EQUALITY OF VECTORS

Vectors which are in the same plane are called coplanar vectors. Two vectors a and b are equal

if they have the same magnitude as well as direction. Equal vectors are parallel and are in the

same direction.

Example

Let a be represented by the directed line segment from (0, 0) to (3, 2), and b be represented by

the directed line segment from (1, 2) to (4, 4). Show that a and b are equivalent or equal.

4
3
2
1
0
-4 -3 -2 -1 1 2 3 4
-1
-2
-3
-4

| | a || (3  0) 2  (2  0) 2

 13

|| b || (4  1) 2  (4  2) 2

 13

|| a ||  || b || . Hence, magnitude of a is equal to magnitude of b .

 20 2
Slope of a  
30 3

42 2
Slope of b  
4 1 3

The slope of a and the slope of b are equal and have the same sign.

 a is equal to b .

NB We could as well use direction cosines; or parallelism of vectors to show directions.

EXERCISES FOR THE WEEKEND

1. If r1  3i  2 j  k and r2  2i  j  3k , find the magnitude and direction cosines of the

following:

a. r1  r2

b. r2  r1

2. Normalise the following vectors:

a. r1  3i  2 j  k

b. r2  2i  j  3k

3. Given that r2  2i  j  3k and r2  2i  j  3k , find r1  r2

4. Given that OC  a  b and OD  2a  3b , where a  3i  2 j  k and b  2i  j  3k ,

find CD .
 PARALLEL VECTORS

Two nonzero vectors a and b are said to be parallel if a   b , for some scalar number  . If

  0 , a and b are said to have the same direction. If   0 , a and b are said to have opposite

directions.

We note that the zero vector is parallel to all vectors.

EXAMPLE

Given a  2i  2 j  6k

b  i  j  3k

c  i  j  3k

Investigate if a is parallel to:

1. b

2. c

Solution

1. a   b


2i  2 j  6k   i  j  3k 
2
2   
6  3

  2
a is parallel to b and they are in the same direction.

CLASSWORK

1. Let a  i  j  2k

b  2i  j  2k

c  3i  3 j  6k

d  2i  2 j  4k

a. Which vectors are parallel?

b. Which vectors have same direction?

c. Which vectors have opposite directions?

2. Find  given that 3i  j  k and  i  4 j  4k are parallel.

Solution

1 a.) a , b and d are parallel.

b.) a and c have same direction

c.) a and c are opposite to d .

1
2.    and   12
4
 LINEAR INDEPENDENCE AND DEPENDENCE OF VECTORS

Two vectors a and b that are not parallel are said to be linearly independent. If a and b are

linearly independent vectors, then the only scalars  and  for which  a   b  0 are   0

and   0 .

An expression of the form  a   b is called a linear combination of vectors a and b .

EXAMPLE

Show that v1  9i  j and v2  2i  8 j are linearly independent.

Solution

9  2   0 
       
 1  8   0 

9  2  0

  8  0

  0 and   0

 v1 and v2 are linearly independent.

EXAMPLE

Given that v1  (1,1) and v2  (3, 2) , show that v1 and v2 are linearly independent.

Solution

 (1,1)   (3, 2)  (0,0)

  3  0

  2  0

  3

  2

  0 and   0

 v1 and v2 are linearly independent.

EXAMPLE

Show that v1  (1 1) , v2  (3 2) and v3  (2 4) are linearly dependent.

Solution

 (1 1)   (3 2)   (2 4)  (0 0)

  3  2  0

  2  4  0

  3  2

  2  4

3  2  2  4

5  2

  2 ,   5 and   16
 v1 , v2 and v3 are linearly dependent.

EXERCISES FOR THE WEEKEND

Investigate if the following vectors are linearly dependent or independent in each case.

1.) v1  (2, 3) and v2  (4, 6)

2.) a  (3, 2) and b  (6, 2)

3.) u1  (2, 1) , u2  (4,  1) and u3  (2, 2)

4.) u  (3, 2) , v  (6, 2) and w  (3, 1)

ASSIGNMENT

1. Given that OC  a  b and OD  2a  3b , where a  3i  2 j  k and b  2i  j  3k ,

find CD .

2. Find  given that 3i  j  k and  i  4 j  4k are parallel.

3. Solve the following systems of equations

x  5y  7
(i.)
2 x  7 y  5

2x  y  3
(ii.)
2 x  y  5

4. Investigate if the following vectors are linearly dependent or independent in each case.

(i.) v1  2i  3 j and v1  4i  6 j

(ii.) a  3i  2 j and b  6i  2 j