Vectors

In physical Quantity which has both magnitude and direction is called Vector

E.g. Displacement, Velocity, Acceleration, force etc.

In Mathematics, a vector is represented by directed line segment with arrow mark

showing the direction and the length of the line segment, the magnitude

Symbolically a vector is denoted by one or two letters with an arrow on, top, such
⃗ or ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
as 𝒂 𝑨𝑩

Magnitude of a vector: Magnitude of a vector is the length of the vector and is

denoted by the

Symbol |𝒂 ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ |
⃗ | 𝑜𝑟 |𝑨𝑩

E.g. IF 𝑎 = 𝑥𝑖 + 𝑦𝑗 + 𝑧𝑘 then magnitude of 𝑎

|𝑎| = √𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2

Types of vectors

Null Vector: If the magnitude of the vector is zero, it is called null vector

E.g.: |𝒂
⃗|=0

Unit Vector: If the magnitude of the vector is one, then the vector is called Unit
⃗
𝒂
vector. It is denoted by 𝑎̂ Unit vector = |𝒂
⃗|

Position vector of a point: If A is any point in a plane and O is a fixed point in the
same plane

⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ is called Position Vector of A

Then 𝑶𝑨

NOTE
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ = 𝑶𝑩
𝑨𝑩 ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ − 𝑶𝑨
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ and ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ = ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑩𝑪 𝑶𝑪 −𝑶𝑩 ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
Dot Product or Scalar product Cross Product or Vector Product

If 𝑎 = 𝑎1 𝑖 + 𝑎2 𝑗 + 𝑎3 𝑘 If 𝑎 = 𝑎1 𝑖 + 𝑎2 𝑗 + 𝑎3 𝑘

𝑏⃗ = 𝑏1 𝑖 + 𝑏2 𝑗 + 𝑏3 𝑘 then 𝑏⃗ = 𝑏1 𝑖 + 𝑏2 𝑗 + 𝑏3 then

𝑖 𝑗 𝑘
𝑎 ∙ 𝑏⃗ = 𝑎1 𝑏1 + 𝑎2 𝑏2 + 𝑎3 𝑏3 𝑎 × 𝑏⃗ = |𝑎1 𝑎2 𝑎3 |
𝑏1 𝑏2 𝑏3

Dot Product Cross Product

𝑎 ∙ 𝑏⃗ = 𝒂𝟏 𝒃𝟏 + 𝒂𝟐 𝒃𝟐 + 𝒂𝟑 𝒃𝟑 𝒊 𝒋 𝒌
𝑎 × 𝑏⃗ = |𝒂𝟏 𝒂𝟐 𝒂𝟑 |
𝒃𝟏 𝒃𝟐 𝒃𝟑

Orthogonal Vectors (Perpendicular Unit vector Perpendicular

Vectors)
⃗
𝑎⃗×𝑏
⃗ 𝒂𝒏𝒅 ⃗𝒃
to both 𝒂 =
⃗ ∙ ⃗𝒃 = 𝟎
𝒂 ⃗ |
| 𝑎⃗×𝑏

𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑉𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑉𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠

⃗⃗⃗ ∙ 𝑏⃗
𝑎 | 𝑎 × 𝑏⃗ |
𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽 = 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝜽 =
|𝑎 ||𝑏⃗| |𝑎 ||𝑏⃗|

⃗
⃗⃗⃗ ∙𝑏
𝑎
⃗ =
⃗ on 𝒃
Projection of 𝒂
⃗|
|𝑏 ⃗ |
Area of Parallelogram = | 𝑎 × 𝑏

⃗ 𝟏
⃗
⃗⃗⃗ ∙𝑏
𝑎 Area of Triangle = | 𝑎 × 𝑏⃗ |
⃗ =
Projection of 𝒃 on 𝒂 𝟐
|𝑎⃗ |

Work done = 𝐹 ∙ 𝑑 Moment of force = 𝑟 × 𝐹

where 𝑑 = ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐴𝐵 where 𝑟 = ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐴𝐵
 Multiple Choice Questions

1 If A and B are the points (2, 3, 4) and (-3, 2, 1) respectively the magnitude of ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐴𝐵

