4.
Find the work done by a force F = 5i (magnitude 5 N ) along the line from the origin to the point
(1, 1) . (Distance measured in metres).
[Solution] Recall: Work done is F · d.
Thus, the work done is 5i · (i + j) = 5J.
....................................................................................................
height
5. A water main is to be constructed with at 20% grade (i.e., slope = = 0.2) in the
horizontal distance
north direction and a 10% grade in the east direction. Determine the angle required in the water
main for the turn from north to east (i.e., the angle you need to bend the water main).
[SOLUTION] Set the positive x-axis along the east, the positive y-axis along the north, and the posi-
tive z-axis along the upward direction.
Let u = 10j + 2k which is parallel to the pipe in the north direction and v = 10i + k which is parallel
to the pipe in the east direction.
To find the angle , we use dot-product of u and v.
The angle required satisfies
u · v = kuk kuk cos ;
p p
which is 2 = 104 101 cos .
2p
Thus, cos = p
104 101
and hence 1.55 rad, or 88.88 .
....................................................................................................
2
6. Let u and v be vectors in R3 .
(a) Using kwk2 = w · w and some properties of dot products, prove that
2
ku ± vk = kuk2 ± 2u · v + kvk2 .
Hence prove that
1 1
u·v = ku + vk2 ku vk2 .
4 4
(b) Use part (a) to prove that two vectors u and v are perpendicular if and only if ku + vk = ku vk.
Also, interpret this geometrically in R2 .
[SOLUTION]
(a) We use kwk2 = w · w and properties
(u ± v) · w = (u · w) ± (v · w),
w · (u ± v) = (w · u) ± (w · v), and
v · u = u · v.
2
ku ± vk = (u ± v) · (u ± v) = ((u ± v) · u) ± ((u ± v) · v)
= ((u · u ± v · u) ± ((u · v ± v · v)
= u · u ± 2u · v + v · v = kuk2 ± 2u · v + kvk2 .
1 1 1 1
ku + vk2 ku vk2 = ((u + v) · (u + v)) ((u v) · (u v))
4 4 4 4
1 1 1
= (u · u + 2u · v + v · v) (u · u 2u · v + v · v) = (4u · v) = u · v.
4 4 4
WARNING: The following are incorrect:
ku + vk2 = kuk2 + 2 kuk kvk +kvk2 .
| {z }
W RON G!
ku + vk2 = u2
|{z} +2u · v + v2
|{z} .
W RON G! W RON G!
(b) If u and v are perpendicular, then u · v = 0. Therefore,
1 1
ku + vk2 ku vk2 = 0
4 4
) ku + vk2 = ku vk2 .
Since both ku + vk and ku vk are positive, we have
ku + vk = ku vk.
Note that the parallelogram with sides u and v is a rectangle when u and v are perpendicular. Thus,
the result says that a parallelogram is a rectangle if and only if its two diagonals have the same length.
....................................................................................................
3
7. (a) Find the vector equation of the line through A (1, 0, 1) and B (1, 1, 1).
(b) Find the parametric equation of the line through P (1, 2, 1) and Q (1, 0, 1).
(c) Find the parametric equation of the line through the point R (2, 4, 5) and perpendicular to the
plane 3x + 7y 5z = 21.
[Solution] To obtain an equation of a line, we must find a direction vector and the position vector of
a point on this line.
!
(a) Positive vector of a point on this line OA = (1, 0, 1)
! ! !
Direction vector : AB = OB OA = (0, 1, 0).
Thus, a vector equation of this line is : r = (1, 0, 1) + t(0, 1, 0), t 2 R.
!
(b) Positive vector of a point on this line OP = (1, 2, 1)
Direction vector v = (2, 2, 2).
Parametric equation: x = 1 2t, y = 2 2t, z = 1 + 2t, t 2 R.
(c) Direction vector is the normal to the plane. Thus, we have v = (3, 7, 5).
Parametric equation: x = 2 + 3t, y = 4 + 7t, z = 5 5t, t 2 R.
....................................................................................................
8. Consider vectors u = i + j + 2k and v = 2i + j 2k.
(i) Find a unit vector that is perpendicular to vectors u and v.
(ii) Determine the scalar equation of the plane which passes through the point (1, 1, 0) and is
parallel to u and v. What is the distance between planes and the plane containing the origin
and parallel to u and v?
[SOLUTION] NOTE: A plane is determined by a point on this plane and a normal vector (usually
denoted by n). Since the plane is parallel to u and v, the vector n = u v is a normal vector.
