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or
a .Itsmagnitude(ormodulus)is AB
or
a otherwise,simply ABor a .
Vectorsaredenotedbysymbolssuchas
a or a ora.
[Pictorial representation of vector]
02. Initial and Terminal points: The initial and terminal points mean that point from which the vector
originatesandterminatesrespectively.
03. Position Vector:Thepositionvectorofapointsay P( , , ) x y z is OP
= = + +
r x y z i j k andthe magnitude
is
2 2 2
= + +
r x y z .Thevector OP
= = + +
r x y z i j k issaidtobeinitscomponent form.Here , , x y z are
called the scalar components or rectangular components of r
and
, , x y z i j k arethe vectorcomponents of
r
.Forexample,let
1 1 1
A( , ) x y ,z and
2 2 2
B( , ) x y , z .Then,
2 2 2 1 1 1
AB ( ) ( ) = + + + +
x i y j z k x i y j z k .
Here ,
i j and
k aretheunitvectorsalongtheaxesOX,OYandOZrespectively.(The
discussionaboutunitvectorsisgivenlaterinthepoint05(e).)
04. Direction ratios and direction cosines: If
, r x y z i j k + + =
thencoefficients of
, , i j k in r
i.e., , , x y z
are called the direction ratios (abbreviated as d.r.s) of vector r
, , i j k in r (whichistheunitvectorof r
)i.e.,
2 2 2
+ +
x
x y z
,
2 2 2
+ +
y
x y z
,
2 2 2
+ +
z
x y z
arecalleddirection cosines(whichisabbreviatedasd.c.s)ofvector r
.
These directioncosinesaredenotedbyl, m, nsuchthat cos , cos , cos o | = = = l m n and
2 2 2 2 2 2
1 cos cos cos 1 o | + + = + + = l m n .
Itcanbeeasilyconcludedthat cos , cos , o | = = = =
x y
l m
r r
cos = =
z
n
r
.
Therefore, cos cos
(cos ) | o + + + + = =
r mr nr lri j k r i j k .(Here =
r r .)
[Seethe OAP A inFig.1]
Angles , , o | aremadebythevector r
withthepositivedirectionsofx, y,z-axes
respectivelyandtheseanglesareknownasthedirection anglesofvector r
).
Forabetterunderstanding,youcanvisualizetheFig.1.
05. TYPES OF VECTORS
a) Zero or Null vector: Its that vector whose initial and terminal points are coincident. It is denoted
by 0
.Ofcourseitsmagnitudeis 0(zero).
Anynon-zerovectoriscalledaproper vector.
A Formulae Guide By OP Gupta (Indira Award Winner)
BASIC ALGEBRA OF VECTORS
Vector Algebra By OP Gupta (INDIRA AWARD Winner, Elect. & Comm. Engineering)
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b) Co-initial vectors: Those vectors (two or more) having the same initial point are called the co-
initialvectors.
c) Co-terminous vectors: Those vectors (two or more) having the same terminal point are called the
co-terminousvectors.
d) Negative of a vector:The vectorwhichhasthe same magnitudeasthe r
butopposite direction.It
isdenotedby r
.Henceif, AB BA = =
r r .Thatis AB BA, PQ QP = =
etc.
e) Unit vector: Itis avector withthe unit magnitude.The unitvectorinthe directionofvector r
is
givenby
r
r
r =
suchthat 1 r =
.So,if
r x y z i j k = + +
thenitsunitvectoris:
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
x y z
i j k
x y z x y z x y z
r + +
+ + + + + +
= .
Unitvectorperpendiculartotheplaneof
a and
b is:
a b
a b
.
f) Reciprocal of a vector: It is a vector which has the same direction as the vector r
but magnitude
equaltothereciprocalofthemagnitudeof r
.Itisdenotedas
1
r
.Hence
1
1
r
r
.
g) Equal vectors: Two vectors are said to be equal if they have the same magnitude as well as
direction,regardlessofthepositionsoftheirinitialpoints.
Thus
a b
=
a b
and havesamedirection
a b .
Also,if
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 1 2 2 3 3
, , = + + = + + = = =
a b a i a j a k bi b j b k a b a b a b .
h) Collinear or Parallel vector: Twovectors
a and
b arecollinearorparallelifthereexistsa non-
zeroscalar suchthat a b =
.
Itis importantto notethatthe respective coefficients of
, , i j k in
a and
b areproportional
providetheyareparallelorcollineartoeachother.
Consider
1 2 3 1 2 3
, = + + = + +
a a i a j a k b b i b j b k , then by using a b =
, we can conclude
that:
3 1 2
1 2 3
a a a
b b b
= = = .
