ASSIGNMENT-VECTOR ALGEBRA

01. Find a unit vector in the direction of a = 3iˆ − 2ˆj + 6kˆ

02. Find a vector in the direction of vector 5iˆ − ˆj + 2kˆ which has a magnitude of 8

units.

03. Find a unit vector in the direction of (a + b) where a = ˆi + ˆj − kˆ and b = ˆi − ˆj + 3kˆ

04. Find the value of  which makes the vectors a , b , c coplanar, where

a = 2iˆ − ˆj + kˆ , b = ˆi + 2ˆj − 3kˆ and c = 3iˆ − ˆj + 5kˆ .

05. Using vectors prove that the line joining the mid-points of a triangle is half to

the third side and half of it.

06. Using vectors prove that the line joining the mid-points of non-parallel sides of

a trapezium is parallel to the base and is equal to half the sum of the parallel

sides.

07. If a = 3iˆ − ˆj − 4kˆ , b = −2iˆ + 4ˆj − 3kˆ and c = ˆi + 2ˆj − kˆ . Find the unit vector parallel

to 3a − 2b + 4c

08. Show that the vectors a = 3iˆ − 2ˆj + kˆ , b = ˆi − 3jˆ + 5kˆ and c = 2iˆ + ˆj − 4kˆ form a

right angled triangle.

09. Find the position vector of the mid-point of AB , if the points A and B are (6,1,3)

and (4, −1,1)

10. If A,B and C are the vertices of a triangle ABC, the write the value of

AB + BC + CA .

11. If the sum of two unit vectors is a unit vector, then write the magnitude of the

difference of them.

( )(
12. If a = ˆi + ˆj + 2kˆ and b = 3iˆ + 2ˆj − kˆ . Find the value of a + 3b  2a − b )
13. Find the angle between the vectors ˆi − 2ˆj + 3kˆ and 3iˆ − 2ˆj + kˆ .

14. If a = ˆi + 2ˆj − 3kˆ , b = 3iˆ − ˆj + 2kˆ . Show that a + b and a − b are perpendicular to

each other.

15. Find the value of  so that the two vectors 2iˆ + 3jˆ − kˆ and 4iˆ + 6ˆj + kˆ are

(a) parallel (b) perpendicular to each other.

16. If a + b + c = 0 | a |= 3 , | b |= 5 and | c |= 7 , find the angle between a and b

17. Find the projection of 2iˆ − ˆj + kˆ on ˆi − 2ˆj + kˆ

18. Find the projection of a on b if a  b = 8 and b = 2iˆ + 6ˆj + 3kˆ

19. Decompose the vector 6iˆ − 3jˆ − 6kˆ into vectors which are parallel and

perpendicular to the vector ˆi + ˆj + kˆ

20. Decompose the vector 2iˆ − ˆj + 3kˆ into vectors which are parallel and

perpendicular to the vector 2iˆ + 4ˆj − 2kˆ

21. Let a = x 2ˆi + 2ˆj − 2kˆ , b = ˆi − ˆj + kˆ and c = x 2ˆi + 5jˆ − 4kˆ be three vectors.

Find the values of x for which the angle between a and b is acute and the angle

between b and c is obtuse.

22. Find the scalar components of a unit vector which is perpendicular to the vectors

ˆi + 2ˆj − kˆ and 3iˆ − ˆj + 2kˆ

23. Show that the points A(1, −2, −8) , B(5,0, −2) and C(11,3,7) are collinear and find

the ratio in which B divides AC.

24. Find the values of  and  , if the vectors ˆi − ˆj − 6kˆ and 3iˆ − ˆj − 2kˆ are

parallel.

25. If a and b are such that | a |= 2 , | b |= 1 and a  b = 1 , find (3a − 5b)  (2a + 7b)

26. Find | a | , | b | if (a − b)  (a + b) = 8 and 8 | b |=| a |

27. Find | a − b | , if such that | a |= 2 , | b |= 5 and a  b = 8 .

28. If â and b̂ are unit vectors and  is the angle between them, then show that

 1  1  | aˆ − bˆ |
(a) sin = | aˆ − bˆ | (b) cos = | aˆ + bˆ | (c) tan =
2 2 2 2 2 | aˆ + bˆ |

29. If a , b and c are three vectors such that | a |= 5 , | b |= 12 | c |= 13 and a + b + c = 0 .

Find the value of a  b + b  c + c  a

30. Find | x | , if for a unit vector a , (x − a)  (x + a) = 35

31. If | a |= 11 , | b |= 23 and | a − b |= 30 find | a + b | .

 
32. If a unit vector a makes an angle with î , with ĵ and an acute angle
4 3

with k̂ , then find the component of a and the angle  .

