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Session
Vectors -3
Session Objectives
Geometrical Interpretation
Class Exercise
Scalar Triple Product
r r r
Let a, b, c be three vectors. Then, the scalar
r r r r r r
product of a, b, c is denoted by a b c and is
defined as follows :
r r r r r r r r r r r r
a b c = a . b c = b . c a = c . a b
Geometrical Interpretation
C
L F
c
b
B
O
a
A
D
r r r r r r
a b c = a b .c
r
= Area of the parallelogram OADB . c
r
= Area of the parallelogram OADB c cos
r
= Area of the parallelogram OADB c cos Q 1
Cont.
r r r
= Volume of the parallelopiped with coterminous edges a, b, c
Properties of Scalar Triple Product
i j k = i j . k = k . k =1
r r r
2. If a, b, c are cyclically permuted, then
r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r
a b .c = b c .a = c a .b or a b c =
b c a = c a b
a1 a2 a3
r r r
a b c = b1 b2 b3
c1 c2 c3
Example 1
r r r r r r
If a = i - 2j+3k, b = 2i - 3j+k and c = 3i + j- 2k, then find a b c .
1 -2 3
r r r
Solution: a b c = 2 -3 1
3 1 -2
=1 6 -1 +2 -4 - 3 +3 2+ 9
= 5 -14+33 = 24
Example -2
r r r
Solution: We have a = 2i - 3j+ 4k, b = i +2j-k and c = 2i - j+2k.
r r r
The volume of the parallelopiped = a b c
2 -3 4
= 1 2 -1
2 -1 2
= 2 4 -1 +3 2+2 + 4 -1- 4
r r r
Solution: Let a = i - 2j+3k, b = -2i +3j- 4k and c = i - 3j+5k.
r r r r r r
If a, b, c are coplanar, then a b c = 0.
1 2 3
r r r
a b c 2 3 4
1 3 5
= 3 12 + 9 = 0
Example -4
Find the value of such that the following vectors are coplanar :
r r r
a = 2 i - j+k, b = i +2j- 3k, c = i + j+5k.
r r r r r r
Solution : a, b, c are coplanar a b c = 0.
2 -1 1
1 2 -3 = 0
5
2 10+3 +1 5+3 +1 - 2 = 0
20+ 6 +5+3 - = 0
25
=-
8
Example 5
uuur
4k - 6i - 7j =10 i - 22j-
AB = 16i - 29j- 4k
uuur
6k - 6i - 7j = -6 i +10j-
AC = 3j- 6k
uuur
AD = 2 i +5j+10k
- 6 i - 7j = -4i +12j+10k
Solution Cont.
10 -22 -4
uuur uuur uuur
AB AC AD = -6 10 -6
-4 12 10
=1720 -1848+128 = 0
Example 6
r r r r r r r r r
Prove that a+b b + c c + a = 2 a b c .
r r r r r r
Solution: LHS = a+b b + c c + a
r r r r r r
= a+b . b + c c + a
r r r r r r r r r r
= a+b . bc +ba+ cc + ca
r r r r r r r r
= a+b . bc +ba+ ca
Solution Cont.
r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r
= a. b c + a. b a + a. c a +b. b c +b. b a +b. c a
r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r
= a b c + a b a + a c a + b b c + b b a +
b c a
r r r r r r
= a b c + 0+ 0+ 0+ 0+ a b c
r r r
= 2 a b c = RHS
Vector Triple Product
r r r
Let a, b, c be three vectors, then the vectors
r r r r r r
a b c and a b c are called the vector
r r r
triple product of a, b, c.
r r r r r r r r r
a b c = a . c b - a . b c
r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r
and a b c = - c a b = - c . b a- c . a b = c . a b - c . b a
Example 7
r r r r r r r r r r
Prove that a b c +b c a + c a b = 0.
r r r r r r r r r
Solution:LHS = a b c +b c a + c a b
r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r
= a . c b - a . b c + b . a c - b . c a + c . b a- c . a b
r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r r
= a . c b - a . b c + a . b c - b . c a+ b . c a- a . c b
u
r
= 0 = RHS
Example 8
r r r
r
r
For any vector a, prove that i a i + j a j +k a k = 2a.
r r
r
Solution: LHS = i a i + j a j +k a k
r r r r r r
= i . i a- i . a i + j . j a- j . a j+ k . k a- k . a k
r
r
r
r
r
r
= a- i . a i + a- j . a j+ a- k . a k
r
r r r
= 3a- i . a i + j . a j+ k . a k
r r r r r r r
If a = a1i + a2 j+ a3k, then (i.a)i +(j.a)j+(k.a)k = a
= 3a- a
r
= 2a = RHS
Example 9
r r r r r r r r r 2
Prove that ab bc ca =
a b c .
r r r r r r
Solution: LHS = ab bc ca
r r r r r r
= ab b c . c a
r r r r r r r r
= d b c . c a , where d = a b
r r r r r r r r
= d . c b d . b c . ca
r r r r r r r r r r
=
a b .c b a b .b c . c a
Solution Cont.
r r r r r r r r r r
= a b c b - a b b c . c a
r r r r r r r
= a b c b - 0 c . c a
r r r r r r
= a b c b . c a
r r r r r r
= a b c b. c a
r r r r r r
= a b c b c a
r r r 2
= a b c = RHS
Example 10
r r r
If a = i +2j+3k, b = 2i - j+ k and c = i + j- 2 k
r r r r r r
show that ab c a bc .
Solution :
r r r r r r rr r rr r rr r rr r
LHS = a b c c a b
c.b a c.a b c.a b c.b a
= i + j- 2 k . i +2j+3k
2i - j+ k
- i + j- 2 k . 2 i - j+ k i +2j+3k
= 1+2 - 6 2 i - j+ k - 2 -1- 2 i +2j+3k
Solution Cont.
3 k + i +2j+3k
= -6i +3j-
= -5i +5j
r r r rr r rr r
RHS = a bc = a.c b - a.b c
. i + j- 2 k
= i +2j+3k
2i - j+ k
. 2i - j+ k
- i +2j+3k
i + j- 2 k
Solution Cont.
= 1+2 - 6 2i - j+ k - 2 - 2+3 i + j- 2 k
3 k - 3i +3j-
= -6i +3j- 6 k
= -9 i +3 k LHS
Thank you