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EMT1016 Engineering Mathematics I Vector Algebra Tutorial

EMT1016 Engineering Mathematics I


Tutorial - Vector Algebra

1) Let a = 2$i + $j + 3k$ , b = $i + 4k$ and c = 3$i − $j + 2k$ . Find


(a) a unit vector parallel to the resultant of vector a and b
(b) a ⋅ b , b × c and a ⋅ ( b × c )
(c) the angle between the vectors a and b × c
(d) the projection of vector a onto the direction of b × c
(e) the volume of a parallelepiped having a, b, and c as edges
(f) the value of α so that αi + 2 j − 4k , a and c lie in a plane

[Ans: (a)
1
59
( ) (
3ˆi + ˆj + 7kˆ ; (b) 14, 4ˆi + 10ˆj − kˆ , 15;)
(c) 68.280; (d)
15 ˆ
117
( )
4i + 10ˆj − kˆ ; (e) 15; (f) –6]

2) Find v , u , v ⋅ u , u ⋅ v , v × u , u × v , v × u , the angle between u and v , and


the vector projection of u onto v , given that:
(a) v = $i + $j , u = 2$i + $j − 2k$ .
(b) v = $i + $j + 2k$ , u = −$i − k$ .

[Ans: (a) ( )( ) 3
( )
2 , 3, 3, 3, − 2ˆi + 2ˆj − kˆ , 2ˆi − 2ˆj + kˆ , 3, 450, ˆi + ˆj ;–3, –3,
2
(
(b) 6 , 2 , − ˆi − ˆj + kˆ , ˆi + ˆj − kˆ , 3 , 1500, − $i + $j + 2k$ ]
1
2
)
3) Find (i) the area of the parallelogram determined by vectors u and v , and (ii) the
volume of the parallelepiped determined by the vectors u , v and w , given that:
(a) u = $i + $j − k$ , v = 2$i + $j + k$ , w = −$i − 2$j + 3k$ .
(b) u = $i + $j , v = $j , w = $i + $j + k$ .
[Ans: (a) 14 , 1; (b) 1, 1]

4) Let u = 11, ,−2 and v = a,−1,2 . Find the value of a so that the vector u is
orthogonal to v.
[a = 5]

5) The displacement of a spacecraft, being acted upon by a constant force supplied


via a small rocket, is r = 100 $i + 50$j meter. If the force is F = 12.0$i + 70.0$j + 96.9k$
Newton, how much work is done by the rocket?
[Ans: 4.7 kiloJoules]

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EMT1016 Engineering Mathematics I Vector Algebra Tutorial

6) Two horses tow a boat with forces 2.5 × 105 N and 1.0 × 105 N respectively, and
these forces make angles of 30° and 15° with the long axis of the boat (see the
figure below). Assuming no friction, determine the net force on the boat in
standard basis form. Furthermore, calculate the work done by the horses in towing
the boat 100 meters in the direction of the .positive x-axis.
y

F1
30°

15°
x
F2

( )
[Ans: 3.13ˆi + 0.99ˆj × 10 5 N , 3.13 × 10 7 J]

7) Find the vector and parametric equations for the line that passes through the point
(1,2,3) and is parallel to the vector v = 3ˆi + 7kˆ .
 x = 1 + 3t

[Ans: x, y, z = 1, 2, 3 + t 3, 0, 7 ,  y = 2 ]
 z = 3 + 7t

8) Find the parametric equations for:


(a) the line through the point A(3,−3,−1) parallel to the line
( )
r = 3$i + 2µj + 3k$ + t $i + $j + 2k$ .
(b) the line through A(1,3,−1) and B(0,−1,1) .
(c) the line through P(1,1,1) perpendicular to the plane 3x + 7 y − 5 z = 15 .
(d) the line through A (0,2,3) perpendicular to the vectors u = $i + 2$j + 3k$ and
v = 5$i + 4$j + 3k$ .
x = 3 + t x = 1 − t  x = 1 + 3t  x = −6t
   
[Ans: (a)  y = −3 + t ; (b)  y = 3 − 4t ; (c)  y = 1 + 7t ; (d)  y = 2 + 12t ]
 z = −1 + 2t  z = −1 + 2t  z = 1 − 5t  z = 3 − 6t
   

9) (a) Find the linear equation of the plane containing the intersecting lines:
L1 : x = −2 + t , y = 2 − t , z = 1 − t , −∞ <t < ∞
L 2 : x = 1 + 3s, y = −1 + 2s, z = −2 − s , −∞ < s < ∞

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EMT1016 Engineering Mathematics I Vector Algebra Tutorial

(b) Find the point of intersection of L1 and L2. What is the angle between
these 2 lines?
[Ans: (a) 3x – 2y + 5z = – 5; (b) (1,−1,−2 ) , 72.02° ]

