Class 12 Vector Algebra Formulas
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keerthideepan2003Class 12 Vector Algebra Formulas
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keerthideepan2003Common questions
Powered by AITwo vectors are parallel if their cross product is zero, i.e., a × b = 0. This indicates that there is no perpendicular component between them, meaning they lie along the same or exactly opposite lines .
The shortest distance d between two skew lines given by vectors a1, a2 and direction vectors b1, b2 is calculated as d = |(a2 - a1) · (b1 × b2)| / |b1 × b2|. This calculation is important in physics and engineering to determine how far separate trajectories or paths deviate from each other in three-dimensional space .
Direction cosines of a vector are determined by dividing each component of the vector by its magnitude: cosα = a1/|a|, cosβ = a2/|a|, cosγ = a3/|a|. They are significant because they specify the orientation of the vector relative to the coordinate axes and form part of the unit vector in the direction of the original vector .
A unit vector is a vector with magnitude of one that indicates the direction of the original vector. It is calculated as â = a / |a|. This is important as it allows for direction representation without considering magnitude, often used in scaling vectors to the same magnitude or in identifying directions .
The magnitude of the vector cross product a × b gives the area of the parallelogram formed by vectors a and b. This is because |a × b| = |a||b| sinθ, which represents the parallelogram's area where θ is the angle between vectors a and b .
The projection of vector a onto vector b is determined using the dot product: Projection of a on b = (a · b)/|b|. This formula represents the magnitude component of a that lies along b, conveniently showing how much of a applies or aligns in the direction of vector b .
Three vectors are coplanar if their scalar triple product equals zero, i.e., a · (b × c) = 0. This condition indicates that the volume of the parallelepiped they form is zero, hence they lie in the same plane .
The angle θ between two vectors in three-dimensional space is calculated using the dot product formula: cosθ = (a · b)/(|a||b|), where a · b = a1b1 + a2b2 + a3b3 and |a| and |b| are the magnitudes of vectors a and b, respectively .
The scalar triple product a · (b × c) is used to calculate the volume of a parallelepiped formed by the vectors a, b, and c. The value |a · (b × c)| gives the volume because it represents the product of the base area (|b × c|) and the perpendicular height (the contribution of a).
Work done by a force F on a displacement d is calculated using the dot product: W = F · d. This product measures the component of force exerted in the direction of movement, reflecting the energy transfer that takes place due to the force along the path of displacement .