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1. This document provides equations and problems involving vector algebra and geometry in 3D space. It covers topics like writing the equations of lines, properties of the vector triple product, determining if points are collinear or coplanar, and finding volumes of tetrahedrons. 2. One question involves showing that for vectors a, b, and matrix M, the vector triple product a x b equals Mb and M3 equals -|a|M. Another asks how to determine if four points are coplanar using their position vectors. 3. The document contains problems involving using vectors, matrices, and determinants to analyze properties of lines and planes in 3D space, as well as finding volumes of

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Philip Patterson
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12 views

Sheet 2

1. This document provides equations and problems involving vector algebra and geometry in 3D space. It covers topics like writing the equations of lines, properties of the vector triple product, determining if points are collinear or coplanar, and finding volumes of tetrahedrons. 2. One question involves showing that for vectors a, b, and matrix M, the vector triple product a x b equals Mb and M3 equals -|a|M. Another asks how to determine if four points are coplanar using their position vectors. 3. The document contains problems involving using vectors, matrices, and determinants to analyze properties of lines and planes in 3D space, as well as finding volumes of

Uploaded by

Philip Patterson
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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GEOMETRY – SHEET 2 – Vector Product. Vector Algebra.

1. Write the equations of each of the following lines in the form r ∧ a = b.


(i) The line through the points (1, 1, 1) and (1, 2, 3).
(ii) The line with equation (x − 1)/2 = y/3 = z + 1.
(iii) The intersection of the planes x + y + z = 1 and x − y − z = 2.

2. Let      
a1 b1 0 −a3 a2
a =  a2  , b =  b2  , M =  a3 0 −a1  .
a3 b3 −a2 a1 0
2
Show that a ∧ b = M b and use the vector triple product to show that M 3 = − |a| M.

3. (i) Let A, B, C be three points in space with position vectors a, b, c from an origin O. Show that A,B and C are
collinear if and only if
a ∧ b + b ∧ c + c ∧ a = 0.
(ii) Show that the equation of the plane containing three non-collinear points with position vectors a, b, c is

r · (a ∧ b + b ∧ c + c ∧ a) = [a, b, c].

Deduce that four points A, B, C, D with respective position vectors a, b, c, d are coplanar if and only if

[a, b, c] − [b, c, d] + [c, d, a] − [d, a, b] = 0.

4. (i) Let A be a 3 × 3 matrix and u, v, w be three column vectors in R3 . Use the determinant product rule to show
that
[Au, Av, Aw] = det A × [u, v, w] .
(ii) Let T be the tetrahedron with vertices (0, 0, 0), (0, 0, 1), (0, 1, 0) and (1, 0, 0). Let 0 < c < 1. Show that the
triangular intersection of T with the plane z = c has area (1 − c)2 /2. Hence find the volume of T .
(iii) Deduce that the volume of the tetrahedron with vertices 0, u, v, w is given by |[u, v, w]| /6.

2 2 2 2
5. (i) Let a and b be independent vectors in R3 . Show that |a| |b| − (a · b) = |a ∧ b| 6= 0.

(ii) Using the fact that a, b and a ∧ b form a basis of R3 , or otherwise, show that the planes

r · a = α, r · b = β,

intersect in a line parallel to a ∧ b.

(iii) Under what conditions do the equations in (ii) and the equation r · c = γ (where c 6= 0) have a unique common
solution?

6. (Optional ) Two non-parallel lines l1 and l2 in three-dimensional space have respective equations r ∧ a1 = b1 and
r ∧ a2 = b2 .

For i = 1, 2 let Πi denote the plane of the form r · (a1 ∧ a2 ) = ki which contains li . Show that k1 = b1 · a2 and find
k2 . Hence show that the least distance between the lines equals

|a1 · b2 + a2 · b1 |
.
|a1 ∧ a2 |

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