Faculty of Natural Sciences

Tutorial - 1: Vector Algebra

Department: Mathematics and Statistics
Programme: B. Tech. (All Programmes)
Semester/Batch: 2/2025
Course Code: MTF111B
Course Title: Engineering Mathematics - 2

Vector Algebra
1. Which of the following are vectors and which are scalars?

(a) Kinetic Energy (g) Electric Field

(b) Volume (h) Thrust
(c) a length measured in metres (i) the relative velocity of two aircraft
(d) the angular velocity of a flywheel (j) the work done by a force
(e) Force (k) electrostatic potential
(f) Temperature (l) the momentum of an atomic particle

2. Find a unit vector that has the same direction as the given vector.

(a) ⃗a = ı̂ + 2ȷ̂ − 3k̂ (e) ⃗e = −3ı̂ + 7ȷ̂

(b) ⃗b = −2ı̂ − ȷ̂ + 5k̂
(f) f⃗ = ⟨−4, 2, 4⟩
(c) ⃗c = 2ı̂ − 4ȷ̂ + 4k̂
(d) d⃗ = 2ȷ̂ − k̂ (g) ⃗g = 8ı̂ − ȷ̂ + 4k̂

3. Find the vector represented by each directed line segment.

(a) A(2, −3, 4) and B(−2, 1, 1) (d) A(0, −1, 0) and B(2, 0, 1)
(b) A(3, 4, 5) and B(0, −2, 6) (e) A( 12 , 4, 5) and B(− 32 , −4, 12)
(c) A(−2, 4, 0) and B(6, 23 , 8) (f) A(2, −3, 4) and B(−2, 1, 1)

4. Find ⃗a + ⃗b, 2⃗a + 3⃗b, |⃗a|, and |⃗a − ⃗b|.

(a) ⃗a = ⟨5, −12⟩, ⃗b = ⟨−3, −6⟩

(b) ⃗a = 4ı̂ + ȷ̂, ⃗b = ı̂ − 2ȷ̂
(c) ⃗a = ı̂ + 2ȷ̂ − 3k̂, ⃗b = −2ı̂ − ȷ̂ + 5k̂

(d) ⃗a = 2ı̂ − 4ȷ̂ + 4k̂, ⃗b = 2ȷ̂ − k̂

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 5. Verify that the vectors ⃗a = 3ı̂ + ȷ̂ − 2k̂, ⃗b = −ı̂ + 3ȷ̂ + 4k̂, and ⃗c = 4ı̂ − 2ȷ̂ − 6k̂ can form
the sides of a triangle.

6. In the following cases, evaluate the scalar product ⃗a · ⃗b and hence determine the angle θ
between ⃗a and ⃗b:

(a) ⃗a = 2ı̂ + 2ȷ̂ − k̂ and ⃗b = 3ı̂ − 6ȷ̂ + 2k̂

(b) ⃗a = ı̂ + 2ȷ̂ − k̂ and ⃗b = 3ȷ̂ + k̂
(c) ⃗a = −ı̂ − ȷ̂ + 4k̂ and ⃗b = 7ı̂ − 2k̂
(d) ⃗a = ȷ̂ + k̂ and ⃗b = ı̂ + 2ȷ̂ − 3k̂
(e) ⃗a = ı̂ + 2ȷ̂ − 2k̂ and ⃗b = 4ı̂ − 3k̂

7. Determine whether the given vectors are orthogonal, parallel, or neither.

(a) ⃗a = ⟨−5, 3, 7⟩, ⃗b = ⟨6, −8, 2⟩

(b) ⃗a = ⟨4, 6⟩, ⃗b = ⟨−3, 2⟩
(c) ⃗a = −ı̂ + 2ȷ̂ + 5k̂, ⃗b = 3ı̂ + 4ȷ̂ − k̂

(d) ⃗a = 2ı̂ + 6ȷ̂ − 4k̂, ⃗b = −3ı̂ − 9ȷ̂ + 6k̂

(e) ⃗u = ⟨−3, 9, 6⟩, ⃗v = ⟨4, −12, −8⟩
(f) ⃗u = ı̂ − ȷ̂ + 2k̂, ⃗v = 2ı̂ − ȷ̂ + k̂
(g) ⃗u = ⟨a, b, c⟩, ⃗v = ⟨−b, a, 0⟩

8. A sled is pulled horizontally over ice by a rope attached to its front. A force of 89 N
acting at an angle of 60° with the horizontal moves the sled 30 m. Find the work done.