a) √33 b)√35 c) √15 d) √29

2. If 𝑎 = (−1, 1, 1) , 𝑏⃗ = (2, −1, −1) then |2𝑎 − 3𝑏⃗| =

a) 14 b) −14 c) 114 d) 124

3. The unit vector of 𝑎 = 2𝑖 − 3𝑗 + 4𝑘 𝑖𝑠
2𝑖−3𝑗+4𝑘 2𝑖−3𝑗+4𝑘 2𝑖−3𝑗+4𝑘 2𝑖−3𝑗−4𝑘
a) b) c) d)
√29 √11 √3 √29

4. If 𝑎 = (3, 1, −2) , 𝑏⃗ = (−2, −1, 3) then 𝑎 ∙ 𝑏⃗ =

a)12 b)−12 c) 13 d) -13

5. If 𝑎 = 𝑖 + 3𝑗 − 2𝑘 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏⃗ = 2𝑖 − 𝑗 + 3𝑘 then 𝑎 ∙ 𝑏⃗

a)−5 b) 11 c) 7 d) −7

⃗ = 3i − 2j − 5k and c = i + 4k then the Scalar Product of

6. If ⃗a = 2i − 3j + 5k, b

⃗⃗⃗ and ⃗a − c is
⃗a + b

a)−9 b) 9 c) 20 d) −20

7. If given vectors 2𝑖 + 3𝑗 + 𝜆𝑘, 𝑏⃗ = 3𝑖 + 6𝑗 + 6𝑘 are orthogonal the value of 𝜆 =

a) 4 b)−4 c) 6 d) 8

8. Cosine of the angle between the vectors 𝑎 = (2, −1, −1) , 𝑏⃗ = (1, −3, 2) is
5 3 7 1
a) b) c) d)
√84 √84 √84 √84

9. If 𝑎 = (2, −1, 4) , 𝑏⃗ = (2, −3, 4) then projection of 𝑎 on 𝑏⃗

23 23 −23 −23
a) b) c) d)
√21 √29 √29 √21

10. If 𝑎 = (3, 1, 3) , 𝑏⃗ = (1, −2, 1) then projection of 𝑏⃗ on 𝑎

4 −4 −2 4
a) b) c) d)
√19 √29 √19 √6
11. Work done by force 2𝑖 − 3𝑗 + 5𝑘 in moving a particle from(−3,1,2) to (1, −1, 1) is
a) 3 b) 9 c) 6 d) 15
12. Work done by the force 2𝑖 − 𝑗 + 6𝑘 when it displaces the particle from (5, 3, −2)
to (7, −4, 8) is
a) 72 b) 48 c) −71 d) 71

13. If 𝑎 = 3𝑖 − 2𝑗 + 𝑘 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏⃗ = 𝑖 + 3𝑗 + 5𝑘 then 𝑎 × 𝑏⃗ =

a)(−13, −14,11) b) (−13, 14,11) c) (−13, 10,14) d) (13, −10, −14)

14. If 𝑎 = (2, −1, −1) 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏⃗ = (−2, 0, 1) then |𝑎 × 𝑏⃗| =

a) √5 b) √17 c) √19 d) √21

15. Unit vector Perpendicular to the plane containing vectors (2, 1, 1) 𝑎𝑛𝑑 (1, 1, 0) is
−𝑖−𝑗−𝑘 −𝑖+𝑗−𝑘 −𝑖+𝑗+𝑘 𝑖+𝑗+𝑘
a) b) c) d)
√3 √3 √3 √3

16. The area of parallelogram formed by the vectors 2𝑖 − 𝑗 + 𝑘 and −3𝑖 + 4𝑗 − 𝑘 as adjacent
sides, is

a) √30 b) √35 c) √40 d) √20

17. The area of parallelogram whose adjacent side are 𝑚𝑖 − 𝑗 − 𝑘 and 2𝑖 + 𝑗 − 𝑘 is 6 .units.
The value of m =

a) √10 b) √12 c) √13 d) √14

18. The area of triangle whose adjacent side are 𝑎 = 3𝑖 + 4𝑗 + 𝑘 and 𝑏⃗ = 5𝑖 + 6𝑗 + 2𝑘 is

1 3 9
a) 3 sq. units b) 2 sq. units c) sq. units d) 2 sq. units
2

19. The Moment of a force 𝐹 = (3, 1, −1) acting at a point (1, −1, 1) about (2, 1, 1) is

a)(2, 1, 7) b) (−2, −1, 5) c) (−2, 1, −5) d) (2, 1, 5)

20. The magnitude of moment of a force 𝐹 = 2𝑖 + 𝑗 + 𝑘 acting at A = (1, −2, −1) about a

point

P =(2, 3, −1) is

a) √99 b) √107 c) √89 d) √109

21. The sine of the angle between the vectors 𝑎 = (5, −4, −2) , 𝑏⃗ = (−3, 2, 1) is

5 5 5 5
a) √44 b) √606 c) √616 d) √506

22. The sine of the angle between the vectors 𝑎 = 𝑖 + 𝑗 + 𝑘 , 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑏⃗ = 2𝑖 − 3𝑗 − 4𝑘 is

62 87 −5 10
a) √87 b) √62 c) d) √63
√87

23. If A, B and C are three consecutive vertices of a parallelogram with Position vector
3𝑖 − 2𝑗 + 𝑘, 2𝑖 + 𝑗 − 𝑘 and 𝑖 − 𝑗 + 𝑘, then area of the a parallelogram is

a) 3√5 sq. units b) 5√3 sq. units c) 2√5sq. units d) 5√2 sq. units