Thed.r.sofparallelvectorsaresame(orareinproportion).
Thevectors
a and
b willhavesameoroppositedirectionas ispositiveornegative.
Thevectors
a and
b arecollinearif 0 =
a b .
i) Free vectors:The vectors whichcanundergoparalleldisplacement withoutchangingits magnitude
anddirectionarecalledfreevectors.
06. ADDITION OF VECTORS
a) Triangular law:Iftwoadjacentsides (say sidesABandBC)ofa triangleABC arerepresentedby
a and
a and
b i.e., AC AB BC = +
AC = +
a b .SeeFig.2.
Alsosince AC CA AB BC CA AA 0 = + + = =
.
And AB BC AC + =
AB BC AC 0 AB BC CA 0 + = + + =
.
b) Parallelogram law:Iftwovectors
a and
a and
b i.e., OC OA OB = +
. For the
illustration,seeFig.3.
and
1 2 3
b b i b j b k = + +
beanytwogivenvectors.
Then
( ) ( ) ( )
1 1 2 2 3 3
a b a b i a b j a b k b a + = + + + + + = +
.
Associative property:
( ) ( )
a b c a b c + + = + +
a a a a .
08. Section formula:The positionvectorofa pointsayPdividinga line segmentjoiningthe points A andB
whosepositionvectorsare a
and b
respectively,intheratiom:n
(a) internally,is OP
+
=
+
mb na
m n
(b)externally,is OP
=
mb na
m n
.
AlsoifpointPisthemid-pointoflinesegmentABthen, OP
2
+
=
a b
.
IMPORTANT TERMS, DEFINITIONS & RESULTS
01. PRODUCT OF TWO VECTORS
a) Scalar product or Dot product:Thedotproductoftwovectors a
and b
isdefinedby,
. cos a b a b u =
whereistheanglebetween a
and b
, 0 u t s s .SeeFig.4.
Consider
1 2 3 1 2 3
, a a i a j a k b bi b j b k = + + = + +
.Then
1 1 2 2 3 3
. a b a b a b a b = + +
.
Properties / Observations of Dot product
. cos 0 1 . 1 . . i i i i i i j j k k = = = = = .
. cos 0 . 0 . .
2
i j i j i j j k k i
t
= = = = = .
. R, e
a andthedirectionis
(i)sameasthatof
a if k ispositive,and (ii)oppositetothatof
a if k isnegative.
Vector Algebra By OP Gupta (INDIRA AWARD Winner, Elect. & Comm. Engineering)
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Angle between two vectors a
and b
canbefoundbytheexpressiongivenbelow:
.
cos
a b
a b
= or,
1
.
cos
a b
a b
( )
.
Projection of a vector a
ontheothervectorsay b
isgivenas
. a b
b
( )
i.e.,
. a b
.
ThisisalsoknownasScalar projectionorComponent of a
along b
.
Projection vectorof a
ontheothervectorsay b
isgivenas
.
.
a b
b
b
( )
.
ThisisalsoknownastheVector projection.
Work done WinmovinganobjectfrompointAtothepointBbyapplyingaforce F
is
givenas W F. AB =
.
b) Vector product or Cross product: The cross product of two vectors a
and b
is defined by,
sin a b a b uq =
,where u is the anglebetweenthe vectors a
and b
, 0 u t s s and q is aunit
vector perpendicular to both a
and b
.Forbetterillustration,seeFig.5.
Consider
1 2 3 1 2 3
, a a i a j a k b bi b j b k = + + = + +
.
Then,
( ) ( ) ( )
1 2 3 2 3 3 2 1 3 3 1 1 2 2 1
1 2 3
i j k
a b a a a a b a b i a b a b j a b a b k
b b b
= = +
.
Properties / Observations of Cross product
sin 0. 0 0 i i i i j i i j j k k = = = = =
.
sin .
2
i j i j k k
t
= =
, , i j k j k i k i j = = = .
Fig.6attheendofchaptercanbeconsideredformemorizingthevectorproductof
, , i j k .
a b
isavector c
(say)andthisvector c
and b
.
sin sin uq u = =
a b a b a b i.e., sinu =
a b ab .
0 a b =
// a b
or, 0, 0 = =
a b .
0 a a =
.
=
a b b a (Commutative property does not hold for cross product).
( ) ( )
; a b c a b a c b c a b a c a + = + + = +
and b
intermsofCross-productcanbefoundbythe
expressiongivenhere: sin
a b
a b
= or,
1
sin
a b
a b
( )
.
If a
and b
a b .
If a
and b
a b .