9. A tow truck drags a stalled car along a road. The chain makes an angle of 30◦ with the
road and the tension in the chain is 1500 N. How much work is done by the truck in
pulling the car 1 km?

10. Find the scalar and vector projections of ⃗b onto ⃗a .

(a) ⃗a = ⟨3, −4⟩, ⃗b = ⟨5, 0⟩

(b) ⃗a = ⟨1, 2⟩, ⃗b = ⟨−4, 1⟩

(c) ⃗a = ⟨3, 6, −2⟩, ⃗b = ⟨1, 2, 3⟩

(d) ⃗a = ⟨−2, 3, −6⟩, ⃗b = ⟨5, −1, 4⟩
(e) ⃗a = 2ı̂ − ȷ̂ + 4k̂, ⃗b = ȷ̂ + 1 k̂ 2

(f) ⃗a = ı̂ + ȷ̂ + k̂, ⃗b = ı̂ − ȷ̂ + k̂

11. Find the work done by the force F⃗ = 3ı̂ + 7k̂ if it causes a body to move from the point
(1, 1, 2) to the point (7, 3, 5).

12. Determine a scalar c so that the given vectors are orthogonal.

(a) ⃗a = 2î − cĵ + 3k̂, ⃗b = 3î + 2ĵ + 4k̂

(b) ⃗a = c, 1 , c , ⃗b = ⟨−3, 4, c⟩
2

13. Find a vector perpendicular to the plane that passes through the points P (1, 4, 6), Q(−2, 5, −1),
and R(1, −1, 1).

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14. Use the scalar triple product verify whether the vectors are coplanar

(a) ⃗a = ⟨1, 4, −7⟩, ⃗b = ⟨2, −1, 4⟩, and ⃗c = ⟨0, −9, 18⟩
(b) ⃗a = 4ı̂ + 6ȷ̂, ⃗b = −2ı̂ + 6ȷ̂ − 6k̂, and ⃗c = 25 ı̂ + 3ȷ̂ + 12 k̂

15. Find the area of the triangle determined by the points P1 (1, 1, 1), P2 (2, 3, 4), and P3 (3, 0, −1).
−→ −→ −→
16. Find the volume of the parallelepiped with adjacent edges P Q, P R, and P S, given

(a) P (2, 0, −1), Q(4, 1, 0), R(3, −1, 1), S(2, −2, 2)
(b) P (3, 0, 1), Q(−1, 2, 5), R(5, 1, −1), S(0, 4, 2)

17. A wrench 30 cm long lies along the positive y-axis and grips a bolt at the origin. A force
is applied in the direction ⟨0, 3, −4⟩ at the end of the wrench. Find the magnitude of the
force needed to supply 100 N · m of torque to the bolt.

18. A rigid body is spinning with an angular velocity 27 radians per second about an axis
parallel to 2ı̂ + ȷ̂ − 2k̂ passing through the point ı̂ + 3ȷ̂ − k̂. Find the velocity of the point
of the body whose position vector is 4ı̂ + 8ȷ̂ + k̂.

19. Find two unit vectors orthogonal to both ⟨1, −1, 1⟩ and ⟨0, 4, 4⟩.

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 Solutions
1. (a) Scalar (g) Vector
(b) Scalar (h) Vector
(c) Scalar (i) Vector
(d) vector (j) Scalar
(e) Vector (k) Scalar
(f) Scalar (l) Vector
1   1
2. (a) √ ı̂ + 2ȷ̂ − 3k̂ (e) √ (−3ı̂ + 7ȷ̂)
14 58
1  
1
(b) √ −2ı̂ − ȷ̂ + 5k̂ (f) ⟨−4, 2, 4⟩
30 6
1  1 
(c) 2ı̂ − 4ȷ̂ + 4k̂ (g) 8ı̂ − ȷ̂ + 4k̂
6 9
1  
(d) √ 2ȷ̂ − k̂
5

