Vectors (Revision set including past years entrance questions)

1. Let #”a be parallel to the line of inter- â + b̂

(a) û = ; M = (1 + â · b̂)1/2
section of planes P1 and P2 through â + b̂
origin. P1 is parallel to vectors 2ĵ +3k̂ â − b̂
& 4ĵ − 3k̂ and P2 is parallel to ĵ − k̂ (b) û = ; M = (1 + â · b̂)1/2
â − b̂
& 3î + 3ĵ, then angle between #” a and
â + b̂
2î + ĵ − 2k̂ is (c) û = ; M = (1 + 2â · b̂)1/2
â + b̂
π π π 3π
(a) 2
(b) 4
(c) 6
(d) 4
â − b̂
#” (d) û = ; M = (1 + 2â · b̂)1/2
2. Let #”
a = î + 2ĵ + k̂, b = î − ĵ + k̂ and â − b̂
#”
c = î − ĵ − k̂. A vector in plane of #” a
#” #” 1
5. A particle P starts from the point
& b whose projection on c is √3 is √
z0 = 1 + 2i , where i = −1. It
(a) 4î − ĵ + 4k̂ (b) 3î + ĵ − 3k̂ moves first horizontally away origin by
(c) 2î + ĵ − 2k̂ (d) 4î + ĵ − 4k̂ 5 units and then vertically away from
origin by 3 units to reach a point z1 .
√
3. The edges of a parallelopiped are of From z1 the particle moves 2 units
unit length ad are parallel to unit vec- in the direction of the vector î + ĵ
tors â, b̂ & ĉ such that â · b̂ = b̂ · ĉ = and then it moves through an angle π2
ĉ · â = 21 . Then volume of parallelop- in anticlockwise direction on a circle
iped is with centre at origin to reach a point
√ z2 . The point z2 is given by
(a) √1 (b) 1
√ (c) 3
(d) √1
2 2 2 2 3
(a) 6 + 7i (b) −7 + 6i
4. Let two non-collinear unit vectors â
(c) 7 + 6i (d) −6 + 7i
and b̂ form an acute angle. A point P
#” #”
moves so that at any time t the posi-
# ” 6. If #”
a , b , #”
c & d are unit vectors such
#” #”
tion vector OP (where O is the origin) that #” a × b · #”
  
c × d = 1 and
is given by â cos t + b̂ sin t. When P is #”
a · #”
c = 21 , then
farthest from origin O, let M be the #”
# ”
length of OP and û be the unit vector (a) #”
a , b , #”c are non-coplanar
# ” #” #”
along OP . Then (b) b , #”
c , d are non-coplanar
 #” #”
(c) b , d are non-parallel (a) ĵ − k̂ (b) −î + ĵ
#” #”
(d) #”
a ∥ d & b ∥ #”c (c) î − ĵ (d) −ĵ + k̂
#” #” √
7. Let P (3, 2, 6) be a point in space and a & b are such that #”
11. If #” a + b = 29
#”
Q be a point on the line #” r = (î − ĵ + & #”a ×(2î+3ĵ+4k̂) = (2î+3ĵ+4k̂)× b ,
#”
2k̂) + µ(−3î + ĵ + 5k̂). The the value then a possible value of ( #”
a + b )·(−7î+
# ” 2ĵ + 3k̂) is
of µ for which vector P Q is parallel to
the plane x − 4y + 3z = 1 is (a) 0 (b) 3 (c) 4 (d) 8
1 # ” # ”
(a) 4
(b) − 14 (c) 1
8
(d) − 18 12. If P R = 3î + ĵ − 2k̂ and SQ = î − 3ĵ −
4k̂ determine the diagonals of a paral-
8. Two adjacent sides of a parallelogram # ”
lelogram P QRS and P T = î + 2ĵ + 3k̂
# ”
are given by AB = 2î + 10ĵ + 11k̂ and be another vector. Then the volume
# ”
AD = −î + 2ĵ + 2k̂. The side AD of parallelepiped determined by vec-
is rotated by an acute angle α in the # ” # ” # ”
tors P T , P Q & P S is
plane of the parallelogram so that AD
(a) 5 (b) 20 (c) 10 (d) 30
becomes AD′ . If AD′ makes a right
angle with AB, then the cosine of the # ” # ”
13. If AB = 3î + 4k̂ & AC = 5î − 2ĵ + 4k̂
angle α is are sides of ∆ABC, then length of the
√ √ median through A is
8 17 1 4 5
(a) (b) (c) (d)
9 9 9 9 √ √ √ √
(a) 18 (b) 72 (c) 33 (d) 45
#”
9. Let #”
a = î + ĵ + k̂, b = î − ĵ + k̂ and #” #”
a × b b × #”
#” c #”
c × #”
h i
#”
c = î − ĵ − k̂ be three vectors. A vec-
14. If a =
#” #”
λ #”
a b #”
i2
tor #”
v on the plane of #”
h
a and b , whose c , then λ =
projection on #” c is √13 , is (a) 2 (b) −1 (c) 0 (d) 1

