MAT pure2&3 vectors Flashcards
What are the two forms of representing vectors?
- Magnitude-direction form: (r, θ), where r is the magnitude and θ is the angle measured anticlockwise from the positive x-axis.
- Component form: xi + yj, where i and j are unit vectors in the x and y directions.
How do you convert a vector from magnitude-direction form to component form?
Given (r, θ), use:
x = r * cos(θ)
y = r * sin(θ)
The vector is x * i + y * j.
Example: Convert (10, 70°) to component form.
x = 10 * cos(70°) = 3.42
y = 10 * sin(70°) = 9.40
Vector = 3.42 * i + 9.40 * j
How do you calculate the magnitude of a vector given in component form?
For vector a = xi + yj:
|a| = sqrt(x^2 + y^2)
Example: Find the magnitude of 5i + 3j.
|a| = sqrt(5^2 + 3^2) = sqrt(25 + 9) = sqrt(34)
How do you convert a vector from component form to magnitude-direction form?
- Magnitude: r = sqrt(x^2 + y^2)
- Direction: θ = tan^(-1)(y / x)
Example: Convert 5i + 3j to magnitude-direction form.
Magnitude = sqrt(5^2 + 3^2) = sqrt(34)
Direction = tan^(-1)(3 / 5) = 31.0°
Vector = (sqrt(34), 31.0°)
What happens when you multiply a vector by a scalar?
Each component is multiplied by the scalar:
k * (xi + yj) = (k * x)i + (k * y)j
How do you add or subtract vectors?
Add or subtract their respective components:
(x1i + y1j) + (x2i + y2j) = (x1 + x2)i + (y1 + y2)j
What is a unit vector and how is it calculated?
A unit vector has a magnitude of 1. For vector a:
Unit vector = a / |a|
Example: Find the unit vector in the direction of 2i - 3j.
|a| = sqrt(2^2 + (-3)^2) = sqrt(4 + 9) = sqrt(13)
Unit vector = (2/sqrt(13))i - (3/sqrt(13))j
How do you calculate the magnitude of a 3D vector?
For vector a = xi + yj + zk:
|a| = sqrt(x^2 + y^2 + z^2)
Example: Find the magnitude of vector 4i - 3j + 2k.
|a| = sqrt(4^2 + (-3)^2 + 2^2) = sqrt(16 + 9 + 4) = sqrt(29)
How do you find the vector AB given points A(x1, y1, z1) and B(x2, y2, z2)?
AB = (x2 - x1)i + (y2 - y1)j + (z2 - z1)k
Example: Find AB for points A(4, -1, 2) and B(-1, 3, 1).
AB = (-1 - 4)i + (3 - (-1))j + (1 - 2)k
AB = -5i + 4j - k
|AB| = sqrt((-5)^2 + 4^2 + (-1)^2) = sqrt(42)
What is required to find the cartesian equation of a line?
- The coordinates of one point on the line.
- The gradient of the line (or the coordinates of a second point).
What is required to find the vector equation of a line?
- The position vector of one point on the line.
- The direction vector of the line (or the position vector of a second point).
What is the general vector equation of a line?
r = a + λd
Where:
- a is the position vector of a point on the line.
- d is the direction vector.
- λ is a parameter.
Example: Find the vector equation of a line through A(4, -1) and parallel to vector (4, 2).
a = (4, -1)
d = (4, 2)
Simplified direction vector: (2, 1)
Vector equation: r = (4, -1) + λ(2, 1)
How is the vector equation of a line joining points A and B written?
r = a + λ(b - a)
Where:
- a and b are the position vectors of points A and B.
- λ is a parameter.
Example: Find the vector equation of a line joining A(5, -2) and B(1, 3).
a = (5, -2)
b = (1, 3)
Vector equation: r = (5, -2) + λ(-4, 5)
What is the vector equation of a line in three dimensions?
r = a + λd
Where:
- a is the position vector of a point on the line.
- d is the direction vector.
- λ is a parameter.
Example: Find the vector equation of the line through A(1, -2, -3) and B(0, -2, 1).
a = (1, -2, -3)
b = (0, -2, 1)
d = b - a = (-1, 0, 4)
Vector equation: r = (1, -2, -3) + λ(-1, 0, 4)
How do you find the angle between two lines in three dimensions?
