Vectors

Multiple Choice Questions

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1. If the vectors a, b, c form the sides BC, CA and AB of a triangle ABC, then
     
(a) a  b  c  c  c  a  0
     
(b) a  b  b  c  c  a
     
(c) a  b  b  c  c  a
      
(d) a  b  b  c  c  a  0.
 
2. A force F  2iˆ  ˆj  kˆ acts at a point A whose position vector is 2iˆ  ˆj. If point of application of F moves from

A to the point B with position vector 2iˆ  ˆj, then work done by F is
(a) 4 (b) 20
(c) 2 (d) None of these
     2   2   2
3. If a, b and c are unit vectors, then a  b  b  c  c a does not exceed.
(a) 4 (b) 9
(c) 8 (d) 6.
    
4. If  is the angle between a and b and a  b  a  b , then  =
(a) 0 (b) 
 
(c) (d) .
2 2
     
5. If a, b, c are any three mutually perpendicular vectors of equal magnitude a, then a  b  c is equal to

(a) a (b) 2a
(c) 3 a (d) None of these.
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6. If a and b are two unit vectors such that a  2b and 5a  4b are perpendicular to each other then the angle
 
between a and b is
(a) 45° (b) 60°
(c) cos1 (1/3) (d) cos1 (2/7).
 
7. The vector AB  3iˆ  3kˆ and AC  5iˆ  2jˆ  4kˆ are the sides of a triangle ABC. The length of the median
through A is
(a) 288 (b) 18
(c) 72 (d) 33.
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8. If | a | 3, | b | 4 then a value of  for which a  b is perpendicular to a  b is
9 3
(a) (b)
16 4
3 4
(c) (d)
2 3
     
9. If a  ˆi  2jˆ  3kˆ and b  3iˆ  ˆj  2kˆ then the angle between the vectors a  b and a  b is
(a) 60° (b) 120°
(c) 45° (d) 90°
10. The values of a, for which the points A, B, C with position vectors 2iˆ  ˆj  k,
ˆ ˆi  3ˆj  5kˆ and aiˆ  3ˆj  kˆ

respectively are the vertices of a right angled triangle with C  are
2
(a) 2 and 1 (b) 2 and 1
(b) 2 and 1 (d) 2 and 1.
       
11. If a and b are the two vectors such | a | 3 3, | b | and | a  b | 7, then the angle between a and b is
(a) 120° (b) 60°
(c) 30° (d) 150°.
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12. If the area of the parallelogram with a and b as two adjacent sides is 15 square units, then the area of the
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parallelogram having 3a  2b and a  3b as two adjacent sides (in square units) is
(a) 120 (b) 105
 (c) 75 (d) 45.
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13. If a and b are unit vectors inclined at an angle of 30° to each other, then which one of the following is
correct?
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(a) | a  b | 2 (b) | a  b | 2
   
(c) | a  b | 1 (d) 1 | a  b | 2.
14. For unit vectors x, y, if
2(x  y) | x || y |,
Then what is the angle between x and y ?

(a) (b) 0
3
 
(c) (d) .
2 6
 HINTS AND SOLUTIONS
     
1. (b) Given a  BC,b  CA and c  AB, therefore,
      
a  b  c  BC  CA  AB  0
  
 a  b  c
    
 (a  b)  c  ( c)  c
    
 ac  bc  0
   
 b  c  a  c
   
 b  c  c  c.
   
Similarly, c  a  a  b.
     
Hence, a  b  b  c  c  a.
 
2. (c) Required work done = F  AB.
 (2iˆ  ˆj  k)
ˆ  {(2iˆ  ˆj)  (2iˆ  ˆj)}
3. (b) First, we note that
     
| a  b  c |2 | a |2  | b |2  | c |2
     
2(a  b  b  c  c  a)
     
 3  2(a  b  b  c  c  a)
     
 a b  b c  c a
1    3 3
 | a  b  c |2   
2 2 2
     
  2(a  b  b  c  c  a)  3 …(1)
     
 | a  b |2  | b  c |2  | c  a |2
     
2[a  b  b  c  c  a]
     
 2  2  2  2[a  b  b  c  c  a]
 63 [Using (1)]
   
4. (d) | a  b || a  b |
 absin   abcos  
 | sin  | c os  
( 0    )
 3
 | tan       or .
4 4
        
5. (c) | a  b  c |2  a  b  c)  (a  b  c)
  
| a |2  | b |2  | c |2
     
(2[a  b  b  c  c  a]
 a2  a2  a2  3a2
  
 | a  b  c | 3a.
   
6. (b) Since a  2b and 5a  4bare
Perpendicular. Therefore,
   
(a  2b).(5a  5b)  0
       
 5a  a  8b  b  10b  a  4a  b  0
 
 5  8  6b  a  0
  3 1
 ba  
6 2
1
 cos   ,
2
 
where  is the angle between a and b.
   
7. (d) Now BC  AC  AB  2iˆ  2j.
ˆ
  
( AB  BC  AC)

 | AB || AB | 3 2  4 2  5,

| AC || AC | 25  4  16  45

and | BC || BC | 22  ( 2)2  8  2 2
If the median through A is [AD] then
2 2 2 2
AB + AC = 2 (AD + BD ),
1
| BD | | BC | 2 +
2
1
 AD2  (AB2  AC2  2BD2 ).
2
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8. (d) (a  b)  (a   b)
   
if (a  b)  (a   b)  0
   
i.e. if (a  a)   2 (b  b)  0
 
i.e. if | a |2   2 | b |2
i.e. if 32   2 42
3
i.e. if    .
4
 
9. (d) Here,  b  4iˆ  ˆj  kˆ
a
 
and a  b  2iˆ  3ˆj  5kˆ
   
Let  be the angle between a  b and a  b
   
(a  b)  (a  b)
 cos      
| a  b || a  b |
4  ( 2)  1 3  ( 1)  ( 5)
 0
4  12  ( 1)2 ( 2)2  32  ( 5)2
2

   90.
  
10. (b) As C  , therefore, AC .BC  0
2
 (P.V. of C  P.V. of A) . (P.V. of C  P.V. of B) = 0
 (aiˆ  3ˆj  kˆ  2iˆ  ˆj  k)ˆ
(aiˆ  3ˆj  kˆ  ˆi  3ˆj  5k)
ˆ 0
 ((a  2)iˆ  2j).((a
ˆ  1)iˆ  6k)
ˆ 0
 (a  2)  (a  1)  (2)  0  0  6  0
 a  1,2.
 
11. (d) | a  b | 7
 
 | a  b |2  7
   
 (a  b)  (a  b)  7
   
 | a |2  | b |2 2a  b  7

 (2 3)2  42  2 | a|cos   
 
where  is the angle between a and b
 2  (2 3)  4cos     
36  3
 cos     Cos (180° - 30°)
24 3 2
   150.

 
12. (b) Given | a  b | 15
Required area
   
 (3a  2b)  (a  3b)
    
 (3a)  (3b)  (2b)  (a)
     
( a  a  0 and also b  b  0)
   
 9(a  b)  2(a  b)
 
 7 ab
 7 15  105.
 2
13. (d) Here, a  b
   
 (a  b)  (a  b)
     
 a  a  b  b  2a  b
2 2  
 a  b  2 a b cos30

3
 1  1  2  1 1
2
 2 3
Since 1  2  3  4, therefore,
 2
1  a  b  4.
14. (a) Given 2(x  y)  x) y)
 2 | x | | y |cos  | x | | y |
where  is the angle between x and y
 2cos   
1 
 cos     .
2 3