(a) î − 3ĵ + 3k̂ (b) −3î − 3ĵ − k̂ 15. Let #”

x , #”
y , #”
z be three vectors each
√
(c) 3î − ĵ + 3k̂ (d) î + 3ĵ − 3k̂ of magnitude 2 and angle between
each pair of them is π3 . If #” a is a
10. Vectors(s) which is/are coplanar with non-zero vector perpendicular to #”
x &
#” #” #”
vectors î + ĵ + 2k̂ & î + 2ĵ + k̂ and y × z and b is a non-zero vector per-
perpendicular to î + ĵ + k̂ is/are pendicular to #” y & #”
z × #”
x , then
 #” #”
(a) b = ( b · #”
z )( #”
z − #”
x) If there exists a vector #”v in R3 such
(b) #”
a = ( #”
a · #”
y )( #”
y − #” z) that |û × #”
v | = 1 and ŵ · (û × #”
v ) = 1.
#” #” Which of the following statement(s)
(c) #”
a · b = −( #” a · #”
y )( b · #”
z)
is(are) correct ?
(d) #”
a = ( #”
a · #”
y )( #”
z − #”
y)
(a) There is exactly one choice for #”
v
#”
16. Let #”
a , b , #”
c be three non-zero vectors (b) There are infinitely many choices
such that no two of them are collinear for #”
v
#” #”
and #” a × b × #” c = 13 b | #”
c | #” (c) If #”

a . If u lies on xy-plane then |u1 | =
#” #”
θ is the angle between b and c then |u2 |
sin θ =
(d) If #”
u lies on xz-plane then 2 |u1 | =
√ √ √
2 2 2 2
(a) 3
(b) − 3
(c) 3
(d) − 2 3 2 |u3 |
#”
17. In ∆P QR, let #”
# ” #” # ”
a = QR, b = RP and 20. Let #”a = 2î + ĵ − 2k̂ & b = î + ĵ.
#” # ”
c = P Q. If | #”
#” √
a | = 12, b = 4 3 and Let #”c be such that | #”c − #”
a | = 3,
#”
#” #”
b · c = 24, then which of the following ( #”
a × b ) × #”
c = 3 and angle between
#” #”
is/are true ? c & ( a × b ) be 30◦ . Then #”
#” a · #”
c =
1 25
| #”
− | #”
c |2 (a) 5 (b) (c) (d) 2
(a) 2
a | = 12 8 8

21. Let #”
u be coplanar with #”
#”
(b) − | #”
| c |2
a | = 30 a = 2î+3ĵ−k̂
2 #” #”
#” √ & b = ĵ+k̂. If u ⊥ a and #”
#” #” u · b = 24,
(c) #”
a × b + #” c × #”
a = 48 3
then | #”
u |2 =
#”
(d) #”
a · b = −72
(a) 84 (b) 336 (c) 315 (d) 256
#”
18. Let #”
a , b , #”
c be three unit vectors such
 #” √  #” 22. The magnitude of the projection of
that a × b × #”
#” c = 23 b + #”
 
c . If
#” vector 2î+3ĵ+ k̂ on the vector perpen-
b is not parallel to #”c , then angle be-
#” #” dicular to the plane containing vectors
tween a & b is
î + ĵ + k̂ & î + 2ĵ + 3k̂ is
3π π 2π 5π √ q √ √
(a) 4
(b) 2
(c) 3
(d) 6 (a) 23 (b) 32 (c) 6 (d) 3 6
#”
19. Let û = u1 î + u2 ĵ + u3 k̂ be a unit vec- 23. If #”
a = 3î + 2ĵ + xk̂, (x ∈ R), b =
#”
tor in R3 and ŵ = √16 (î + ĵ + 2k̂). î − ĵ + k̂ and #”
a × b = r, then
 q q
3 3 B(3, 2, 6) be a point in space. The
(a) 3 <r<5
2 2
# ”
q
3 value of µ for which AB is parallel to
(b) 0 < r ≤ 2
q q plane x − 4y + 3z = 1 is
3 3
(c) 2
<r<3 2 1
q (a) 2
(b) − 14 (c) 1
4
(d) 1
8
3
(d) r ≥ 5 2
#” = (λ − 2) #” #” #”
27. Let α a + b and β =
#”
24. If #”
a = î− ĵ, b = î+ ĵ + k̂ & #”
c be such (4λ − 2) #”
#”
a + 3 b be two given vectors
#”
that a × c + b = 0 and a · #”
#” #” #” c = 4, where #”
#”
a & b are non-collinear. The
then | #” 2
c| = #” and #”
value of λ for which vectors α β
19 17 are collinear is
(a) 2
(b) 8 (c) 2
(d) 7

√ √ (a) −3 (b) 4 (c) 3 (d) −4

25. If #”
a = î+ ĵ + 2k̂, b̂ = b1 î+b2 ĵ + 2k̂
√ √ √
& #”c = 5î + ĵ + 2k̂ be vectors such 28. Let 3î + ĵ, î + 3ĵ and β î + (1 − β)ĵ
#”
that the projection vector of b on #” a be the position vectors of points A, B
#”

#” #” 
#” #”
is a . If a + b ⊥ c , then b = and C respectively. If the distance of
√ √ C from the bisector of the acute angle
(a) 22 (b) 4 (c) 32 (d) 6
between OA and OB is √32 , then the
sum of all possible values of β is
26. Let A be a point on the line #” r =
(1 − 3µ)î + (µ − 1)ĵ + (2 + 5µ)k̂ and (a) 2 (b) 1 (c) 3 (d) 4

Answers

1. (b,d) 6. (c) 11. (c) 16. (a) 21. (b) 26. (c)
2. (a) 7. (a) 12. (c) 17. (a,c,d) 22. (b)
3. (a) 8. (b) 13. (c) 18. (d) 23. (d) 27. (d)
4. (a) 9. (c) 14. (d) 19. (b,c) 24. (a)
5. (d) 10. (a,d) 15. (a,b,c) 20. (d) 25. (d) 28. (b)