SUMMARY OF VECTORS WITH EXAMPLES Equation of a Line: Vector Form: r = + Cartesian Form: = = Equation of a Plane: Cartesian Form: x + 2y + 3z = 4 Scalar

r Product Form: r = 4 Parametric Form: r = + + 2 5 Ratio Theorem: For example c = a c b b Area of Parallelogram formed by a & b = | a b | Area of Triangle formed by a & b = | a b | a b Problems involving 2 vectors a To find the angle between 2 vectors a and b: a Find the angle between the 2 vectors and . b = cos1 = cos1 = 106.6 = cos1 To find the length of projection of a vector a on another vector b: a b =|a| To find the projection vector of a on another vector b a b =(a) Problems involving a point and a line To check whether a point P lies on a line r = a + b: Equate the x, y and z components of P and the equation of the line and solve for . To find the foot of the perpendicular N from a point P to a line r = a + b: P A N b

Length of projection of the vector on the vector = = =

Projection vector of on = =

Use the fact that PN is to b. To find the distance from a point P to a line r = a + b :

Does the point P (1, 2, 3) lie on the line r = + ? 1 = 1 + (1) 2 = 1 + 2 (2) 3 = 2 + 2 (3) Equation (1) = 2 Equation (2) = 1/2 Hence (1, 2, 3) does not lie on the line. Find the position vector of the foot of the perpendicular N from the point P = (1, 2, 3) to the line r = + . = + for some . === PN the line = 0 2 + 2 + 4 2 + 4 = 0 9 = 6 = =+=+= Note: Reflection P' of P in the line can be found using = Find the distance from the point P = (1, 2, 3) to the line r = + . === Distance = = = =

P A || Problems involving 2 lines Do the 2 lines r = + & r = + intersect? = 1 + (1) 3 + 2 = 1 + 2 (2) To check whether 2 lines intersect, or find the point of intersection: 3 + 3 = 2 + 2 (3) Solving (2) & (3) gives = 1, = 2 Substitute into (1): LHS = 1, RHS = 1 + 2 = 1 = LHS. Hence the 2 lines intersect. Equate the x, y and z components of the Point of intersection = (1, 3 + 2, 3 + 3) = (1, 5, 6). equations of the 2 lines and solve. Note: If 2 lines are not // and do not intersect, then they are skew. To find the acute angle between 2 lines, Find the acute angle between the 2 lines we use the dot product to find the angle between the 2 direction vectors. r = + and r = + . 1 = cos = cos1 = 11.5 1 = cos Problems involving a point and a plane To check whether a point P lies in a plane r n = d: Does the point P (1, 2, 3) lie in the plane r = 2? = 1 + 4 + 6 = 11 2. Hence (1, 2, 3) does not lie in the plane. Substitute the position vector of P into the equation of the plane. To find the foot of the perpendicular from Find the foot of the perpendicular N from the point a point P to a plane r n = d: P = (1, 2, 3) to the plane r = 2. Substitute = + into the equation r = 2: P =2 1 + + 4 + 4 + 6 + 4 = 2 n 9 = 9 = 1 N = (1 1, 2 2, 3 2) = (0, 0, 1) Note: Reflection P' of P in the plane can be found using Find the intersection of the line r = p + n = and the plane. To find the distance from a point P to a plane r n = d: P A Distance = | | n Find the distance from the point P = (1, 2, 3) to the plane r = 2. Pick any point on the plane eg A(2, 0, 0) since = 2 == Distance = = =3 b

where A is any point on the plane Problems involving a line and a plane To find the intersection of a line Find the intersection of the line r = a + b and a plane r n = d: r = + and the plane r = 2.

=2 6 + 4 + 6 + 6 = 2 Substitute the equation of the line into the 10 = 10 = 1 equation of the plane. Point of intersection = (0, 3 2, 3 3) = (0, 1, 0) To find the angle between a line r = a + b and a plane r n = d: Find the angle between the line r = + and the plane r = 2. = 90 cos1 = 90 cos1 = 78.5

= 90 cos1 To find the length of projection of a vector a on to a plane r n = d: Find the length of projection of the vector a = on to the plane r = 2. Length of projection of on = = 4 |a|== length of projection of a on the plane = = .

Problems involving 2 planes To find the distance between 2 planes r n = d1 and r n = d2: n Distance = To find the angle between 2 planes r n1 = d1 and r n2 = d2: n2 n1

Find the distance between the planes r = 2 & r = 4. Distance = = =2

Find the angle between 2 planes r = 4 & r = 2. = cos1 = cos1 = 11.5

= cos1 To find the line of intersection of 2 planes Find the line of intersection of the 2 planes r = 4 and r = 2. r n1 = d1 and r n2 = d2: 2y + 3z = 4 (1) x + 2y + 2z = 2 (2) Solving gives x = 2 + z, y = 2 3z/2 line of intersection is r = + , Solve the cartesian equations of the 2 Note: 2 planes are // they do not intersect. planes simultaneously. Problems involving 3 planes Two planes 1 : r = 4 and 2 : r = 0 intersect along the line l : r = + , . How is the plane 3 : r = 1 related to 1 and 2 ? Since = 2 2 = 0, the line l is parallel to 3 . Since = 2 6 = 4 1, l does not lie on 3 . Since none of the planes are parallel, they form a triangular prism.

They intersect at a line, They do not intersect, providing no solution. providing infinite 3 many solutions. They do not intersect, They intersect at a point, They do not intersect, providing no solution. providing no solution. providing a unique solution. In this example, they are three parallel