Lecture 2

1.7 The dot product (or scalar product ) of vectors

Definition

The dot product of two vectors a and b is

denoted by a . b and is defined as

a . b  a b Cos where  is the angle

between a and b.
Note:
a and b are orthogonal if and only if a . b = 0
where a and b are non zero vectors.

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Let V = a1i  b1 j  c1k and

W = a2 i  b2 j  c2 k

V . W = a1 a 2 + b1 b2 + c1 c2

Where i. j= j . k = k . i = 0 and

i. i= j . j = k . k = 1

1.8 Properties of dot product

Let a , b and
c be vectors

(i)
a . b =b . a ( Commutative law)

(ii) a . ( b + c ) = a. b  a .c
( Distributive law )

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Exercise 3
(i) Find the unit vectors along

F = 2,1,  3 and = 3,2,1 . Hence or otherwise

G

deduce the angle between two vectors F and G .

(ii) The points A (2,1,-3), B (3,-2,1) and C (-1,3,2)
form the vertices of a triangle. D is the mid point of
BC. Determine the angle between DA and DC.
F
Unit Vector along is
1
2,1,  3  F 
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Similarly,
Unit Vector along G
is
1
3,2,1  G 
14

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 1
F  . G  = Cos  Cos   (1)
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  85.9 o

C <-1,3,2>
(ii)
D
B
A
<2, 1,-3> <3,-2,1>

Let O be the origin of the coordinate system.

1 1 3
OD   2,1,3    1, , 
2 2 2
DA= OA - OD
1 3 1 9
  2,1,3    1, ,   1, , 
2 2 2 2
DC = OC - OD

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 1 3 5 1
  1,3,2    1, ,    2, , 
2 2 2 2
5 9
DA.DC =  2    3
4 4
DA.DC = DA DC Cos

 1 81  25 1 
 3   (1    (4   ) Cos
 4 4  4 4 
Cos   0.2
  Cos  0.2  Cos(   )  0.2
     78.46      78.46  101.54
0 0 0

1.9 Vector ( or cross ) product

Definition

For two vectors a and b the vector product

denoted by a  b is defined by

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 a  b = a b Sin n

Where  ( 0     ) is the angle between the

vectors a and b and

n is the unit vector

normal to both a and

b such that a , b , n form
a right- handed set.

The direction of n is given by the Right- Hand

Rule stated below.

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The Right-Hand Rule
Hold your right hand so that the fingers curl from
a to b (refer to the figure 1.5).Then the thumb

points to the direction of

n.

If F = a , b, c and G = d , e, f the cross

product is also defined as
i j k
a b c
F G =
d e f

i b c a c a b
= j k
e f d f d e

= (bf  ce) i + (cd  af ) j + (ae  bd ) k

Where i , j,k are unit vectors along X,Y and Z

axes respectively.

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1.10 Properties of cross product

(i) ( a  b ) = - (b  a )

(ii) a  (b + c ) = ( a  b ) + ( a  c)

(iii) i i = j  j = k  k =0

ij = k , j k = i , k  i = j

(iv) If ( a  b ) = 0 and a and b are not null vectors

then a and b are parallel.

1.11 The moment of Force

If the force F passes through the point P and

OP = r then the moment of the force about O

denoted by M is defined by M = r F

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M is a vector in the direction of the normal n
,where n is the unit vector perpendicular to both r
and F satisfying the right hand rule.

Exercise 4
(i) If ABCD be parallelogram. Show that the area
of the parallelogram is equal to

AB × AD

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(ii) A tetrahedron has one vertex at the origin and
the other vertices at the points A= (1,2,3) ,B= (1,-
1,0) , C= (2,3,1) . Find
a. The normal to the plane ABC
b. The equation of the plane
c. Area of the face ABC
d. The distance of O from the face ABC
e. The volume of the tetrahedron OABC.
(iii) Find the area of the triangle having vertices at
P= (3, 2, 2), Q= (1, -1, 2), R = (2, 1, 1)
(iv) A force F of 6 units acts through the point
P=(2,3,1) in the direction of the vector <4,1,2>. Find
the moment of the force about the point Q=(1,2,1).
(i)
D C

h

A B

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 Area = AB h  AB AD Sin

= AB  AD

(i) O
O  0,0,0 

A
C
Q .P
B
B  1,1,0 

a. BC  BA is normal to the plane.

