TRIPLE PRODUCT AND PRODUCT OF FOUR VECTORS

PREVIOUS EAMCET BITS

G G G G G G G G G
1. The volume of the tetrahedron having the edges i + 2 j − k, i + j + k, i − j + λk as conterminous, is
2/3 cubic units. Then λ [EAMCET 2009]
1) 1 2) 2 3) 3 4) 4
Ans: 1
1 2
Sol. V = ⎡⎣ a b c ⎤⎦ = cubc units
6 3
⇒ λ =1
2. If a = i + j + k , b = i – j + k, c = i + j + k, d = i – j – k, then observe the following lists
[EAMCET 2008]
List – I List – II
i) a.b A) a.d
ii) b.c B) 3
iii) ⎡⎣ a b c ⎤⎦ C) b.d
iv) b × c D) 2 j − 2k
E) 2 j + 2k
F) 4
The correct match of List-I to List – II

i ii iii iv i ii iii iv
1) C A B F 2) C A F E
3) A C B F 4) A C F D
Ans: 2
Sol. a.b = ( i + j + k ) . ( i − j + k ) = 1 − 1 + 1 = 1
b.c = ( i − j + k ) . ( i + j − k ) = 1 − 1 − 1 = −1
1 1 1
[ abc] = 1 −1 1 = 1(1 − 1) − 1( −1 − 1) + 1(1 + 1) = 0 + 2 + 2 = 4
1 1 −1
i j k
b × c = 1 −1 1 = i (1 − 1) − j ( −1 − 1) + k (1 + 1) = 2 j + 2k
1 1 −1

a.d = ( i + j + k ) . ( i − j − k ) = 1 − 1 − 1 = −1
b.d = ( i − j + k ) . ( i − j − k ) = 1 + 1 − 1 = −1
3. Let a be a unit vector, b = 2i + j – k and c= i + 3k, the maximum value of [a b c ] is
[EAMCET 2008]
1) – 1 2) 10 + 6 3) 10 − 6 4) 59
Ans: 4
1
 Triple product and product of four vectors

i j k
Sol. b × c = 2 1 −1 = i ( 3 − 0 ) − j ( 6 + 1) + k ( 0 − 1) = 3i − 7 j − k
1 0 3
[ abc] = a. ( b × c ) = a. ( 3i − 7 j − k )
= a 3i − 7 j − k cos θ where θ = ( a,3i − 7 j − k )
= 9 + 49 + 1.cos θ
= 59 cos θ
∴ Maximum value of ⎡⎣ abc ⎤⎦ is 59
G G G G G G G G G
4. The volume (in cubic units) of the tetrahedron with edges i + j + k, i − j + k and i + 2 j − k is
[EAMCET 2007]
1) 4 2) 2/3 3) 1/6 4) 1/3
Ans: 2
1 1 1
1 2
Sol. V = 1 −1 1 =
6 3
1 2 −1
G G G G G G
5. i − 2 j,3 j + k and λ i − 3 j are coplanar then = [EAMCET 2006]
1) – 1 2) 1/2 3) –3/2 4) 2
Ans: 3
a1 b1 c1 1 −2 0
Sol. a, b, c are coplanar ⇒ a 2 b 2 c 2 = 0 ⇒ 0 3 1 = 0
a3 b3 c3 λ 3 0
1( 0 − 3) + 2 ( 0 − λ ) + 0 ( 0 − 3λ ) = 0
−3
λ=
2
6. If the volume of the parallelopiped with coterminous edges [EAMCET 2006]
G G G G G G G G
4i + 5 j + k, − j + k and 3i + 9 j + pk is 34 cubic units, then p = ……..
1) 4 2) –13 3) 13 4) 6
Ans: 1 or 3
4 5 1
Sol. Volume = |[a b c ]|= 0 −1 1 = 34
3 9 p
⇒ 4p + 18 = 34 ⇒ p = −13 or 4

7. Observe the following lists [EAMCET 2005]

List – I List – II
G G G G G G
A) ⎡⎣ a b c ⎤⎦ ( ab
1) a b cos
G
)
G G G GG G G
B) ( c × a ) × b ( ) ( ab
2) a.b b −
G G
)c
G G G GG G
(
C) a × b × b ) 3) a.b × c

