12th Hacker - CBSE 2025

MATHS VECTORS FORMULA SHEET

• Addition of vectors
! B
In the side wise figure the sum of the vectors a
! !!!" !!!" !!!" " " ! !
and b is defined as OB = OA + AB = a + b . a+b
Obviously, we can choose any point as origin.
!
Hence, the sum of two vectors is independent of b
the choice of initial point (or origin). Since, OAB O A
is a triangle, this is also called the triangle law of !
addition. a
A
!!!" ! !
Moreover, the magnitude of OB is not equal to the sum of the magnitude of vectors a and b . If
!!!" " " " ! ! !!!" !!!"
OB = a + b = 0 , i,e. O and B coincide, then b = - a or AB is negative of OA .
! ! ! !
n Vector addition is commutative i,e. a + b = b + a .
! ! ! ! ! !
n ( ) (
Vector addition is associative i,e. a + b + c = a + b + c .)
! ! ! !
n The process of addition may be extended to several vectors. Thus , to add n vectors a1,a2 ,a3 ,...,an ,
we choose O as the origin and draw
!!!!!" " !!!!!!" " !!!!!!!" " !!!!!!!!!" "
OA1 = a1, A1A 2 = a2 , A 2 A 3 = a3 ,..., A n -1A n = an
" " " !!!!!!!" !!!!!!!!" !!!!!"
so that a1 + a2 + ... + an == OA n-1 + A n-1A n = OA n
!!!!!"
Hence the sum is represented by OA n . This is called the polygon law of addition.
! ! !
n If three vectors a1,a2 ,a3 are represented by three sides of a triangle, taken in order,
! ! ! ! ! ! !
then a1 + a2 + a3 = 0 . If vector a1,a2 ,...,an , taken in order, are represented by then sides of a
! ! ! !
polygon, then a1 + a2 + ... + an = 0 .
Scalar multiplication of vectors
! ! !
n (mn ) a = m (na ) = n (ma ) (m, n scalars).
! ! !
n (m + n ) a = ma + na
! ! ! !
n ( )
m a + b = ma + mb
" "
a b ! !
n We have, a! = and b! = . If a and b are like vectors, then â = bˆ , so that
a b
! !
a b ! a ! ! b !
= Þ a = b or, b = a .
a b b a
Hence, one vector can be expressed as a scalar multiple of the other.
Position vectors in rectangular Cartesian system:

Vectors xi, ˆ zkˆ are called the components of vector !r in the

ˆ yj, z
directions of the co–ordinate axes. (x, y, z) is sometimes called the C
! P(x,y,z)
position vector of P(x, y, z) and we denote it as P(r ) Then k̂
!!!" "
(OP)2 = OP = x 2 + y 2 + z2 = r .
B
O ĵ
î
A y
P1
x
!!!"
• if A(x1, y1, z1) and B(x2, y2, z2) be any two points in space. Then vector AB can be written as (using (1)),
!!!" !!!" !!!"
AB = OB - OA = a1ˆi + a2 ˆj + a3kˆ where a1 = x2 – x1, a2 = y2 – y1, a3 = z2 – z1.
! ! !
n The points A, B, C whose position vectors are a, b, c , are collinear if AB + BC = AC
!!!" !!!" !!!"
or if AB + BC = AC A B C
 ! ! ! ! ! !
i.e. if b - a + c - b = c - a .

Director Cosines of a Vector:

" !!!"
• Let a, b, g be the angles which the vector r ( = OP ) makes with the positive directions of the
x-axis, the y-axis and z-axis respectively. The cosine of these angles i.e. cosa, cosb and cosg are called
!
the direction cosines of the vector r . The direction cosines are usually denoted by
x
l, m, n respectively. From the right angled triangles OAP, OBP and OCP, we find that cosa = ! ,
r
y z
cosb = ! , cosg = !
r r
x 2 + y 2 + z2
Þ cos2a + cos2b + cos2g = !2 = 1.
r
!
Þ The direction cosines (l, m, n) in this order, thus constitute a unit vector along the vector r . For any
!
non-zero constant k, kl, km, kn are called the direction ratios of r .
Dividing a line segment in a given ratio (Section formula)
! ! B
µa + lb µ
In the side wise figure the position vector of P is !
µ+l b P

l
O ! A
a
! !
a+b
n If P is the mid–point of AB, then l = µ, and hence the position vector of P is .
2
! !
lb - µa
n The position vector of the point P which divides AB (externally) in the ratio l : µ is .
l-µ
Product of two vectors:
• The product of two numbers is a number. But the product of two vectors is defined in two ways, namely,
scalar product where the result is a scalar and vector product where the result is a vector quantity.
Scalar product of two vectors (dot product):
! !
• The scalar product of two vectors a and b is given by |a| |b| cosq, where q (0 £ q £ p) is the angle
! ! !! !! ! ! ! !
( )
between the vectors a and b . It is denoted by a.b = b.a , and for q = 0, a × b =| a | | b | .
!! !
n a.a = a2 =| a |2 , as q = 0.
! ! ! !
n Two vectors a and b make an acute angle if a × b > 0 ,
!!
an obtuse angle if a.b < 0 and are at right angle if !
!! b cos q
a.b = 0.

