M P3 CHAPTER 7

FM P1 CHAPTER 8

VECTORS

7.1 VECTOR EQUATION A LINE

- INTRODUCTION

Always use directional

vector if you are
applying
dot / scalar product or
cross / vector product

the position
vector of a fixed
point on the line

a variable
scalar

the direction
of / parallel to the
line

Note: There is no unique vector equations.

Dot / scalar product

to find angles

Cross / vector product

to find the common

perpendicular of 2
lines / normal vector
of a plane

IMPORTANT: If the dot product of

2 vectors is equal to zero, then the
2 vectors are perpendicular to
each other.

Plus Minus Plus

7.1 VECTOR EQUATION

- HOW THE QUESTION IS ASKED DURING THE EXAM

Example 7.1:
Find a vector equation that passes through the coordinate and is parallel to
the vector .

Answer:

Position vector

or

7.1 VECTOR EQUATION

- HOW THE QUESTION IS ASKED DURING THE EXAM

Example 7.2:
Find a vector equation for the line through the points and .

Answer:

or

7.2 EQUATION OF A PLANE

- INTRODUCTION

If

is the Cartesian equation of a plane, then

every

vector that is perpendicular to this

plane, i.e. the normal vector of this plane,
is

7.2 EQUATION OF A PLANE (FM)

- INTRODUCTION

Always use directional

vector if you are
applying
dot / scalar product or
cross / vector product

the position
vector of a fixed
point on the line

a variable
scalar

Two non-parallel

direction in
the plane

Note: There is no unique vector equations.

7.2 EQUATION OF A PLANE

- HOW THE QUESTION IS ASKED DURING THE EXAM

Example 7.3:
Find the Cartesian equation of the plane through the point with normal .

Solution:
The
equation is
The constant has to be chosen so that the plane passes through . The
constant is therefore
So the equation is

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7.2 EQUATION OF A PLANE

- HOW THE QUESTION IS ASKED DURING THE EXAM

Example 7.4:
Find the Cartesian equation of the plane , given , and .

Solution:

1.

Identify two vectors on the plane.

and

2.

Perform vector / cross product.

3.

Substitute any position vectors on the plane, say ,

4.

Now, we obtain the equation of the plane as

or
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7.2 EQUATION OF A PLANE

- HOW THE QUESTION IS ASKED DURING THE EXAM

Example 7.4:
Find the Cartesian equation of the plane , given , and .

Solution:
1.
Identify two vectors on the plane. and

Vector equation of a plane (for FM)

2. Perform vector / cross product.
3. Substitute any position vectors on the plane, say ,
Every time you perform cross product, you obtain
the
normal
vector the
of the
plane of the plane as
4.
Now,
we obtain
equation
Common perpendicular oforand
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7.3 PERPENDICULAR DISTANCE

- FROM A LINE INTRODUCTION

1. Find a point on the line such that

is perpendicular to .

la
u
c
di
n
pe nce
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Pe sta
di

2. By using the dot product, solve

to obtain the value of .

3. By substituting this , you obtain

the coordinate of point . The
magnitude
of
is
the
perpendicular distance of from .

Foot of the
perpendicular

7.3 PERPENDICULAR DISTANCE

- FROM A LINE HOW THE QUESTION IS ASKED DURING THE EXAM

Example 7.5:

Find the perpendicular distance of the point from

the line .

Solution:

Let to be a point on the line so that is perpendicular

to the line.
.
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7.3 PERPENDICULAR DISTANCE

- FROM A PLANE INTRODUCTION

The perpendicular distance of a

point with position vector from the
plane is

Perpendicular
distance

Foot of the
perpendicular

7.3 PERPENDICULAR DISTANCE

- FROM A PLANE HOW THE QUESTION IS ASKED DURING THE EXAM

Example 7.6:
Find the distance of the point from the plane with equation

Solution:

7.3 PERPENDICULAR DISTANCE (FM)

- BETWEEN 2 LINES INTRODUCTION

Given two lines

then the shortest distance between two lines
is
The positive

value
The modulus
of

7.3 PERPENDICULAR DISTANCE (FM)

- BETWEEN 2 LINES HOW THE QUESTION IS ASKED DURING THE

EXAM
Example 7.7:
The position vectors of the points , , ,
are , , ,
respectively. Find the shortest distance between the line
and .

Solution:

7.4 INTERSECTION POINT

- BETWEEN 2 LINES HOW THE QUESTION IS ASKED DURING THE

EXAM
Example 7.8:
Find the value of for which the lines and intersect.

Solution:
Since
both lines intersect,

The first two equations give and .
Putting these values into the third equation gives .

7.4 INTERSECTION POINT

- BETWEEN A LINE & A PLANE

- HOW THE QUESTION IS ASKED DURING THE EXAM

Example 7.9: Find the coordinates of the point of intersection of the line
with the plane .

Answer:

Substitute into the equation of the plane,

7.4 INTERSECTION (A VECTOR EQN)

- BETWEEN 2 PLANES HOW THE QUESTION IS ASKED DURING THE

EXAM
Example 7.10:
Find the vector equation for the line of intersection of the planes

and

Solution:

By , we obtain
Let , then , and
Let , then , and
Therefore the vector equation for the intersection of the planes can be
or
Note that, the answers obtained are not unique.

7.5 ANGLE SCALAR PRODUCT

Between 2 lines or between 2 planes

Between a line and a plane

Note: acute angle

7.5 ANGLE SCALAR PRODUCT

Example 7.11:
Find the angle between the planes and .

Solution:

Normal vector of the plane will be used

Negative dot product at the RHS will not give acute angle.

7.5 ANGLE SCALAR PRODUCT

Example 7.12:
Find the acute angle between the line and the plane .

Solution:

Directional vector will be

used, not the position vector

Negative dot product at the RHS will not give acute angle.
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7.6 AREA OF A TRIANGLE (FM)

Area of a triangle

Example 7.13:

Find the area of triangle where the

given coordinates of is , is and is .

Solution:
Area ##