2
 Triple product and product of four vectors
GG G G
D) a.b 4) a b
GG G GG G
( ) ( )
5) b.c a − a.b c
A B C D A B C D
1) 1 2 3 4 2) 3 5 2 1
3) 3 2 5 1 4) 2 3 4 1
Ans: 2
Sol. ⎡⎣ a b c ⎤⎦ = a. ( b × c )
( c × a ) × b = ( b.c ) a − ( a.b ) c
a × ( b × c ) = ( a.c ) b − ( a.b ) c
a.b = a b cos ( a.b )
G G G G G G
8. ( ) (
c. b + c × a + b + c = ) [EAMCET 2004]
GG G G GG G GG G
1) c.b × a 2) 0 3) c.a × b 4) a.c × b
Ans: 1
Sol. ( c.b + c.c ) × ( a + b + c ) = c. ( b × a ) = ⎡⎣ c b a ⎤⎦

G G G G G G G G
9. If 3i + 3 j + 3k, i + k, 3i + 3 j + λk are coplanar, then λ = [EAMCET 2004]
1) 1 2) 2 3) 3 4) 4
Ans: 1
3 3 3
Sol. 1 0 1 = 0 ⇒ λ =1
3 3 λ
G G G G G G G G G G G
10.
G
( ) G
If a = i + j + k, b = i + j, c = i and a × b × c = λa + μb , then λ + μ.... [EAMCET 2003]
1) 0 2) 1 3) 2 4) 3
Ans: 1
G G G GG G GG G G G
( ) ( )
Sol. a × b × c = ( a.c ) b − b.c a = b − a
λ = −1; μ = 1 ⇒ λ + μ = 0
GG G G G G G
11. If ⎡⎣a b c ⎤⎦ =3, then the volume (in cubic units) of the parallelopiped with 2a + b, 2b + c and
G G
2c + a as coterminous edges is [EAMCET 2002]
1) 15 2) 22 3) 25 4) 27
Ans: 4
2 1 0
G G G G G G
Sol. = ⎡⎣ 2a + b 2b + c 2c + a ⎤⎦ = 0 2 1 ⎡⎣ abc ⎤⎦ = 9.3 = 27
1 0 2
G G G
12.
G
( )( G
a+b . b+c × a+b+c =) (
G G
) [EAMCET 2002]
G
G G G
G G G
G G
1) 0 2) − ⎡⎣a b c ⎤⎦ 3) 2 ⎡⎣a b c ⎤⎦ 4) ⎡⎣a b c ⎤⎦
Ans:

3
 Triple product and product of four vectors

1 1 0
G G G G G G G
Sol. ( )( ) ( )
a + b . b + c × a + b + c = 0 1 1 ⎡⎣ a b c ⎤⎦
1 1 1
= ⎡⎣0 − 1( −1) + 0 ⎤⎦ ⎡⎣ a b c ⎤⎦ = ⎡⎣ a b c ⎤⎦
13. ⎡⎣ i − j j − k k − i ⎤⎦ = [EAMCET 2001]

1) 0 2) 1 3) 3 4) 2
Ans: 1
1 −1 0
Sol. 0 1 −1 = 0
−1 0 1
G G G G G G G G
(
14. If a, b, c, d are coplanar vectors then a × b × c × d = ) ( ) [EAMCET 2001]
G G G
1) 1 2) a 3) b 4) O
Ans: 4
G G G G
Sol. a, b, c, d are coplanar
G G G G
a × b and c × d are parallel
G G G G G
(
∴ a×b × c×d = O ) ( )
G G G G G G G G G G G G G
G G
15. If a = 2i + 3 j − 4k, b = i + j + k and c = 4i + 2 j + 3k and a × b × c = ( ) [EAMCET 2000]

1) 10 2) 1 3) 2 4) 5
Ans: 4
G G G GG G GG G
( )
Sol. a × b × c = ( a.c ) b − a.b c ( )
= −2i − k = 4 + 1 = 5
G G
16. ( )
G G
b× c ×(c× a) = [EAMCET 2000]
GGG G GGG G GGG G G
1) ⎡⎣a b c ⎤⎦ c 2) ⎡⎣a b c ⎤⎦ b 3) ⎡⎣ a b c ⎤⎦ a
G
( G
4) a × b × c )
Ans: 1
G G G G G G G G G G
( )
G G
(( ) ) (( ) )
Sol. b × c × ( c × a ) = b × c a c − b × c c a
GGG G GGG G
⇒ ⎡⎣a b c ⎤⎦ c − 0 = ⎡⎣ a b c ⎤⎦ c

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