is a non zero scalar.

   
Product Scalar Scalar product of two nonzero vectors a and b, denoted by a·b is:
of Two (or dot)      
a.b= |a||b|cosθ, where θ is the angle between a and b, 0 ≤ θ ≤ π
Vectors product
of two
vectors

Properti  
(i) a·b is a real number.
es of      
(ii)If a and b are non zero vectors then a·b =0 ⇔ a ⊥ b .
scalar    
Product (iii) Scalar product is commutative : a·b =b.a

   
(iv)If θ =0 then a·b= a . b
   
(v) If θ =π then a·b=- a . b
(vi) scalar product distribute over addition
  
Let a, b and c be three vectors, then
      
a·(b+c)= a·b + a·c
 
(vii)Let a and b be two vectors, and λ be any scalar.
      
Then (λa).b=(λa).b= λ(a.b)=a.(λb)
 
(viii) Angle between two non zero vectors a and b is

 
a.b
given by cos θ =  
a.b
 
Projecti Projection of a vector a on other vector b is given by
on of a 
vector  ˆ   b  1 
a.b or a.  or  a.b
b b
( )
 
Section The position vector of a point R dividing a line segment joining the points
formula  
P and Q whose position vectors are a and b respectively, in the ratio m : n
 
na+mb
(i) internally, is given by
m+n
 
mb-na
(ii) externally, is given by
m−n

Inequali Cauchy-Schwartz Inequality

ties
  
a.b ≤ a . b

Triangle Inequality:
 
Vector The vector product of two nonzero vectors a and b,
(or  
cross) denoted by a × b and defined as
 
product a × b=|a||b|sinθn ˆ
of two  
where, θ is the angle between a and b,0 ≤ θ ≤ π
vectors  
and ˆ n is a unit vector perpendicular to both a and b
 
such that a,b and ˆ n form a right handed system.
Properti  
(i) a × b is a vector
es of     
(ii) If a and b are non zero vectors then a × b =0 iff a
cross 
product and b are collinear.
of π    
(iii) If θ = , then a × b = a . b
vectors 2
(iv) vector product distribute over addition
 
If a,b andc are three vectors and λ is a scalar, then
      
( )
(i) a × (b+c)= a × b + ( a × c )
     
(ii) λ(a × b)=(λa) × b=a × (λb)

 
(v) If we have two vectors a and b given in
component form as
 
ˆ and b=b ˆi+b ˆj+b k
a=a1ˆi+a2ˆj+a3k ˆ
1 2 3

ˆi ˆj ˆ
k
 
then a × b= a1 a2 a3
b1 b2 b3
Three-DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRY

Direction Definition The direction cosines of the line joining

Cosines P( x1 ,y1 ,z1 ) and Q( x2 ,y2 ,z2 ) are
x2 -x1 y2 -y1 z2 − z1
, ,
PQ PQ PQ
where PQ= (x2 -x1 )2 +(y2 -y1 )2 +(z2 -z1 )2
Skew Lines Definition Skew lines are lines in space which are neither
parallel nor intersecting. They lie in different
planes.
Angle Angle between skew lines is the angle between
between two intersecting lines drawn from any point
skew lines (preferably through the origin) parallel to each of
the skew lines.

Angle The angle θ between two vectors

between






OA = a1i + b1 j + c1k and OB = a2i + b2 j + c2 k is given by
two lines
a1a2 +b1b2 +c1c2
cos θ =
a +b12 +c12 a22 +b22 +c22
1
2

Equation of Vector Vector equation of a line that passes through

a line Equation 
the given point whose position vector is a and

parallel to a given vector b is
  
r=a+λb
Cartesian Direction ratios of the line L are a, b, c.
Equation Then, cartesian form of equation of the line L is :
x-x1 y-y1 z-z1
= =
a b c
Equation of 1) Vector Equation
line The vector equation of a line which passes through
passing  
two points whose position vectors are a and b is
through    
two given r=a+λ(b-a)
points