A Complete Formulae Guide Compiled By OP Gupta (M.+91-9650350480 | +91-9718240480)
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If p
and q
02. Relationship between Vector product and Scalar product [Lagranges Identity]
Considertwovectors a
and b
.Wealsoknowthat sin a b a b uq =
.
Now, sinuq =
a b a b
sinu =
a b a b
2 2
2
2
sin u =
a b a b
( )
2 2
2
2
2 2 2
2 2
2
1 cos
cos
u
u
=
=
a b a b
a b a b a b
( )
( )
2 2 2
2
2 2 2
2
cos
.
u =
=
a b a b a b
a b a b a b
or,
( )
2 2 2
2
. a b a b a b + =
.
Notethat
2 . .
. .
a a a b
a b
a b b b
=
.HeretheRHSrepresentsadeterminant of order 2.
03. Cauchy- Schwartz inequality:
Foranytwovectors a
and b
,wealwayshave . a b a b s
.
Proof:The giveninequality holds trivially wheneither 0 =
a or 0 =
b i.e.,insucha case . 0 a b a b = =
.
So,letuscheckitfor 0 = =
a b .
Asweknow, . cos a b a b u =
( )
2 2
2
2
. cos a b a b u =
Alsoweknow
2
cos 1 u s forallthevaluesofu .
2 2
2 2
2
cos a b a b u s
( )
2 2
2
. a b a b s
. a b a b s
. [H.P.]
04. Triangle inequality:
Foranytwovectors a
and b
,wealwayshave + s +
a b a b .
Proof: The given inequality holds trivially when either 0 =
a or 0 =
b i.e., in such a case
0 + = = +
a b a b .So,letuscheckitfor 0 = =
a b .
Thenconsider
2 2
2
2 . + = + +
a b a b a b
If
a and
d and
2
d a b ,
2
=
d b a .
Vector Algebra By OP Gupta (INDIRA AWARD Winner, Elect. & Comm. Engineering)
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2 2
2
2 cosu + = + +
a b a b a b
For cos 1 u s ,wehave: 2 cos 2 a b a b u s
2 2
2 2
2 cos 2 a b a b a b a b u + + s + +
( )
2 2
+ s +
a b a b
+ s +
a b a b . [H.P.]
IMPORTANT TERMS, DEFINITIONS & RESULTS
01. SCALAR TRIPLE PRODUCT:
If a
, b
and
c areanythreevectors,thenthescalarproductof
a b with
c iscalledscalartripleproduct
of a
, b
and
c .
Thus, ( ).
a b c iscalledthescalartripleproductof a
, b
and
c .
Notation for scalar triple product: The scalar triple product of a
, b
and
c is denoted
by [ ]
a b c .Thatis, ( ). [ ] =
a b c a b c .
Scalar triple product is also known as mixed product because in scalar triple product, both the signs
of dot and cross are used.
Consider
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
, , = + + = + + = + +
a a i a j a k b b i b j b k c c i c j c k .
Then,
1 2 3
1 2 3
1 2 3
[ ] =
a a a
a b c b b b
c c c
.
Properties / Observations of Scalar Triple Product
( ). .( ) =
a b c a b c . That is, the position of dot and cross can be interchanged without
change in the value of the scalar triple product (provided their cyclic order remains the
same).
[ ] [ ] [ ] = =
a b c b c a c a b . That is, the value of scalar triple product doesnt change
whencyclicorderofthevectorsismaintained.
Also [ ] [ ]; [ ] [ ] = =
a b c b a c b c a b a c .Thatis,thevalueofscalartriple
product remains the same in magnitude but changes the sign when cyclic order of the
vectorsisaltered.
Foranythreevectors a
, b
c andscalar ,wehave[ ] [ ] =
a b c a b c .
Thevalueofscalartripleproductiszeroifanytwoofthethreevectorsareidentical.That
is, [ ] 0 [ ] [ ] = = =
a a c a b b a b a etc.
Valueofscalartripleproductiszeroifanytwoofthethreevectorsareparallelor
collinear.
Scalartripleproductof
, i j and
k is1(unity)i.e.,
[ ] 1 = i j k .
If[ ] 0 =
a b c then,thenon-parallelandnon-zerovectors a
, b
and
c arecoplanar.
SCALAR TRIPLE PRODUCT OF VECTORS
A Complete Formulae Guide Compiled By OP Gupta (M.+91-9650350480 | +91-9718240480)
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Volume Of Parallelopiped
If a
, b
and
.
If for any three vectors a
, b
and
c , we have [ ] 0 =
a b c , then volume of
parallelepipedwiththeco-terminusedgesas a
, b
and
c ,iszero.Thisispossible
onlyifthevectors a
, b
and
c areco-planar.
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VARIOUS FIGURES RELATED TO THE VECTOR ALGEBRA