UNIT 5 VECTOR ALGEBRA

DR. N. SOOKIA UNIT 5

5.2.1 PROJECTIONS
a

p F igure 5.2

Scalar projection of a onto b is:

a.b p = a cos = a a .b
DR. N. SOOKIA

a.b = b
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UNIT 5

5.2.1 PROJECTIONS
Vector projection of a in the direction of b :

of a onto b

a.b p = b b.b
Example 1
onto i +k Find the scalar and vector projections of a = -
b = 2 i + 2 j-k

DR. N. SOOKIA

UNIT 5

5.2.2 DIRECTION COSINES

Z a Y X

cos =

a . i a1 = a a

cos =

a . j a2 = a a

cos =

a . k a3 = a a

The vector u = (cos , cos , cos ) is a unit vector.

cos 2 + cos 2 + cos 2 = 1 a = a (cos , cos , cos )

DR. N. SOOKIA

UNIT 5

5.3 VECTOR PRODUCT

$ a b = a b sin n
a^ b

5.3 VECTOR PRODUCT

a (b + c ) = a b + a c
( a + b ) c = ( a c ) + (b c )

(a) ( b) = (a b)
area of a parallelogram with sides a and b is area of the triangle with sides a and b is
1 2

a c = b c a = b + c
where is a scalar parameter.
DR. N. SOOKIA UNIT 5 6

b a = (a b)
DR. N. SOOKIA UNIT 5 5

a b

a b

5.3 VECTOR PRODUCT

v i k

$ $ k $ =0 i$ i=$ j$ j=k
$ $, $ $=$ $ $ i$ j=k jk i, k i=$ j
v j

Example 2 Evaluate
) ( ) ( i+k i+ j+ k

Compute the angle between the two vectors in Example 2, using the vector product. Answer: 35.3 degrees
DR. N. SOOKIA UNIT 5 8

= i k j, k j = i, j i = k

Answer:
DR. N. SOOKIA

i 1 1

j 0 1

k 1 1
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UNIT 5

5.4 ANGLE BETWEEN 2 VECTORS

sin = ab ab

5.5.1 TRIPLE PRODUCT TYPE 1

(a . b) c
The first type is merely the product of a scalar (a.b) and a vector c. The product is therefore a vector along c with the magnitude abc cos , where is the angle between a and b.

DR. N. SOOKIA

UNIT 5

5.5.2 SCALAR TRIPLE PRODUCT-TYPE 2

i j a.(b c) = (a1i + a2 j + a3k ) . b1 b2 c1 c2 a k 1 b3 = b1 c3 c1 a2 b2 c2 a3 b3 c3

1. a . (b x c) = b . (c x a) = c . (a x b) 2. a . (c x b) = b . (a x c) = c . (b x a) 3. a . (b x c) = (a x b) . c = b . (c x a) = (b x c) . a 4. c . (a x b) = (c x a) . b = - a . (c x b) , etc.
DR. N. SOOKIA UNIT 5 10

GEOMETRIC APPLICATION OF CROSS PRODUCT

b

Parallelepiped formed by a, b and c Area = a b

Volume = a . (b c )

The condition for a, b, c to be coplanar is a.bxc=0

DR. N. SOOKIA UNIT 5 11

5.3.2 VECTOR TRIPLE PRODUCT-TYPE 3

(a x b) x c = (a . c) b - (b . c) a a x (b x c) = (a . c) b - (a . b) c NOTES 1. Brackets are important here. 2. (a x b) x c is neither numerically equal to, nor parallel to a x (b x c).
DR. N. SOOKIA UNIT 5 12

5.6 RESOLVING A VECTOR INTO 2 COMPONENT VECTORS

b= ( a.b ) a a (b a ) + a2 a2

Lagrange's identity (a x b) . (c x d) = (a . c) (b . d) - (a . d) (b . c)
DR. N. SOOKIA UNIT 5 13

5.7 SOLUTION OF VECTOR EQUATIONS

Activity 8
)] = 6 j+ k i + 2 jk Solve the vector equation 3x + [x (

Activity 9 Y is an unknown vector which satisfies the equations a x Y = b , a . Y = c, where a and b are known vectors, and c is a known scalar. Prove that 2

Y = (b x a + ca) / a
DR. N. SOOKIA

UNIT 5

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5.8 DIFFERENTIATION OF VECTORS

d da db (a.b) = .b + a. dt dt dt d da db (a b) = b+a dt dt dt d da db dc (a.b c) = .b c + a. c + a.b dt dt dt dt d da db dc [a (b c)] = (b c) + a ( c) + a (b ) dt dt dt dt

Velocity & Acceleration dr &= v (t ) = r dt

DR. N. SOOKIA

a (t ) =

dv d 2r = && r= 2 dt dt
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UNIT 5