2) Cartesian Equation
 Cartesian equation of a line that passes through two
points (x1 , y1 , z1 ) and (x2 , y2 , z2 ) is
x-x1 y-y1 z-z1
= =
x2 -x1 y2 -y1 z2 -z1

Condition Two lines with direction ratios a1, a2, a3 and b1,
for b2, b3 respectively are perpendicular if:
perpendicu a1b1  +
a2b
∀2 c1c 2 0
larity

Condition Two lines with direction ratios a1, a2, a3 and b1,
for parallel a b c
lines b2, b3 respectively are parallel if 1 = 1 = 1
a2 b2 c2

Shortest Distance 1) Vector form:

Distance between
between two skew Shortest


 distance


 between two


 skew lines L and



two lines in lines: m, r = a1 + λb1 and r = a2 + µb2 is
space








b1×b2.(a2 - a1 )
d=




b1×b2

2) Cartesian form
The equations of the lines in Cartesian form
x-x1 y-y1 z-z1 x-x2 y-y2 z-z2
= = and = =
a1 b1 c1 a2 b2 c2
Then the shortest distance between them is
x2 -x1 y2 -y1 z2 -z1
a1 b1 c1
a2 b2 c2
d=
(b1c2 -b2c1 )2 +(c1a2 -c2a1 )2 +(a1b2 -a2b1 )2

Distance Distance between parallel lines

between 






  

  b×(a2 -a1 )
parallel r = a1 + λb and r = a2 + µb is d= 
lines b

Equation of In the vector form, equation of a plane which is at

plane a distance d from the origin, and n̂ is the unit
vector normal to the plane through the origin is
 
ˆ=d
r.n
Equation of Equation of a plane which is at a distance of d
plane from the origin and the direction cosines of the
normal to the plane as l, m, n is
lx + my + nz = d.

Equation of Equation of a plane perpendicular to a given line

plane with direction ratios A, B, C and passing through a
given point (x1, y1, z1) is
A (x – x1) + B (y – y1) + C (z – z1 ) = 0

Equation of Equation of a plane passing through three non

plane collinear points (x1, y1, z1), (x2, y2, z2) and (x3, y3,
z3) is
x-x1 y-y1 z-z1
x2 − x1 y2 − y1 z2 − z1 =0
x3 − x1 y3 − y1 z3 − z1

Equation of Intercept Equation of a plane that makes intercepts a, b

plane form of and c with x, y and z-axes respectively is
equation of x y z
+ + =1
plane. a b c

Equation of Equation of Any plane passing

 thru the


 intersection of two
plane a plane planes r . n1 =d1 and r . n2 =d2 is given by,
passing 




through ( )
r. n1 + λn2 = d1 + λd2
the
intersectio
n of two
given
planes.

Coplanarity 1) Vector form: 



 





of two The given lines r = a1 + λb1 and r = a2 + µb2
lines
are coplanar if and only









( )( )
a2 − a1 . b1 × b2 = 0

2) Cartesian Form
Let (x1 ,y1 ,z1 ) and (x2 ,y2 ,z2 ) be the coordinates of
the points M and N respectively.
Let a1, b1, c1 and a2, b2, c2 be the direction ratios



of b1 and respectively. The given lines are
coplanar if and only if
x2 -x1 y2 -y1 z2 -z1
a1 b1 c1 =0
a2 b2 c2




Angle Vector If n1 and n2 are normals to the planes
between form






r.n1 =d1and r.n2 = d2 and θ is the angle between
two planes
the normals drawn from some common point.





n1.n2
cos θ=




n1 n2

Cartesian Let θ is the angle between two planes

form A1x+B1y+C1z+D1=0, A2x+B2y+C2z+D2=0
The direction ratios of the normal to the planes
are 11222.
cos θ =


 
OP = r = x 2 + y 2 + z 2
Angle Let the angle between the line and the normal to
between a the plane = θ
line and a

 
b.n
plane cosθ=  
b n

Distance of Distance of point P with position vector a from a
a point





 a.N-d

from a plane r.N =d is
 where N is the normal to
plane N
the plane