10) (a) Find the shortest distance from the point (2,1,1) to the plane
x + 2 y + 2 z = 11 .
(b) Find the angle between the two planes 3x + 4 y = 0 and 2 x + y − 2 z = 5 .
[Ans: (a) 5 / 3; (b) 48.2° ]

11) Find the linear equation for


(a) a plane containing P (1, 2, −1) , Q ( 2, −3, 0 ) and R (1,1, −4 ) .
(b) a plane passing through (1,3,−6 ) perpendicular to the line
x −1 y z + 5
= = .
4 5 6
(c) a plane containing (− 2,1,4 ) and (1,0,3) perpendicular to the plane
4 x − y + 3z = 2 .
4−z
(d) a plane containing the lines x = y = and 2 x = 2 − y = z .
4
[Ans: (a) 16x +3y –z = 23; (b) 4 x + 5 y + 6 z = −17 ;
(c) 4 x + 13 y − z = 1 ; (d) 3x + 3 y + 32 z = 6 ]

12) Find the parametric equations of a line that passes through the point A ( 2, −3,1)
and is orthogonal/perpendicular to the plane 3x − 7 y + 5 z + 134 = 0 . Where does
the line intersect the plane?
 x = 2 + 3t

[Ans:  y = −3 − 7t ; (–4, 11, –9)]
 z = 1 + 5t

Sample Past Exam Questions


13)[Nov '02, Q6]
a) Given vectors a = 2i − 3 j + k , b = i + 5 j − 2k and c = 3i − 4 j + 3k .
(i) Find the magnitude of the vector d = a − 2b + 3c .
(ii) Find the unit vector in the direction of d .
b) Find the equation of the line of intersection of the two planes x + y + z = 5 and
4 x + y + 2 z = 15 .
c) Find the angle between the two planes x + y + z = 1 and x − 2 y + 3 z = 1 .
d) Let u = 1, 1, − 2 and v = a, − 1, 2 . Find the value of a, so that the vector u is
orthogonal to v .

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EMT1016 Engineering Mathematics I Vector Algebra Tutorial

14)[Dec '02, Q6]


a) Given vectors u = i + 2 j + k and v = 2i − 12 j − k . Find a vector that is orthogonal
to both vectors u and v ;
b) Let a = (cosα )i + (sin α ) j and b = (cos β )i + (sin β ) j be position vectors making
angles α and β , respectively, with the positive x-axis. By taking the dot product
of vectors a and b , derive the trigonometric identity
cos(α − β ) = cosα cos β + sin α sin β .
c) Show that the planes 3x − 2 y + 4 z = 0 and − 6 x + 4 y − 8 z = 1 are parallel.

15)[Nov ’99, Q4]


a) (i) Let u = 1,2,3 , v = 2,4,7 and w = α ,2,0 be vectors in R 3 . Find a value for
~ ~ ~

the constant α , if possible, that will make the vectors u , v and w lie in a
~ ~ ~
plane.
(ii) Given two nonzero vectors u and v in R 3 , show that
~ ~
2 2 2 2
u× v + u . v = u v .
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hence, or otherwise, if u is orthogonal to v , prove that


~ ~

u× v = u v .
~ ~ ~ ~

b) Write the equation for the plane containing the lines


r1 = 0,0,4 + t 1,1,−4 and r2 = 0,2,0 + s 1 ,−1,1
2
~ ~
where − ∞ < s, t < ∞ .

16)[Sep ’99, Q4]


a) (i) Given two vectors u and v , show that
~ ~
2 2
u + v − u − v = 4 u .v .
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hence, or otherwise, if u = 5 i + 6 k and v = 7 j , find


~ ~ ~ ~ ~
4 4
u+ v − u− v .
~ ~ ~ ~

(ii) Let a, b and c be real numbers. Let u = b + c, c + a, b + a , v = a, b, c and


~ ~

w = 1,1,1 . Show that u , v and w lie in a plane.


~ ~ ~ ~

b) Find an equation of the line (in parametric form) that is parallel to the planes
x − 4 y + 2 z = 0 and 2 x + 3 y − z + 1 = 0 , and passes through the point P(5, 0, –2).

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EMT1016 Engineering Mathematics I Vector Algebra Tutorial

17)[Oct ’98, Q5]


a) Let a = i − 2 j − k , b = 2i + 4 j + k and c = αi − 2 j + 2k . Find a value of α such
that a, b and c lie in a plane.
b) Prove that if the planes a1 x + b1 y + c1 z = d1 and a2 x + b2 y + c2 z = d 2 are
perpendicular, then a1a 2 + b1b2 + c1c 2 = 0 .
c) Let a, b be vectors in R 3 . Prove that
(a.b) 2 ≤ a b .
2 2

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