!
a
! ! ! !! !!
n (
a. b + c ) = a.b + a.c .
! ! 2 ! ! ! ! !!
n (a+b ) = (a + b) × (a + b) = a 2
+ b2 + 2a.b ,
! ! ! !
n (a+b . ) ( a - b ) = a2 - b2 .
n If i, j and k are three unit vectors along three mutually perpendicular lines, then
ˆi.iˆ = ˆj.jˆ = k.k
ˆ ˆ = 1 and ˆi.jˆ = ˆj.kˆ = k.i
ˆ ˆ = 0.
! ! !!
n If a = a1ˆi + a2 ˆj + a3 kˆ and b=b1ˆi + b2 ˆj + b3 kˆ , then a.b = a1b1 + a2 b2 + a3 b3 ,
! ! !
! a1b1 + a2 b2 + a3 b3 a×b
a = a12 + a22 + a32 and b = b12 + b22 + b32 , cos q = = ! ! .
a12 + a22 + a32 b12 + b22 + b32 |a||b|
 ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
n If a × b = a × c , then it does not always imply that b = c . Since a × b = a × c
! ! ! ! ! !
Þ a × (b - c) = 0 , it is possible that a is perpendicular to vector b - c .
! ! ! ! ! !
n For a scalar l, (la) × b = l(a × b) = a × (lb)
Components of a vector along the coordinate axes:
!
• If a = a1ˆi + a2 ˆj + a3 kˆ is a vector which makes angles a, b, g with the coordinate axes, then
! !
a × ˆi a1 a × ˆj a2
cos a = ! = , cos b = ! =
|a| a12 + a22 + a32 |a| a12 + a22 + a32
!
a × kˆ a3
and cos g = ! = are the corresponding direction cosines of the vector.
|a| a12 + a22 + a32
Vector product of two vectors (cross product):
! ! ! ! ! !
a ´ b = -b ´ a , a ´ a = 0 ,
! ! ! ! ! ! !
n ( )
a ´ b + c = a ´ b + a ´ c.

• ˆi ´ ˆi = ˆj ´ ˆj = kˆ ´ kˆ = 0 and ˆi ´ ˆj=k,j
ˆ ˆ ´ k=i,k
ˆ ˆ ˆ ´ ˆi=jˆ .
! ! ! ! !
Two non - zero vectors a and b are collinear if and only if a ´ b = 0 .
! !
• If a=a1ˆi + a2 ˆj + a3 kˆ and b=b1ˆi + b2 ˆj + b3 k, ˆ then
ˆi ˆj kˆ
! !
a ´ b = a1 a2 a3 = ( a2 b3 - a3 b2 ) ˆi + ( a3 b1 - a1b3 ) ˆj + ( a1b2 - a2 b1 ) kˆ .
b1 b2 b3

! ! ! !
• Also, a ´ b = | a | | b | sin q nˆ
! ! ! ! æ1 ! ! ö
Þ a ´ b = | a | | b | sin q = 2 ç | a | | b | sin q ÷
è2 ø
= 2 (Area of triangle AOC) = Area of parallelogram OABC.
!!!" "
• The area of the parallelogram, whose adjacent sides are represented by vectors OA = a and
!!!" " " " 1 ! ! ! !
OB = b, is a ´ b , and the area of the triangle OAB is a ´ b . Here a ´ b is said to be the vector
2
area of the parallelogram with adjacent sides OA and OB.
! !
•
! ! a´b
The unit vector perpendicular to the plane of a and b is ! ! , and a vector of
( ) magnitude l
a´b
! !
! !
perpendicular to the plane of a and b is ±
l a´b ( )
! ! .
a´b
! ! ! !
! ! 2 !2 !2 !2 !2 !2 !2 ! ! ! ! ! ! 2 a ×a a ×b
• ( )
a ´ b = a b sin q = a b - a b cos q = ( a × a ) b × b - a × b = ! ! ! ! .
2 2
( ) (
a ×b b ×b
)
Scalar triple product:
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
n (a ´ b)"c. = a.(b ´ c) = b.(c ´ a) = c.(a ´ b) i.e. [a b c]= [b c a] = [c a b] = -[b a c] = -[c b a].
! ! !
n If a = a1ˆi + a2 ˆj + a3 kˆ 2 ,b = b1ˆi + b2 ˆj + b3 kˆ and c=c1ˆi + c 2 ˆj + c 3 kˆ

a1 a2 a3
! ! ! ! ! !
( )
then a ´ b "c = éëa b c ùû = b1 b2 b3 .
c1 c 2 c 3
! ! !
n ( )
a ´ b × c represents (and is equal to) the volume of the parallelopiped whose adjacent sides are
! ! !
represented by the vectors a, b and c .
 1æ ® ® ö ®
n The volume of the tetrahedron ABCD is equal to ç AB´ AC ÷ . AD .
6è ø
! ! !
n Three vectors a,b and c are coplanar if [a b c] = 0.
Moreover, [a + b, c, d] = [a c d] + [b c d].
!! !!
! ! ! ! a.c b.c
n ( )(
a´b . c ´d = ! ! )
a.d
!!,
b.d
!! !! !!
a.u b.u c.u
!! !! !!
n [a b c] [u v w] = a.v b.v c.v .
! ! ! ! ! !
a.w b.w c.w
! ! ! !
n Four points with position vectors a,b,c and d are coplanar if
[d b c] + [d c a] + [d a b] = [a b c].
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
é ù é ù
n
ëa a b û = ëb a a û = b × (a ´ a) = b × 0 = 0.
Vector triple product:
! ! !
• The vector triple product of three vectors a, b and c is the vector:
! ! ! !! ! !! !
( ) ( )
a ´ b ´ c = ( a.c ) b - a.b c.

Note:
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
n (a ´ b) . ( c ´ d) = a × éb ´
ë (c ´ d)ùû = a. [ ( b . d)c- ( b. c)d ]
! ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! a . c a . d
= (a . c) ( b . d) -(a.d) (b .c) = ! ! ! ! .
b . c b . d
This is called Lagrange’s identity.
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
n (a ´ b) ´ (c ´ d) = [(a ´ b) × d] c - [(a ´ b) × c] d = [a b d ]c - [a b c] d .

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