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Understanding Position Vectors in Space

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
8 views12 pages

Understanding Position Vectors in Space

Short note

Uploaded by

imalshamadumal88
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

A position vector is a vector that represents the position of a point in space relative to an origin.

For point P (x,y,z) ;

OP = x = xi + yj + zk
y
z
AB = AO + OB
=b-a
A
μ OP = OA + AP
=a+ μ (b-a)
a P
λ+μ
= λ a + μ a + μb – μa
λ
λ+μ
= λa + μb
B λ+μ
O b
B
AB = AO + OB
1 1 =b-a
D AE = AO + OE OD = OB + BD
E
b = b - 2a = 2b + a
2 2 3
1 P
OP = OA + AP
= a + λ AE
O a A = a + λ (b - 2a) 1
2

AP = λ AE OP = μ OD OP = μ OD
= μ ( 2b + a) 2
3
1 = 2

λ = 4μ ; 3=3λ+μ
a + λ (b - 2a) μ ( 2b + a) 3
=
2 3 μ=3 λ=4
5 5

6a + 3λb - 6λa = 2μa +4μb


AP = λ AE OP = μ OD
a(6-6λ-2μ)+b(3λ-4μ)=0
AP = 4 AE OP = 3 OD
5 5
a=0 and b=0;
Then; PE = 1 AE PD = 2 OD
5 5
6-6λ-2μ=0 3λ-4μ=0
|AP| : |PE| = 4 |AE| : 1 |AE| |OP| : |PD| = 3 |OD| : 2 |OD|
3=3λ+μ λ = 4μ 5 5 5 5
3
AP : PE = 4 : 1 OP : PD = 3 : 2
AC = AO + OC AN = 1 AC
C B
=c-a 3
=(c-a)
2 1 3
c
N M ON = OA + AN NM = NA + AM
=a +(c-a) =(a-c) + c
1 1 3 3 2
= 2a + c = 2a + c
3 6
O A
a
NM = 2a + c
6
= 1 2a + c
2 3

= 1 ON
2

Therefore ;
O, N and M are same direction
a. r1 = r2

-6 + 4λ -6 + 3μ Consider this equations;


4-λ = 4 - 4μ μ=0
-1 + 3λ -1 + μ Then, λ = 0

-6 + 4λ = -6 + 3μ For r1; λ=0


λ = 4μ
1
3 A= -6 = -6i +4j -k
4 - λ = 4 - 4μ 4
λ = 4μ 2 -1
b. Let use dot product;

L1

θ
d1 = 4i - j +3k d2 = 3i - 4j +k
a.b = |a| |b| Cos θ
L2
( 4i - j +3k ).(3i - 4j +k ) = | 4i - j +3k | . | 3i - 4j +k | . Cos θ
12 + 4 +3 = √26 . √ 26 . Cos θ
Cos θ = 19
26
Cos θ = 0.7307
c. λ= 4 ;

-6 + 4λ -6 + 4*4 10
r1 = 4-λ = 4-4 = 0 = 10i + 0j + 11k
-1 + 3λ -1 + 3*4 11

d. Vector of AX ;

AX = AO + OX
OA = -6i +4j -k = -(-6i +4j -k) + (10i + 0j + 11k)
= 6i -4j +k + 10i +0j + 11k
OX = 10i + 0j + 11k
= 16i -4j +12k
e. Show that |AX| = 4 √26 f. The point Y lies on L2, Given that the vector YX is
perpendicular to L1, then find the length of AY , given
your answer 3 significant digits.
AX = 16i -4j +12k
L1
|AX| = √ { 162 + (−4)2 + 122 }
= √ 256+ 16+144 X
= √ 416 900
4√26
= √26 *16
= 4√26 θ
Y L2
A

Cos θ = AX 26 ∗ 4√26
AY AY =
19
𝐴𝑋
AY = AY = 27.910
𝐶𝑂𝑆 θ

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