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JEE Main 2023 Vector Algebra Revision Notes - Free PDF Download

Vectors can represent both magnitude and direction, unlike scalars which only represent magnitude. Vector addition obeys the commutative and associative laws. The cross product of two vectors a and b, written as a x b, is a vector perpendicular to both and has a magnitude equal to the area of the parallelogram spanned by a and b. The dot product of a and b, written as a · b, is a scalar equal to the product of the magnitudes and the cosine of the angle between the vectors. The scalar triple product [a b c] represents the volume of the parallelepiped formed by vectors a, b, and c.

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206 views

JEE Main 2023 Vector Algebra Revision Notes - Free PDF Download

Vectors can represent both magnitude and direction, unlike scalars which only represent magnitude. Vector addition obeys the commutative and associative laws. The cross product of two vectors a and b, written as a x b, is a vector perpendicular to both and has a magnitude equal to the area of the parallelogram spanned by a and b. The dot product of a and b, written as a · b, is a scalar equal to the product of the magnitudes and the cosine of the angle between the vectors. The scalar triple product [a b c] represents the volume of the parallelepiped formed by vectors a, b, and c.

Uploaded by

Yash Saxena
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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VECTORS ALGEBRA

Scalar and Vector Algebra.


Scalars: Scalars are mathematical entities which have only a
magnitude (and no direction)
Vectors: Vectors are mathematical entities which have both a
magnitude and a direction.

Vectors Additions
Note that addition is commutative i.e., a + b = b  a .
Also, a + ( b + c ) = ( a + b ) + c i.e. the addition of vectors obeys the
associative law. If a and b are collinear, their sum is still
obtained in the same manner although we do not have a triangle
or a parallelogram in this case.
For adding more than two vectors,
we have a polygon law of addition
which is just an extension of the
triangle law.

 Two vectors (non-zero and non-collinear) constitute a


plane.Their sum or difference also lies in the same plane.
Three vectors are said to be coplanar if their line segments
lie in the same plane or are parallel to the same plane.
 | a |  | b |  a  b  | a |  | b |.

1
Section Formula:
The position vecture of a point X
X
= p
m
and that of another point Y = q p Z
r
If the line joining P and Q is n
divided by a point Z in the ratio of O Y
q
m:n (internally or externally), then
mq  np
r 
mn

VECTOR (OR CROSS) PRODUCT OF TWO VECTORS


ab

 aa  o  ˆi  ˆi  ˆj  ˆj  kˆ  kˆ  o b

 a  b  (b  a) (non- n̂

commutative) a

 a  (b  c)  a  b  a  c Plane of a and b

(Distributive)
 (la)  (mb)  lm(a  b)

 a
ab  o and b are collinear (if none of a, or b is a zero
vector)
 ˆi  ˆj  k,
ˆ ˆj  kˆ  ˆi, kˆ  ˆi  ˆj

 ˆj  ˆi  k,
ˆ kˆ  ˆj  i, ˆi  kˆ  ˆj
ˆi ˆj kˆ
 If a  a1ˆi  a2 ˆj  a3 kˆ and b  b1ˆi  b2 ˆj b3kˆ then a  b  a1 a2 a3
b1 b2 b3

=  a2 b3  a3 b2  ˆi   a3 b1  a1b3  ˆj   a1b2  a2 b1  kˆ

2
 Any vector perpendicular to the plane of a and b is  ( a  b )
where  is a real number. Unit vector perpendicular to
ab
a and b is ±
|ab |
B C
 denotes the area of the
| ab |

parallelogram OACB, whereas b

area of OAB = 21 | a  b |
O a A

Scalar (or Dot) Product of Two Vectors


The scalar product of a and b written as ab is defined to be the
number | a || b | cos where  is the angle between the vectors a and
b i.e. a  b = abcos.
Properties
a  b  (acos)b = (projection of a on b ) b = (projection of
b on a ) a

 ab  0  a, b are perpendicular to each other  ˆi  ˆj  ˆj  kˆ  kˆ  ˆi  0

Scalar Triple Product


It is defined for three vectors a, b, c , in that
c
order as the scalar b
a

(a  b)  c = [a b c] , which can also be written

3
simply as a  b  c . It denotes the volume of the
parallelopiped formed by taking a, b, c as the
co-terminus edges. i.e. V = magnitude of
abc  | abc |.

Properties
 a  b  c  a  b  c , i.e. position of dot and cross can be interchanged
without altering the product. Hence it is also represented by
[a b c] .

 [a b c]  [b c a]  [c a b]

 [ka b c]  k[a b c]

Vector Triple Product


It is defined for three vectors a, b, c as the vector a  (b  c)  (a  c)b  (a  b)c

In general, a  (b  c)  (a  b)  c .
a  (b  c)  (a  b)  c if some or all of a, b, c are zero vectors or a and c

are collinear.

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