Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1
Triple product and product of four vectors
b xc
15. i) If a , b , c are any three non–coplanar vectors, then the vectors a ' , b ' , c' defined by a ' = ,
[ a b c]
cx a a xb
b' = c' = are called the reciprocal system to the vectors a , b , c .
[ a b c] [ a b c]
ii) a.a' = b.b ' = c.c ' = 1
1
iii) [ a ' b ' c' ] =
[ a b c]
iv) a . b ' = b .c' = c. a ' = ... = 0
v) Any vector r can be expressed as
r = (r.a ' )a + (r.b ' )b + (r.c ' )c
16. i) The vector equation of the plane containing three non collinear points with position vectors
a , b , c is r.( b xc + cx a + a x b ) = [ a b c]
ii) Equation of plane passing through a , b and parallel to c is r.( b xc + cxa ) = [ a b c]
iii) Equation of plane passing through a and parallel to b and c is r.( b xc) = [ a b c] .
b xc + c x a + a x b
iv) A unit vector perpendicular to the plane passing through a , b , c is .
| b xc + c x a + a x b |
v) Length of the perpendicular from the origin to the
| [ a b c] |
plane passing through a , b , c is
| b xc + c x a + a x b |
a . p b . p c. p
17. [ a b c][ p q r] = a . q b . q c. q
a . r b . r c. r