F6 Mathematics T 1/5

Revision Notes on Chapter 6 : Vectors (Term 1)

Name : ______________________________ Date : __________________
6.1 : VECTORS IN 2 & 3-D
(A) : Unit Vectors & Position Vectors
1). Position vector of a point ( , , )
x
A x y z r OA xi yj zk y
z
| |
|
= = = + + =
|
|
\ .

2). Length of
2 2 2
OA r x y z = = + +
3). Unit vector in the direction of (with length of 1 unit)

OA r
OA
r
OA
= =

(B) : Algebraic Properties of Vectors
1). If point
1 1 1 2 2 2
( , , ) and ( , , ) , A x y z B x y z = =
2 1
2 1
2 1
x x
AB OB OA y y
z z

| |
|
= =
|
|

\ .

2). Distance between point
1 1 1
( , , ) A x y z and ( ) ( ) ( )
2 2 2
2 2 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
( , , ) = B x y z x x y y z z + +
3).
a b
OC


+
=
+

a b

4). At x-axis, y = 0, z = 0 ; At y-axis, x = 0, z = 0 ; At z-axis, x = 0, y = 0
(C) : Scalar Product ( Dot Product ) of 2 Vectors
1). . cos a b a b u = ;
.
cos
a b
a b
u =


+ve or ve scalar a b
2).
1 1
2 2 1 1 2 2 3 3
3 3
. .
a b
a b a b a b a b a b
a b
| | | |
| |
= = + +
| |
| |
\ . \ .

3).
. . . 1 ; . . . 0 ; if . 0 and vice versa i i j j k k i j j k k i a b a b = = = = = = =

4). . . a b b a =
5). . ( ) . . a b c a b a c + = +
6). If k is a constant, then
1
. ( . ) , for example : . . ( . )

b
a k b k a b a b a a b
b b
= = =

A
B
O
C

(D) : Vector Product ( Cross Product ) of 2 Vectors a b 2/5
1). a b = ( a b sin ) n u

b


The direction can be determined by Right-hand-rule. a
2).
1 2 3 2 3 3 2 1 3 3 1 1 2 2 1
1 2 3
( ) ( ) ( )
i j k
a b a a a a b a b i a b a b j a b a b k
b b b
= = +
3).

0 ;
, , ;
- , - , -
i i j j k k
i j k j k i k i j
j i k k j i i k j
= = =
= = =
= = =

If 0 , // a b then a b and vice versa =
4). - a b b a =
5). ( ) a b c a b a c + = +
6). If k is a constant, then ( ) a k b k a b =
7). Area of triangle ABC
1

2
AB AC =
8). Area of parallelogram ABCD AB AD =
(E) : Application of Dot & Cross Product of Vectors
1). Volume of a cuboid


( sin 90 )
cos 0
( )

.
a b c
a b c
a b c
a b
a b
a b c
=
=

=

=

2). Projections :

z

i
x

y


x

j
i
x

k
i
x

c

b

a

C

A

E

D

AC

. AC b

AC b


b

u

6.2 : Vector Geometry 3/5
(A) : Line (a point
1 1 1
( , , ) A x y z on the line and a direction vector b ai bj ck = + + are needed)
1). Vector Equation of a line, l : ( : ( 3 2 ) ( 3 - 8 ) ) r a t b for example r i j k t i j k = + = + + + +

1
1
1

x x a
y y t b
z z c
| | | | | |
| | |
= +
| | |
| | |
\ . \ . \ .

Vector from the origin Position vector Direction vector of the line
pointing to the line of a point on the line (e.g. - AB OB OA = , simplified by factorization,
where t is just a constant )
2). Cartesian Equation of a line :

1 1 1
- - - 1 2 3
( for example : )
1 1 3
x x y y z z x y z
a b c

= = = =


Must know :
i ). interchange both vector & Cartesian equations of a line.
ii ). given 2 points, form equation.
iii). show a given point is on a given line.
iv). direction vector of x-axis or parallel to x-axis = i ,
direction vector of y-axis or parallel to y-axis = j ,
direction vector of z-axis or parallel to z-axis = k
3).Shortest distance (perpendicular distance) from a point C to a line =

p AC b =
Must know :
i ). given 1 point & 1 line, find p. (hint: using

p AC b = )
ii ). given 2 skewed lines, find p. (hint: using
1 2
1 2
. ,
b b
p AC n where n
b b

= =

)
iii). given 2 parallel lines, find p. (hint: using

p AC b = )
iv). always use modulus sign when finding distance using dot product of vectors.

