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VECTOR ALGEBRA
SECTION - A (1 mark)
1. For what values of , the vectors (2 - 3 ) and ( - 6) are parallel ?
2. Find the position vector of the centroid of a ABC where a , b and c are the position vectors of the
vertices A, B and C respectively.
3. Find position vectors of the points which divides the join of the points 2a - 3b and 3a - 2b externally
in the ratio 2:3.
4. Find the projection of the vector +3 +7k on the vector 7 + 8k.
5. Find the area of the parallelogram whose diagonals are 2 - 3 + 4k and -3 + 4 k.
6. Find the cosine of an acute angle between the vectors 2 - 3 + k and + -2 k.
7. If | a + b | = | a - b | then find the angle between a and b .
8. If | a | = 5, | b | = 13 and | a x b | = 25. Find a . b .
9. Find the position vector of the mid point of the vector joining the points P(2,3,4) and Q(4,1,-2).
10. Find the value of x for which x( + + k ) is a unit vector.
11. If the position vector a of the point (5,n) is such that | a | = 13, find the value of n.
12. If the vector a = 2 - 3 and b = -6 + m are collinear , find the value of m.
13. If a vector makes angles , , with x-axis, y-axis, z-axis respectively, then what is the value of
sin2 + sin2 + sin2 .
14. If | a + b |2 = | a |2 + | b | 2 , what is the angle between a and b ?
15. If a is a unit vector and ( x - a ).( x + a ) = 8 , then find | x |.

SECTION - B(4 Marks)

16. If a unit vector a makes angles with , with and an acute angle with k , then find
3
4
and hence the components of a .
17. Let a , b and c be the three vectors such that | a | = 3, | b | = 4, | c | = 5and each one of them being
perpendicular to the sum of the other two, find |a + b+ c |.

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18. If with reference to right handed system of mutually perpendicular unit vectors , and k, = 3 ,
= 2 + -3 k, then express in the form of = 1 + 2 where 1 is parallel to and 2 is perpendicular
to .
19. Let a = + 4 +2k , b = 3 - 2 + 7k and c = 2 + 4k . Find a vector d which is perpendicular to
both a and b and c . d = 15.
20. If a , b and c are the position vectors of the vertices A,B and C of a ABC. Show that the area of the
ABC is 1 |a x b + b x c + c x a |. Also find the condition of the collinearity of these points.
2
21. If a , b , and c represents the vectors BC, CA and AB of a ABC, then show that
a x b= b x c= c x a
Hence deduce sine formula for a triangle.
22. If a , b and c are vectors such that a . b = a . c , a x b = a x c and |a | = 0 then prove that b = c .
23. Three vertices of a triangle are A(0,-1,-2) , B(3,1,4) and C(5,7,1). Show that it is a right angled
triangle. Also find the other two angles.
24. If a x b = c x d
and b = c.

and

a x c = b x d , show that

a - d is parallel to b - c where a = d

25. If a , b , and c are three mutually perpendicular vectors of equal magnitude, prove that a + b +c is
equally inclined with vectors a , b and c.
26. Show that the angle between two diagonals of a cube is cos-1 1 .
3
27. If a , b and c are three non zero vectors such that a x b = c and b x c = a
are mutually at right angles and | b | = 1 and | c | = | a |.

prove that a , b , c

28. If a , b and c be unit vectors such that a . b = a . c = 0 and the angle between b and c is
, prove that a = 2( b x c ).
6
29. If the sum of two unit vectors is a unit vector, show that magnitude of their difference is 3

30. If a and b are unit vectors and is the angle between them, then show that sin = 1 | a - b |.
2
2

ANSWERS
VECTOR ALGEBRA
1) = 4.

2) 1 ( a + b + c )
3

3) -5b

4) 60 units

5) 3 30

6) cos-1 3

sq. units

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114

7) 90

221

8)60

9) 3 + 2 + k

10) 1
3

11) n = 12

12) m = 9

13) 2

14) 90

15) 3

16) ; 1 , 1 , 1
3 2 2 2

17) 52

18) 1 = 3 1 and
2 2

2 = 1 + 3 3k
2
2

20) b x c + c x a + a x b = 0

19) 1(160 - 5 +70 k )

3
23) 45 , 45