3. (a) −4ı̂ + 4ȷ̂ − 3k̂

(b) −3ı̂ − 6ȷ̂ + k̂
(c) 8ı̂ − 52 ȷ̂ + 8k̂
(d) 2ı̂ + ȷ̂ + k̂
(e) −2ı̂ − 8ȷ̂ + 7k̂
(f) −4ı̂ + 4ȷ̂ − 3k̂

4. (a) ⃗a = ⟨5, −12⟩, ⃗b = ⟨−3, −6⟩ (c) ⃗a = ı̂ + 2ȷ̂ − 3k̂, ⃗b = −2ı̂ − ȷ̂ + 5k̂

⃗a + ⃗b = ⟨2, −18⟩ ⃗a + ⃗b = −ı̂ + ȷ̂ + 2k̂

2⃗a + 3⃗b = ⟨1, −42⟩ 2⃗a + 3⃗b = −4ı̂ + ȷ̂ + 9k̂
√
|⃗a| = 13 |⃗a| = 14
√
|⃗a − ⃗b| = 10 |⃗a − ⃗b| = 82

(b) ⃗a = 4ı̂ + ȷ̂, ⃗b = ı̂ − 2ȷ̂ (d) ⃗a = 2ı̂ − 4ȷ̂ + 4k̂, ⃗b = 2ȷ̂ − k̂

⃗a + ⃗b = 5ı̂ − ȷ̂ ⃗a + ⃗b = 2ı̂ − 2ȷ̂ + 3k̂

2⃗a + 3⃗b = 11ı̂ − 4ȷ̂ 2⃗a + 3⃗b = 4ı̂ − 2ȷ̂ + 5k̂
√
|⃗a| = 17 |⃗a| = 6
√ √
|⃗a − ⃗b| = 3 2 |⃗a − ⃗b| = 65

5. Yes, ⃗a=⃗b + ⃗c.

 
6. (a) ⃗a · ⃗b = 16, θ = cos−1 −8


21 (d) ⃗a · ⃗b = −1, θ = cos−1 √−128
 
(b) ⃗a · ⃗b = 1, θ = cos−1 √160
 
  (e) ⃗a · ⃗b = 10, θ = cos−1 10
√
3 29
(c) ⃗a · ⃗b = −15, θ = cos−1 3√ −15
106

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 7. (a) ⃗a · ⃗b = −30 − 24 + 14 = −40 ̸= 0 Not scalar multiples ⇒ Neither.
(b) ⃗a · ⃗b = −12 + 12 = 0 Orthogonal.
(c) ⃗a · ⃗b = −3 + 8 − 5 = 0 Orthogonal.
(d) ⃗b = − 3 ⃗a Parallel.
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(e) ⃗v = − 34 ⃗u Parallel.
(f) ⃗u · ⃗v = 2 + 1 + 2 = 5 ̸= 0 Not scalar multiples ⇒ Neither.
(g) ⃗u · ⃗v = −ab + ab + 0 = 0 Orthogonal.

8. W ≈ 1335 J

9. W ≈ 1.30 × 106 J.

10. (a) Scalar proj = 3 (d) Scalar proj = − 37

7
27
Vector proj = 25 , − 36
25
Vector proj = 74
49
, − 111 , 222
49 49
(e) Scalar proj = √1
(b) Scalar proj = − √25 21
2 1 4
Vector proj = − 25 , − 45 Vector proj = 21
ı̂ − 21 ȷ̂ + 21 k̂
(f) Scalar proj = √1
(c) Scalar proj = 97 3
27 54
Vector proj = 49 , 49 , − 18
49
Vector proj = 1
3
ı̂ + 13 ȷ̂ + 31 k̂

11. W = 39 J

12. (a) 9
(b) 1 or 2

13. 40ı̂ − 15ȷ̂ − 15k̂ or 8ı̂ − 3ȷ̂ − 3k̂

14. Both are coplaner

√
3 10
15. 2

16. (a) 3 (b) 16

17. F ≈ 416.67 N

18. ⃗v = ⟨108, −90, 63⟩

2 1 1
19. ⃗u = ±⟨− √ , − √ , √ ⟩
6 6 6