1 2 1 2 1 1
(i) Let n = uv =
, , = (4, 6, 1). Thus, a unit vector required
1 2 2 2 2 1
n
is n̂ = knk = p153 (4, 6, 1).
(ii) The scalar equation of the plane which passes through (1, 1, 0) and is parallel to u and v is
4x + 6y z = 2.
Note that the point O lies on the plane containing both u and v.
The distance between planes and the plane containing u and v is given by
! 1
2
OP · n̂ = (1, 1, 0) · p (4, 6, 1) = p .
53 53
....................................................................................................
9. (a) Find the vector equation and scalar equation of the plane through the point P (1, 1, 3) parallel
to the plane 3x + y + z = 7.
(b) Find the vector equation of the plane through A (1, 2, 1) perpendicular to OA.
[Solution]
(a) From the equation of the plane 3x + y + z = 7, we obtain a normal vector n = (3, 1, 1) of the
plane via the coe¢cients of x, y and z.
!
Thus, a vector equation of this plane is given by P R · n = 0, i.e., (r (1, 1, 3)) · (3, 1, 1) = 0;
which gives r · (3, 1, 1) = 5. Scalar equation: 3x + y + z = 5.
!
(b) Normal vector is n = OA. Vector equation : (r (1, 2, 1)) · (1, 2, 1) = 0, i.e., r · (1, 2, 1) = 6.
4
....................................................................................................
10. (a) Find the distance from S (3, 1, 4) to the line ` : x = 4 t, y = 3 + 2t, z = 5 + 3t.
(b) Find the distance from S (2, 3, 4) to the plane x + 2y + 2z = 13.
(c) Find the distance between the two planes x + 2y + 6z = 1 and x + 2y + 6z = 10.
p
9 42 9
[Answers] (a) (b) 3 (c) p .
7 41
[Solution] It is helpful to draw a diagram to have an idea of the problem, and use your diagram to find
the distance via dot-product or cross-product.
(a)
To find the distance from S (3, 1, 4) to the line ` : x = 4 t, y = 3 + 2t, z = 5 + 3t, we need a
!
point P on the line. We take OP = (4, 3, 5), with t = 0.
A direction vector is t v = (1, 2, 3) .
The required distance is given by
! !
1
b =
d = P S sin = P S v (1, 4, 9) p (1, 2, 3)
14
p
1 6 9 42
= p k(30, 6, 6)k = p k(5, 1, 1)k = .
14 14 7
5
(b)
To find the distance from S (2, 3, 4) to the plane x + 2y + 2z = 13, we begin with finding a point
!
P on the plane by setting y = 0 and z = 0 to get x = 13. Thus OP = (13, 0, 0), and a normal
vector n = (1, 2, 2).
The required distance is given by
! !
b
d = P S | cos | = P S · n
1 11 6 + 8
= (11, 3, 4) · p (1, 2, 2) = = 3.
9 3
(c)
To find the distance between the two planes x + 2y + 6z = 1 and x + 2y + 6z = 10, we find two
points P and Q on each plane as follows:
Set y = 0 and z = 0 in both equations gives x = 1 and x = 10 respectively. Thus, we have
! ! !
OP = (1, 0, 0) and OQ = (10, 0, 0) so that P Q = (9, 0, 0).
A normal vector n = (1, 2, 6).
The required distance is given by
! !
b
d = P Q | cos | = P Q · n
p
1 9 9 41
= (9, 0, 0) · p (1, 2, 6) = p or .
41 41 41
....................................................................................................
6
11. Consider four distinct points A (0, 0, 0), B (1, 2, 0), C (0, 3, 2) and D (3, 4, 5) where AB, AC and
AD are three edges of a parallelepiped.
(i) Find the volume of the parallelepiped via scalar triple product.
(ii) If A, B and C are three vertices on the base of the parallelepiped, compute the height of the
parallelepiped.
(iii) Let `1 be the line through A and B and `2 the line through D and parallel to AC. What is the
distance between the skew lines `1 and `2 ?
[SOLUTION]
! ! !
(i) AB = i + 2j, AC = 3j + 2k and AD = 3i 4j + 5k.
! ! ! ! !
Volume is AB AC · AD where AB AC = (4, 2, 3).
Thus the required volume is
|(4, 2, 3) · (3, 4, 5)| = 5.
(ii) Volume of parallelepiped = base area x height.
! ! p
Base area of parallelepiped = AB AC = k(4, 2, 3)k = 29.
Height of the parallelepiped = p5 .
29
(iii) Note that lines lie on opposite planes, one of which contains the parallelogram with sides AB and AC.
Thus the distance between `1 and `2 is height of the parallelepiped which p5 .
29
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