XAT 1503 Online Lecture Series

Lecture 5: Assignment 5

June 10, 2019

XAT 1503 Online Lecture Series

Introduction

I Welcome to Assignment 5 Lecture

I Assignment 5 covers the following sections from the
Prescribed Text Anton and the Study Guide
I Unit 3.1: Definition of a vector
I Unit 3.2: Norm, dot product and distance in ℜn
I Unit 3.3: Orthogonality
I Unit 3.5: Cross product

XAT 1503 Online Lecture Series

Introduction

The following concepts from Assignment 5 are covered in this

lecture
I Definition of a vector
I Addition and Subtraction of vectors
I Midpoint between two vectors
I Dot product
I Norm of a vector
I Cross product between two vectors
I Area of a triangle using vectors

XAT 1503 Online Lecture Series

Definition of a vector

I As you have read from the prescribed text Anton, a vector ⃗x

with a terminal point B and initial point A is written as
⃗x = AB⃗ = B − A.
I A vector, ⃗y , parallel to a given vector ⃗x is given by ⃗y = k⃗x
where k ∈ ℜ and k ̸= 0.
I The two parallel vectors are point in the same direction if
k > 0 and are pointing in opposite directions if k < 0.
I Clearly, there are an infinite number of vectors pointing either
in the same or opposite direction to a given vector.

XAT 1503 Online Lecture Series

Addition and Subtraction of vectors

I Like matrices, vectors are added or subtraction elementwise.

I For example, given u⃗ = (4, −1) and ⃗v = (−3, 3), we have

u⃗ + ⃗v = (4 − 3, −1 + 3) = (1, 2)
u⃗ − ⃗v = (4 + 3, −1 − 3) = (7, −4)
u − 5⃗v = (8, −2) − (−15, 15) = (8 + 15, −2 − 15) = (23, −17)
2⃗

XAT 1503 Online Lecture Series

A point on the line segment joining two points

I This slide considers a point lying on a line segment joining

two points, P and Q.
I Let the point D be located λ of the way from P to Q.
I This means we have D = P + λ(Q − P).
I If λ = 12 , then D becomes the midpoint between P and Q.
I Let’s cement this understanding with the following example in
the next slide.

XAT 1503 Online Lecture Series

A point on the line segment joining two points

I Let P be the point (2, 3, −2) and Q the point (7, −4, 1).
(a) Find the point on the line segment connecting the points P
and Q that is 34 of the way from P to Q.
(b) Find the midpoint of the line segment connecting the points P
and Q.

XAT 1503 Online Lecture Series

A point on the line segment joining two points

I Solution:
(a) λ = 34 , therefore
 
3 23 9 1
D = (2, 3, −2) + (5, −7, 3) = ,− ,
4 4 4 4

(b) λ = 12 , therefore
 
1 9 1 1
D = (2, 3, −2) + (5, −7, 3) = ,− ,−
2 2 2 2

XAT 1503 Online Lecture Series

Dot product and norm of a vector

I Consider two vectors in 2-space u⃗ = (4, −1) and ⃗v = (−3, 3).

The dot product of the two vectors is a defined as

u⃗ · ⃗v = 4(−3) + (−1)(3) = −15.

I The dot product, or inner product, can be generalised for

3-space and higher dimensions as the sum of the products of
the corresponding elements in the two vectors.
I The norm of a vector is the square root of the dot product of
a vector with itself.
√ √
I For example, if u⃗ = (4, −1), then ∥⃗
u ∥ = 42 + 12 = 17.
I The norm represents the geometrical distance between two
points.
I In 2-space, the norm gives the famous Pythagoras theorem.

XAT 1503 Online Lecture Series

Cross product

I Consider two vectors in 3-space, u⃗ = (2, 3, −2) and

⃗v = (7, −4, 1).
I The cross between the two vectors is easy to visualise as the
following determinant by cofactor expansion along the first
row:
i j k
3 −2 2 −2 2 3
2 3 −2 = i− j+ k
−4 1 7 1 7 −4
7 −4 1
= −5i − 16j − 29k

I Note that unlike the dot product, the cross product results in
a vector, ALWAYS.

XAT 1503 Online Lecture Series

Area of a triangle

I The cross product can be used to calculate the area of a

triangle.
I If two non-parallel vectors have the same initial point, then
they can be joined together to form a parallelogram.
I To get the area of the parallelogram determined by the two
vectors, simply take the norm of the cross product of the two
vectors.
I The area of the triangle determined by the two vectors is
simply half the area of the parallelogram determined by the
two vectors.
I The example on the next slide will help deepen understanding
of the area using cross product

XAT 1503 Online Lecture Series

Area of a triangle

I Find the area of a triangle determined by the points A(2, 0),

B(3, −4) and C (−1, 2).

XAT 1503 Online Lecture Series

Area of a triangle
I As you are given points, you have to work out the vectors in
3-space with common initial point.
I To get the area of the triangle determined by the three points,
pick a common starting point and evaluate two vectors to the
other two points.
I For example, let this starting point be point A.
I Thus we have the two vectors AB ⃗ = B − A = (1, −4, 0) and
⃗ = C − A = (−3, 6, 0).
AC
I Therefore
i j k
⃗ × AC
AB ⃗ = 1 −4 0 = −4 0 i − 1 0 j + 1 −4 k
6 0 −3 0 −3 6
−3 6 0
= 0i + 0j − 6k
I Therefore
Area = ∥0i + 0j − 6k∥ = 6 unit2
XAT 1503 Online Lecture Series
Conclusion

I We have come to the end of the online lecture for Assignment

5.
I You should now engage with the assignment, together with
the Study Guide, Prescribed Text and the Discussions on
myUnisa tutor page.

XAT 1503 Online Lecture Series