33. If a = ˆi − 7ˆj + 7kˆ and b = 3iˆ − 2ˆj + 2kˆ , find | a  b |

34. If a = ˆi − 2ˆj + 3kˆ and b = ˆi − 3kˆ , find | b  2a |

35. If a = ˆi + ˆj + kˆ and b = ˆj − kˆ , find a vector c such that a  c = b and a  c = 3

36. If a  b = c  d , a  c = b  d , show that a − d is parallel to b − c

37. Find a vector whose magnitude is 3 which is perpendicular to

3iˆ + ˆj − 4kˆ and 6iˆ + 5jˆ − 2kˆ

38. Show that (1+ | a |2 )(1+ | b |2 ) = (1 − a  b) 2 + | a + b + (a  b) |2 where a and b are

any two vectors.

39. If | a |= 26 , | b |= 7 and | a  b |= 35 , find a  b

40. If | a  b |= a  b , find the angle between a and b .

41. If a , b and c are the position vectors of A,B and C respectively. Prove that
a  b + b  c + c  a is perpendicular to the plane of triangle ABC.

42. Show that (a − b)  (a + b) = 2(a  b)

43. Find the area of a parallelogram, whose adjacent sides are ˆi − ˆj + 3kˆ and

2iˆ − 7ˆj + kˆ

44. Two adjacent sides of a parallelogram are 2iˆ − 4ˆj + 5kˆ and ˆi − 2ˆj − 3kˆ . Find the
unit vector parallel to its diagonal. Also, find its area.

45. A, B and C be any three non-collinear points with position vectors a , b and c
respectively. Show that the perpendicular distance from C to the straight line
|a b + bc + ca |
through A to B is
|b−a|

46. If p and q are unit vectors forming an angle of 30 , find the area of

parallelogram having a = p + 2q and b = 2p + q as its diagonals.

47. Prove that (a  b) 2 = (a  a)(b  b) − (a  b) 2

48. Find the value of ˆi  ( j  k) + ˆj  (iˆ  k)

ˆ + kˆ  (iˆ  ˆj)

2
49. If | a |= 3 , | b |= and | a  b |= 1 , find the angle between a and b
3

50. Show that 3 3iˆ − 3jˆ , 6ˆj and 3 3iˆ + 3jˆ forms the side of an equilateral triangle.

51. If xiˆ + 2ˆj − zkˆ and 3iˆ − yjˆ + kˆ are two equal vectors, then write the value of
x+y+z

 
52. Find a vector a of magnitude 3 2 units which makes an angle and with y
4 2
and z axis respectively.
53. If a and b are unit vectors, then what is the angle between a and b for 3a − b
to be a unit vector?

54. Find | a − b | , if | a |= 2 , | b |= 5 and a  b = 8 .

55. If a = 2iˆ + 2ˆj + 3kˆ , b = −ˆi + 2ˆj + kˆ and c = 3iˆ + ˆj . If a + tb is a normal to c , then
find the value of t.

56. If  is the acute angle and the vector sin ˆi + cos ˆj is perpendicular to ˆi − 3jˆ .
Find the value of 

57. If two vectors out of three vectors a , b and c are unit vectors with a + b + c = 0
and 2(a  b + b  c + c  a) + 3 = 0 then find the length of the third vector.

58. Let a , b , c be such that | a |= 1 , | b |= 2 | c |= 3 . If the projection of b along a is

equal to the projection of c along a and b , c are perpendicular to each other.

Find | a − b + c | .

59. Find the projection of b + c on a where a = 2iˆ − 2ˆj + kˆ , b = ˆi + 2ˆj − 2kˆ and

c = 2iˆ − ˆj + 4kˆ .

60. The scalar product of the vector ˆi + ˆj + kˆ with a unit vector along the sum of

vectors 2iˆ + 4ˆj − 5kˆ and ˆi + 2ˆj + 3kˆ is equal to one. Find the value of  .

61. If | a + b |=| a − b | , show that a ⊥ b .

62. If a , b are two vectors such that | a + b |=| a | , then prove that (2a + b) ⊥ b .

63. If a = −3iˆ + 4ˆj − 7kˆ and b = 6iˆ + 2ˆj − 3kˆ then find a  b . Verify that both a and

b are perpendicular to a  b .
64. Let a = 2iˆ + ˆj − 2kˆ , b = ˆi + ˆj . If c is a vector such that a  c =| c | , | c − a |= 2 2

and the angle between a  b and c is 30 , then find | (a  b)  c | .

