VECTOR ALGEBRA 215


Solution (A) is the correct answer. The smallest value of ka will exist at numerically
 
smallest value of k, i.e., at k = 0, which gives ka = k a = 0 × 3 = 0


The numerically greatest value of k is 2 at which ka = 6 .

10.3 EXERCISE
Short Answer (S.A.)
 
1. Find the unit vector in the direction of sum of vectors a = 2iˆ − ˆj + kˆ and b = 2 ˆj + kˆ .
 
2. If a = iˆ + ˆj + 2kˆ and b = 2iˆ + ˆj − 2kˆ , find the unit vector in the direction of
  
(i) 6 b (ii) 2a − b

3. Find a unit vector in the direction of PQ , where P and Q have co-ordinates
(5, 0, 8) and (3, 3, 2), respectively.
 
4. If a and b are the position vectors of A and B, respectively, find the position
vector of a point C in BA produced such that BC = 1.5 BA.

5. Using vectors, find the value of k such that the points (k, – 10, 3), (1, –1, 3) and
(3, 5, 3) are collinear.
 
6. A vector r is inclined at equal angles to the three axes. If the magnitude of r is

2 3 units, find r .

7. A vector r has magnitude 14 and direction ratios 2, 3, – 6. Find the direction
 
cosines and components of r , given that r makes an acute angle with x-axis.

8. Find a vector of magnitude 6, which is perpendicular to both the vectors 2iˆ − ˆj + 2kˆ
and 4iˆ – ˆj + 3kˆ .

9. Find the angle between the vectors 2iˆ − ˆj + kˆ and 3iˆ + 4 ˆj − kˆ .

        
10. If a + b + c = 0 , show that a × b = b × c = c × a . Interpret the result geometrically?

11. Find the sine of the angle between the vectors a = 3iˆ + ˆj + 2kˆ and

b = 2iˆ − 2 ˆj + 4kˆ .
 216 MATHEMATICS

12. If A, B, C, D are the points with position vectors iˆ + ˆj − kˆ , 2iˆ − ˆj + 3kˆ ,

 
2iˆ − 3kˆ, 3iˆ − 2 ˆj + kˆ , respectively, find the projection of AB along CD .
13. Using vectors, find the area of the triangle ABC with vertices A(1, 2, 3),
B(2, – 1, 4) and C(4, 5, – 1).
14. Using vectors, prove that the parallelogram on the same base and between the
same parallels are equal in area.

Long Answer (L.A.)

b2 + c2 – a 2
15. Prove that in any triangle ABC, cos A = , where a, b, c are the
2bc
magnitudes of the sides opposite to the vertices A, B, C, respectively.
  
16. If a , b , c determine the vertices of a triangle, show that
1      
b × c + c × a + a × b  gives the vector area of the triangle. Hence deduce the
2 
  
condition that the three points a , b , c are collinear. Also find the unit vector normal
to the plane of the triangle.

17. Show that area of the parallelogram whose diagonals are given by a and b is
 
a ×b
. Also find the area of the parallelogram whose diagonals are 2iˆ − ˆj + kˆ
2
and iˆ + 3 ˆj − kˆ .
     
18. If a = iˆ + ˆj + kˆ and b = ˆj − kˆ , find a vector c such that a × c = b and a . c = 3 .

Objective Type Questions

Choose the correct answer from the given four options in each of the Exercises from
19 to 33 (M.C.Q)

19. The vector in the direction of the vector iˆ − 2 ˆj + 2kˆ that has magnitude 9 is

iˆ − 2 ˆj + 2kˆ
(A) iˆ − 2 ˆj + 2kˆ (B)
3

(C) 3(iˆ − 2 ˆj + 2kˆ) (D) 9(iˆ − 2 ˆj + 2kˆ)

 VECTOR ALGEBRA 217

   
20. The position vector of the point which divides the join of points 2a − 3b and a + b
in the ratio 3 : 1 is
     
3a − 2b 7 a − 8b 3a 5a
(A) (B) (C) (D)
2 4 4 4
21. The vector having initial and terminal points as (2, 5, 0) and (–3, 7, 4), respectively
is