BC = OC - OB =  1,4,1 

BA = OA - OB =  0,3,3 
i j k
BC  BA = 1 4 1
0 3 3

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 4 1 1 1 1 4
= i - j +k
3 3 0 3 0 3
= 9i  3 j + 3k

b. Let P ( x, y, z ) be any point on ABC

plane.
AP is perpendicular to BC  BA

AP .  9,3,3  = 0
AP =  x  1, y  2, z  3 
  x  1, y  2, z  3  .  9,3,3  = 0
9( x  1)  3( y  2)  3( z  3)  0
3x  y  z  4  0

c.
1
Area of ABC = BC BA Sin
2

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 = 1 BC × BA
2

1
=  9,3,3 
2
 81 9 9  99 3 11

=     =
 4 4 4 4 2
= 4.97 square units
d.
The distance of O from the face ABC
= QO
QO is parallel to BC  BA
The unit vector along QO ,
1
n̂   9,3,3 
99
1
OQ = OA .- n̂ =  1,2,3  .  9,3,3 
99

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 1 4
= 9  6  9 =
99 11
e.
Volume of the tetrahedron =
1
area of the base height
3
1 3 11 4
Volume =   2
3 2 11

(iv) unit vector in the direction of the vector <4,1,2>

1
F̂ =  4,1,2 
21
6
=  4,1,2 
21
QP = <1,1,0>

Moment of the force about Q = QP F

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 6
{ 1,1,0    4,1,2 }
= 21

i j k
6
= 1 1 0
21
4 1 2
6
= 2i  2 j  3k 
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1.12 Triple products

1. Scalar triple product

a .( b  c ) is defined as the scalar triple product of
the vectors a , b , c and it is denoted by [ a , b , c ].
If a = a1 i  a 2 j  a 3 k , b = b1 i  b2 j  b3 k
and
c= c1 i  c2 j  c3 k

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 a1 a2 a3
b1 b2 b3
a .( b  c ) =
c1 c2 c3

Note
1. a .( b  c ) = ( a  b ) . c

2. a .( b  c ) = b .( c  a ) = c .( a  b)

3. a .( b  c ) = volume of the parallelepiped with a,

b , c as adjacent edges.

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 Volume = area of the base × height

= b  c ×h = b  c × a Cos

= a  b c Cos

= a .( b  c )
Definition
Vectors parallel to the same plane, or lie on the
same plane are called coplanar vectors
Result:
The three vectors are coplanar if their scalar
triple product is zero.

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4. If a .( b  c ) = 0 then the vectors a, b, c are
coplanar.

5. Volume of the tetrahedran with a , b, c as

1
[a b
adjacent edges is 6 .(  c )]

Volume of a tetrahedron =
1
area of the base height
3
P

S
R

1 1 1
Volume =   b  c  a Cos =  ( b  c ). a
3 2 6

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 1
= [a b
6 .(  c )]

2. Vector triple product

a  ( b  c ) is a vector triple product of the vectors

a, b, c .

Note
1. a  ( b  c ) = ( a . c ) b - ( a . b ) c
2.(( a  b )  c ) = ( a . c ) b - ( b . c ) a

Example
1. Find a constant q such that A= (2, 1, -3), B =
(3,-2,1), C = (-1,3,2), D = (-3, -3, q) are
coplanar.

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 2. Given the three vectors a = <3, 1, 1> ,
b = <2, -1, 1> , c = < 0, 1, 2> obtain a vector

which is coplanar with a and b .

3. The following vectors are given.
a b
= < 2, 3, -1 > , = < 1, 2, 1 > ,
c
= < 0, 1, 3 >

a) Show the three vectors are coplanar.

a
b) Express in terms of
b and c

1.
B < 3, -2, 1 >
A < 2, 1, -3 >

C <-1,3, 2 >

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 D < -3, -3, q >

IF A, B, C and D are coplanar

BA , BD and BC are coplanar.

1 3 4
162
 6 1 q 1  0  q 
BA . ( BD  BC ) = 7
4 5 1

a = <3, 1, 1> , b = <2, -1, 1>

2.
i j k
a ×b = 3 1 1  2,1,5 
2 1 1

( a b )  c is perpendicular to a ×b

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 i j k
2  1  5  3,4,2 
( a b )  c =
0 1 2

( a b )  c is coplanar with a and b .

< 3, -4, 2 > is coplanar with a and b .

3.
(b) Assume that
a = b +  c
 2,3,1    1,2,1     0,1,3 
We can obtain the following equations
 2
2    3
  3  1
Solving the above equations we have

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 2
  1
 a = 2b - c

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