65. If | a  b |2 +(a  b) 2 = 144 and | a |= 4 , then | b | .

| a  b |2 + (a  b) 2
66. Find .
2a 2 b 2

67. If a = 2iˆ + 2ˆj + kˆ and b = ˆj − kˆ find a vector c such that a  c = b and a  c = 3 .

68. If a = 2iˆ + 2ˆj + kˆ , a  b = 14 , a  b = 3iˆ + ˆj − 8kˆ find b .

69. Show that the area of a parallelogram having diagonals 3iˆ + ˆj − 2kˆ and
ˆi − 3jˆ + 4kˆ is 5 3 sq. units.

70. Show that | a  b |= (a  a)(b  b) − (a  b) 2

71. The position vectors of A,B,C and D are 3iˆ − 2ˆj − kˆ , 2iˆ + 3jˆ − 4kˆ , −ˆi + ˆj + 2kˆ and

4iˆ + 5jˆ + kˆ . It is know that these points are coplanar, then write the value of 
.

72. a , b , c are three non-zero vectors no two of which are collinear, a + 2b is

collinear with c and b + 3c is collinear with a , then find | a + 2b + 6c | .

73. If r  ˆi = r  ˆj = r  kˆ and | r |= 3 then find r .

74. If a , b , c are mutually perpendicular vectors of equal magnitude, then find the
angle between the vectors a and a + b + c

75. Find the unit vector perpendicular to the plane determined by the points (1, −1,2)
(2,0, −1) and (0,2,1)
76. Find | a  ˆi |2 + | a  ˆj|2 + | a  kˆ |2

a  (b  c) b  (a  c)
77. If a , b , c are three non-coplanar vectors, then find +
(c  a)  b c  (a  b)

78. If the vectors 2iˆ − 3jˆ , ˆi + ˆj − kˆ and 3iˆ − kˆ form three concurrent edges of a
parallelepiped, then find the volume of the parallelepiped.

79. The vector c , divided along the internal bisector of the angle between the vectors
a = 7iˆ − 4ˆj − 4kˆ and b = −2iˆ − ˆj + 2kˆ with | c |= 5 6 . Find c .

80. If the vector −ˆi + ˆj − kˆ bisects the angle between the vector c and the vector 3iˆ + 4ˆj
then find the unit vector in the direction of c .

81. If | a | + | b |=| c | and a + b = c then find the angle between a and b .

82. If | a |= 3 , | b |= 4 and the angle between a and b is 120 then find | 4a + 3b |

83. If a  ˆi = a  (iˆ + ˆj) = a  (iˆ + ˆj + k)

ˆ find a

84. If a , b , c are mutually perpendicular vectors and | a |= 1 , | b |= 2 | c |= 2 , then find

the length of a + b + c


85. Find a unit vector a which makes an angle of with the axis of z and
4
| a + ˆi + ˆj |= 1

86. If a , b , c are mutually perpendicular vectors and | a |= 1 , | b |= 3 | c |= 5 then find

a − 2b,b − 3c,c − 4a 
 
 5 −6
87. The angle between a and b is . The projection of a in the direction of b is
6 3
then find | a |

88. If ˆi − 3jˆ + 5kˆ bisects the angle between a and −ˆi + 2ˆj + 2kˆ where | a |= 1 . Find a .

89. Let a = ˆj − kˆ and c = ˆi − ˆj − kˆ . The vector b satisfying a + b + c = 0 and a  b = 3 .

Find b

90. If the vectors a = ˆi − ˆj + 2kˆ , b = 2iˆ + 4ˆj + kˆ and c =  ˆi + ˆj + kˆ are mutually
perpendicular, then find  and 

91. Let â and b̂ be two unit vectors. If the vectors c = aˆ + 2bˆ and d = 5aˆ − 4bˆ
perpendiculars to each other, then find the angle between â and b̂ .

92. If the vectors AB = 3iˆ + 4kˆ and AC = 5iˆ − 2ˆj + 4kˆ are the sides of triangle, then
find the length of the median through A.

a a a b
93. Prove that | a  b |2 =
a b bb

94. The magnitude of the vector product of the vectors ˆi + ˆj + kˆ with a unit vector

along the sum of vectors 2iˆ + 4ˆj − 5kˆ and ˆi + 2ˆj + 3kˆ is equal to 2 . Find the
value of 

95. The scalar product of the vector ˆi + ˆj + kˆ with the unit vector along the sum of the

vectors 2iˆ + 4ˆj − 5kˆ and ˆi + 2ˆj + 3kˆ is equal to one. Find the value of 

96. Find a unit vector in the XY-plane perpendicular to 4iˆ − 3jˆ + 2kˆ