Scalar product: (3)(1) + (2)(0) + (-2)(-3) = 9
Magnitude of (3, 2, -2): sqrt(3^2 + 2^2 + (-2)^2) = sqrt(14)
Magnitude of (1, 0, -3): sqrt(1^2 + 0^2 + (-3)^2) = sqrt(10)
cos(θ) = 9 / (sqrt(14) * sqrt(10))
θ ≈ 40.5°
How do you find the intersection of two lines in two dimensions?
Equate the vector equations of the two lines and solve for the parameters to find the common point.
What are skew lines?
In three dimensions, skew lines are lines that do not intersect and are not parallel.
How do you find the distance of a point from a line?
Find the perpendicular distance from the point to the line by identifying the foot of the perpendicular and calculating its length.
What is the vector equation of a line in two dimensions?
The vector equation of a line is given by:
r = a + λd
Where:
- r is the position vector of a point on the line,
- a is the position vector of a known point on the line,
- d is the direction vector of the line,
- λ is a scalar parameter.
Example: Find the vector equation of the line through A(4, -1) parallel to vector (4, 2).
- Position vector of A: a = [4, -1].
- Direction vector: d = [4, 2].
- Equation:
r = a + λd
r = [4, -1] + λ[4, 2].
How is the vector equation of a line in three dimensions written?
The general form is:
r = a + λd
Where:
- a is the position vector of a point on the line,
- d is the direction vector,
- λ is a scalar parameter.
Example: Find the vector equation of the line joining A(1, 2, -3) and B(0, -2, 1)
- Position vectors:
a = [1, 2, -3], b = [0, -2, 1]. - Direction vector:
d = b - a = [0 - 1, -2 - 2, 1 + 3] = [-1, -4, 4]. - Equation:
r = a + λd
r = [1, 2, -3] + λ[-1, -4, 4].
How do you find the angle between two lines?
The angle θ between two lines is found using their direction vectors a and b:
cos(θ) = (a * b) / (|a| |b|)
Where:
- a * b is the scalar product,
- |a| and |b| are the magnitudes of the vectors.
Example: Find the angle between lines with direction vectors [3, 1, -2] and [1, 0, -3]
- Scalar product:
a * b = (3)(1) + (1)(0) + (-2)(-3) = 3 + 0 + 6 = 9. - Magnitudes:
|a| = √(3² + 1² + (-2)²) = √14,
|b| = √(1² + 0² + (-3)²) = √10. - cos(θ) = 9 / (√14 * √10) = 9 / √140.
θ ≈ 40.5°.
What is the condition for two lines to intersect?
Two lines intersect if there exists a common position vector r that satisfies both equations. Solve simultaneously:
r₁ = a₁ + λd₁
r₂ = a₂ + μd₂
Example: Find the intersection point of the lines:
r₁ = [5, 0] + λ[4, 1]
r₂ = [-2, 1] + μ[1, 3]
- Solve:
[5 + 4λ, λ] = [-2 + μ, 1 + 3μ].
Equating components:
5 + 4λ = -2 + μ,
λ = 1 + 3μ. - Solve simultaneously:
λ = 2, μ = 3. - Substitute into r₁:
r = [5 + 4(2), 0 + 2] = [13, 2].
Intersection point: (13, 2)
What is the distance of a point from a line in 3D?
The shortest distance is the perpendicular distance:
d = |(p - a) × d| / |d|
Where:
- p is the position vector of the point,
- a is a point on the line,
- d is the direction vector of the line,
- × represents the vector cross product.
Example: Find the distance of point P(2, 1, -2) from the line r = [1, 1, 2] + λ[2, -1, 3].
- Direction vector: d = [2, -1, 3].
- Vector from point to line: v = p - a = [2 - 1, 1 - 1, -2 - 2] = [1, 0, -4].
- Cross product:
v × d = [[i, j, k], [1, 0, -4], [2, -1, 3]] = [4, -11, -1]. - Magnitude:
|v × d| = √(4² + (-11)² + (-1)²) = √138.
|d| = √(2² + (-1)² + 3²) = √14. - Distance:
d = |v × d| / |d| = √138 / √14 ≈ 3.14