(B) : Plane (a point
1 1 1
( , , ) A x y z on the plane and a normal vector n ai bj ck = + + are needed)
1). Vector Equation of a plane, t : . ( : . ( 2 - 2 ) - 3 ) r n d for example r i j k = + =
1 1 1
.
x a
y b x a y b z c
z c
| | | |
| |
= + +
| |
| |
\ . \ .

Vector from the origin Normal vector to unique scalar for a specific plane
Pointing to the plane the plane
2). Cartesian Equation of a plane :
. ax by cz d where d OA n + + = =


4/5


Must know :
i ). interchange both vector & Cartesian equations of a plane.
ii ). given 1 point on a plane & the normal vector, find the equation of plane.
iii). find the intersection point between a plane and x, y or z axis.
(e.g. for x-axis, y=0,z=0; substitute these into the planes Cartesian eq. to find x, i.e. (x,0,0))
iv). given 3 points on a plane,find the equation of the plane.
v ). given 2 points on a plane & a vector on the plane or a parallel line equation, find the equation of the
plane.
vi). given 1 point on a plane & 1 line equation on the plane, find the equation of plane.
vii).show a given point is on a given plane.
viii).show a given line is on a given plane.(hint: substitute the r of the line into the r of the plane and if the
dot product is equal to the value of d, then the line is on the plane)
ix). given 1 point, A above plane & 1 plane, find the perpendicular intersecting point, B from A to the plane.
(hint: find OB OA t n = + , then substitute the co-ordinates of B into the plane equation to find t)
x ). Given a line, l
1
on a plane,
1
t which is perpendicular to another plane
2
t , find
1
t .
(hint:
1 1 2 1
& obtain a point from n of n b t = l
1
)
3). Shortest distance (perpendicular distance) from the origin to a plane = . p r n =
4). Shortest distance from a point
1 1 1
( , y , z ) x to the plane ( 0 ax by cz d + + + = )
1 1 1
2 2 2



ax by cz d
a b c
+ + +
=
+ +

(note: this formula is derived from
2 1
p p p = and can be used directly)
(C) : Angles (All formulae in this part are derived using the dot product of 2 vectors)
(if cos u is ve, find also the acute angle of u )

1). Angle between 2 lines = u , (can be acute or obtuse), where
1 2
1 2
.
cos

b b
b b
u =
2). Angle between a line & a plane = u , where
.
cos sin sin

b n
and
b n
o u u = =
3). Angle between 2 planes = u , where
1 2
1 2
.
cos

n n
n n
u =




b

b

n

plane

o
u

u

u

1
n


2
n


2 plane

1 plane

5/5

(D) : Intersection
1). To find the intersecting point between lines l
1
:
1
r
1
1
a b = + & l
2
:
2
r
2 2
a b = + ,
Steps: i ). Start with
1
1
a b + =
2 2
a b +
ii ). Then equating the 3 coefficient of , , i j k respectively to find the values of and .
(note: the values of and must satisfy the 3 equations or otherwise the 2 lines not intersecting)
iii). Substitute the values of and back into l
1
or l
2
to find the intersecting point.

2). To find the intersecting point between a line l, r a tb = + and a plane , . r n d t = ,
Steps: i ). Substitute the r of the line into the r of the plane to find the value of t.
ii ). Substitute the value of t back into the line equation to find the intersecting point.

3). To find the intersecting line between the plane
1 2
and t t ,
Steps: i ). The direction vector of the intersecting line =
1 2
n n
ii ). Find a point on the intersecting line by using Cartesian equations of
1 2
and t t :
a). eliminate the variable z to obtain 1 equation with only x and y variables.
b). let x = any number which will cause y to be an integer.
c). substitute the values of x and y into one of the planes Cartesian equation to find z value.
d). write the intersecting line equation as r a tb = +




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