VECTORS

3.2 – 3.3Determine the Unit Vectors in the Direction of given Vectors.

Task 1 : For each of the following vectors in terms of i and j , find the magnitude and the unit
% %
vector in the direction of the given vector.
uuu
r uuuu
r uuu
r
(1) OP = 3i + 4 j (2) OW = 12 i + 5 j (3) AB = 9 i - 12 j
% % % % % %
uuur uuuu
r uuur
magnitude of OP magnitude of OW magnitude of AB

uuur uuuu
r uuur
OP = OW = AB =

Unit vector in the direction Unit vector in the direction Unit vector in the direction
uuur uuuur uuur
of OP of OW of AB
uu
�ur uu�
uu
r uu
�ur
OP = OW = AB =

5;
3
i+4 j 13 ;
12
i+ 5 j 15 ;
3
5 i - 54 j
uuur
5
%5% 13
% 13 % % %
(4) PQ = 15i - 8 j (5) a = -4 i + 3 j (6) b = -7 i + 24 j
% % % % % % % %
uuur magnitude of a magnitude of b
magnitude of PQ % %
uuur a = b =
PQ = % %

Unit vector in the direction Unit vector in the direction Unit vector in the direction
uuur
of PQ of a of b
% %
uuur
�
PQ = â =
% b̂ =
%

5; -5i+5 j
4 3
17 ;
15
i - 178 j % % 25 ; - 25 i + j
17 7 24
% % % 25
%
Vectors 10
  x
Task 2 : For each of the following vectors in the form   , find the magnitude and the unit
 y
vector in the direction of the given vector.
uuur  8  uuu
r  15  uuur  - 6 
(1) PQ =   (2) ST =   (3) ) CD =  
 6  - 8  8
uuur uuu
r uuur
magnitude of PQ magnitude of ST magnitude of CD

uuur uuu
r uuur
PQ = ST = CD =

Unit vector in the direction Unit vector in the direction Unit vector in the direction
uuur uuu
r uuur
of PQ of ST of CD
uu
�ur uu
u
�r uu
�ur
PQ = ST = CD =

�17
15
� �- 53 �
��
4
5 17 ; � 8 � 10 ; �4 �
10 ; ��
3 �- 17 � �5 �
��
5

uuur  - 9   - 12   - 24 
(4) VW =   (5) u =   (6) v =  
 - 40  %  - 9  %  7 
uuur
magnitude of VW magnitude of u magnitude of v
% %
uuur u = v =
VW = % %

Unit vector in the direction

uuur Unit vector in the direction Unit vector in the direction
of VW of u of v
uu�ur % %
VW = û = v̂ =
% %

�- 45 � �- 24
25 �
�- 419 � 15 ; � 3 � 25 ; � 7 �
41 ; � 40 � �- 5 � �25 �
�- 41 �

Vectors 11