Vector Analysis (1st Sem, 2013-2014) 7/7/2013

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Fernando Victor V. de Vera, ECE, M.Tech
fvictor.devera@gmail.com
fvictordevera@yahoo.com
University of the East - Manila Campus
College of Engineering
Electronics Engineering Department
VECTOR EQUATION OF
STRAIGHT LINES
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Lines, Line Segments and Vectors
LINE
A collection of points at which when any two points are
selected and connected extending to infinity, all other
points are on it.
LINE SEGMENT
Portion of a line that has a fixed length.
VECTORS
Are represented as a ray (a line segment with an arrow
head). The length of the segment is the magnitude of the
vector and the arrow head is the direction.
NOTE: There are infinite vectors that lies within a line.
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Vector Equations of a Straight Line
The equation can be determined with the
following cases:
1) A line parallel to a certain vector, passing
through a certain point.
2) A line passing through two points.

Vector Analysis (1st Sem, 2013-2014) 7/7/2013
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The Straight Line Passing Through a
Given Point and Parallel to a Given
Vector
Consider point A(Ax,Ay,Az) along
the line, so that the position vector
from origin (O) to A is:
r
A
= A
x
o
x
+ Ayoy +Azoz

Let B as the given vector to which
the line is in parallel to.
B = B
x
o
x
+Byoy + Bzoz

Then from the figure:
0A + AP = 0P
r
A
+RAP = r
P
But R
AP
= tB, for some value t.
Therefore, the equation of all the
points (P) that describes the line is:
r
P
= r
A
+tB
P
A
rA
r
B
O
The line
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Example No.
Find the equation of a line passing through
the point (3,1,-2) and is parallel to the vector
4ox 6oy +Soz.
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Practice Exercises
Find the equation of the line passing through
(-1,3,9) and is parallel to:
a) The x-axis
b) The y-axis
c) The z-axis
d) The vector 8ox + 7oy Soz

Vector Analysis (1st Sem, 2013-2014) 7/7/2013
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Direction Ratio
For the equation of the line r = A +tB, the
components of B form a set of DIRECTION RATIOS for
the straight line.
NOTE:
1. The vector equation of a straight line passing through the
origin and parallel to a given vector B will be of the form
r = to.
2. By equating o
x
, o
y
and o
z
components on both sides, the
vector equation of the straight line passing through A
and parallel to B leads to parametric equations:
x = A
x
+ B
x

t
y = Ay + B
y

t
z = A
z
+ B
z

t

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Parametric and Standard Form
of the Equation of a Line
PARAMETRIC FORM
x = Ax + B
x

t
y = Ay + B
y

t
z = A
z
+ B
z

t
STANDARD CARTESIAN FORM
Solving for the parameter t and equating:
x A
x
B
x
=
y A

=
z A
z
B
z



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Example No.
For each of the parametric equations,
a) write the standard cartesian equation and
b) find the direction ratio.
1. x = S 2t, y = 4 +7t, z = 1 t
2. x = S, y = St, z = 9 + 2t
Vector Analysis (1st Sem, 2013-2014) 7/7/2013
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Example No.
For the following standard forms of the
equations of line, write the parametric
equations:
a) (x 2)8 = (Sy + 1)4 = (2z + 1)S
b) Sx = 4y 1 = 2z + 1
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Practice Exercises
A line passes trough (1,2,-3) and parallel to
the direction
2 2
5
o
x

3 2
10
o
x
+
2
2
o
x
. Find:
a) The parametric equation of the line
b) The standard equation of the line
c) The direction ratio
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The Straight Line Passing Through
Two Given Points
Given two points A(A
x
, Ay, Az) and B(B
x
, By, Bz)
If the line passes through A and B, then it is parallel to R
AB
.

R
AB
= (B
x
Ax)ox +(By Ay)oy + (B
z
Az)o
z




Then:

r = r
A
+tRAB

or


r = r
B
+tRAB

A
B
P
O
rA
rB
r
The line
Vector Analysis (1st Sem, 2013-2014) 7/7/2013
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The Straight Line Passing Through
Two Given Points
Parametric Equations:
x = Ax + B
x
Ax t
y = Ay + B
y
Ay t
z = Az + B
z
Az t

Standard Cartesian Form:
x Ax
B
x
Ax
=
y Ay
B
y
Ay
=
z Az
B
z
Az



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Example No.
Find the equation of a line passing through
(3,-2,9) and (-1,0,5).
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Practice Exercises
Find the equation of the line passing through
the given points:
a) A(4,6,-1) and B(3,0,5)
b) A(1,1,0) and B(-2,-4,8)
c) A(2/3, -5/7, 0) and B(-8/5, 11/3, 8)
d) A(2,0,0) and B(2,0,4)
Vector Analysis (1st Sem, 2013-2014) 7/7/2013
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Perpendicular Distance of a Point
from a Straight Line
Let the line passes through point A and is parallel to vector r
B
.
Then d is the perpendicular distance from point C to the line.
A
O
C
r
B
d
The line
r
A
r
C
B
Then from the right triangle ABC:

R
AC
2
= R
AB
2
+ J
2


But R
AC
= r
C
r
A
, and:

R
AC
2
= RA
C
R
AC


Also R
AB
is the scalar projection of
R
AC
along the line.
R
AB
= R
AC
oB = RA
C

r
B
r
B

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Perpendicular Distance of a Point
from a Straight Line
Substituting all values:

J
2
= R
AC
2
R
AB
2

J
2
= R
AC
R
AC
R
AC

r
B
r
B
2

Where:
RAC = displacement vector from A to C
rB = a vector in which the line is parallel to
A = a point where the line passes through
C = the point at which the perpendicular distance to the line is
evaluated
d = perpendicular distance from point C to the line
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Example No.
A line (L) passes through (1,3,-2) and is parallel
to the vector (4ax 5ay). Find the distance of
the point (5,0,1) to L.
Vector Analysis (1st Sem, 2013-2014) 7/7/2013
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Practice Exercises
a) A line is defined by the following parametric
equations: x=2-3t; y=-1+2t; z=9+t. Find the
distance from the point (4,2,1) to the line.
b) A line is defined by the standard Cartesian
form as (2x-1)=(y-4)/2; z=1. Find the distance
from the point (0,3,-5) to the line.
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Shortest Distance Between Two
Parallel Straight Lines
Line 1 passes through point A1
and line 2 passes through A2 and
both lines are parallel to vector B.
Then the vector equations of the
lines are:
r
1
= rA
1
+tB
r
2
= rA
2
+tB
Since the distance between
parallel lines is also the distance
from one point on one line to the
other line,
J
2
= R
12
R
12
R
12

r
B
r
B
2


A1
A2
B
Line 1
Line 2
d
r
A1
r
A2
R
12
F
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Example No.
Find the distance between the lines which are
both parallel to (4ax-5ay+2az), where L1
passes though (2,-5,1) and L2 passes through
(-6, 3, -2)
Vector Analysis (1st Sem, 2013-2014) 7/7/2013
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Practice Exercise
Find the distance between the given set of
parallel lines:
a) L1 passes through (1,2,-4) and L2 passes
through (0,9,7). Both lines are parallel with
the vector (8ax-3az)
b) L1 is given as (x-1)/3=(y+4)/2=(2z-1) and L2
which passes through the point (3,-9,1)
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Shortest Distance Between
Two Skew Straight Lines
SKEW LINES
Two lines that are not parallel to each other and
does not intersect each other.
A line both perpendicular to the lines exist, and its
length is the shortest distance between two skew
straight lines.

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Shortest Distance Between
Two Skew Straight Lines
Consider two lines, each passes to respective points
(A), parallel to respective vectors (B) with respective
parameters (t):
r
1
= r
A1
+t
1
B
1

r
2
= r
A2
+ t
2
B
2

Let H
1
and H
2
be the endpoints of the line that is
perpendicular to both lines. Rearranging the equations:
r
M1
= r
A1
+t
1
B
1

r
M2
= r
A2
+ t
2
B
2

Then the vector from H
1
to H
2
is:
R
M12
= r
M2
r
M1
= r
A2
r
A1
+ (t
2
B
2
t
1
B
1
)
Vector Analysis (1st Sem, 2013-2014) 7/7/2013
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Shortest Distance Between
Two Skew Straight Lines
The unit vector perpendicular to both lines (skew lines)
is (using cross product):
_
B
1
B
2
B
1
B
2

Therefore:
r
A2
r
A1
+ t
2
B
2
t
1
B
1
= _J
B
1
B
2
B
1
B
2

Taking the dot product of both sides of the equations
by B
1
B
2
:
r
A2
r
A1
B
1
B
2
= _J
B
1
B
2
2
B
1
B
2



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Shortest Distance Between
Two Skew Straight Lines
Simplifying will give:

J =
r
A2
r
A1
B
1
B
2
B
1
B
2


Where:
The skew lines are:
r
1
= r
A1
+t
1
B
1

r
2
= r
A2
+t
2
B
2


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Example No.
Determine the perpedicular distance between
the following skew lines: L1 passes through
(2,5,4) and parallel to the vector (3ax-ay+6az)
and L2 passes through (-2,-3,1) and parallel to
the vector (-4ax+9ay-az).
Vector Analysis (1st Sem, 2013-2014) 7/7/2013
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Practice Exercises
Find the distance between the following skew
lines:
a) L1 passes through (1,-2,3) and parallel to
vector (7ax-2az) and L2 passes through (0,4,-
4) and parallel with the z-axis.
b) L1 is given by the equation (2x+1)=(y-
3)/2=(3z+4)/5 and L2 is given by the equation
(x+2)/3=(2y-3)/4; z=1.