(A) −iˆ + 12 ˆj + 4kˆ (B) 5iˆ + 2 ˆj − 4kˆ

(C) −5iˆ + 2 ˆj + 4kˆ (D) iˆ + ˆj + kˆ

 
22. The angle between two vectors a and b with magnitudes 3 and 4, respectively,,
 
and a . b = 2 3 is

π π π 5π
(A) (B) (C) (D)
6 3 2 2
 
23. Find the value of λ such that the vectors a = 2iˆ + λˆj + kˆ and b = iˆ + 2 ˆj + 3kˆ are
orthogonal

3 5
(A) 0 (B) 1 (C) (D) –
2 2

24. The value of λ for which the vectors 3iˆ − 6 ˆj + kˆ and 2iˆ − 4 ˆj + λkˆ are parallel is

2 3 5 2
(A) (B) (C) (D)
3 2 2 5
25. The vectors from origin to the points A and B are
 
a = 2iˆ − 3 ˆj + 2kˆ and b = 2iˆ + 3 ˆj + kˆ ,respectively, then the area of triangle OAB is

1
(A) 340 (B) 25 (C) 229 (D) 229
2
 218 MATHEMATICS

  
26. For any vector a , the value of (a × iˆ) 2 + (a × ˆj ) 2 + (a × kˆ) 2 is equal to

   
(A) a2 (B) 3a 2 (C) 4 a2 (D) 2 a2

     
27. If a = 10, b = 2 and a . b = 12 , then value of a × b is

(A) 5 (B) 10 (C) 14 (D) 16

28. The vectors λiˆ + ˆj + 2kˆ , iˆ + λˆj − kˆ and 2iˆ − ˆj + λkˆ are coplanar if

(A) λ = –2 (B) λ = 0 (C) λ = 1 (D) λ=–1

          
29. If a , b , c are unit vectors such that a + b + c = 0 , then the value of a.b + b.c + c.a is

3
(A) 1 (B) 3 (C) – (D) None of these
2

30. Projection vector of a on b is

     
a .b
  
 a .b 
 a.b  b 
a.b
  2  bˆ
(A)  b2 (B) (C)  (D)
 
b a  a 

         
31. If a , b , c are three vectors such that a + b + c = 0 and a = 2 , b = 3 , c = 5 ,
   
then value of a .b + b.c + c.a is
(A) 0 (B) 1 (C) – 19 (D) 38
 
32. If a = 4 and −3 ≤ λ ≤ 2 , then the range of λa is

(A) [0, 8] (B) [– 12, 8] (C) [0, 12] (D) [8, 12]

33. The number of vectors of unit length perpendicular to the vectors a = 2iˆ + ˆj + 2kˆ

and b = ˆj + kˆ is
(A) one (B) two (C) three (D) infinite
Fill in the blanks in each of the Exercises from 34 to 40.

34. The vector a + b bisects the angle between the non-collinear vectors a and

b if ________
 VECTOR ALGEBRA 219

     
35. If r . a = 0, r . b = 0, and r . c = 0 for some non-zero vector r , then the value of
  
a .(b × c ) is ________
 
36. The vectors a = 3i − 2 j + 2kˆ and b = – i − 2k are the adjacent sides of a
parallelogram. The acute angle between its diagonals is ________.

   1
37. The values of k for which ka < a and ka + a is parallel to a holds true
2
are _______.
 2  
38. The value of the expression a × b + (a . b ) 2 is _______.

 2  2  
39. If a × b + a . b = 144 and a = 4 , then b is equal to _______.

  
( ) ( ) 
40. If a is any non-zero vector, then (a .iˆ) iˆ + a . ˆj ˆj + a . kˆ kˆ equals _______.

State True or False in each of the following Exercises.

   
41. If a = b , then necessarily it implies a = ± b .

42. Position vector of a point P is a vector whose initial point is origin.

    
43. If a + b = a − b , then the vectors a and b are orthogonal.

      
44. The formula (a + b ) 2 = a 2 + b 2 + 2a × b is valid for non-zero vectors a and b .
 
45. If a and b are adjacent sides of a rhombus, then a . b = 0.