Q.(a) If vectors πβ = 2Δ±Μ + 2Θ·Μ + 3kΜ , πββ = β Δ±Μ + 2Θ·Μ + kΜ and πβ = 3Δ±Μ + Θ·Μ are such that πββ + Ξ»πβ is perpendicular to πβ , then find the value of Ξ». OR
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π Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution βConcept understanding β Perpendicular Vectors Condition
Perpendicular Vectors Condition
Two arrows that meet at a right angle β one east, one north β are perpendicular (or orthogonal) vectors. How do you check this without a protractor, especially in 3D where the angle is hard to draw?
The Idea: Zero Overlap
When two vectors are perpendicular, neither "borrows" any length from the other: walking along one makes zero progress in the direction of the other. The tool that measures this overlap is the dot product.
aβ₯bβΊaβ b=0
Why? Using aβ b=β₯aβ₯β₯bβ₯cosΞΈ, a right angle gives cos90β=0, so the dot product vanishes. In coordinates, for a=(a1β,a2β,a3β) and b=(b1β,b2β,b3β),
aβ b=a1βb1β+a2βb2β+a3βb3β,
and you simply check whether this sum is 0.
Examples
2D: a=(3,4), b=(4,β3): 3(4)+4(β3)=12β12=0 β perpendicular. (In general (x,y) and (y,βx) are always perpendicular.)
3D: pβ=(1,2,3), qβ=(2,β1,0): 2β2+0=0 β perpendicular.
Not every pair qualifies: (2,1)β (1,3)=2+3=5ξ =0, so those two are not perpendicular.
In dimensions above 3 we cannot picture the right angle, but the test is unchanged: dot product =0 still defines orthogonality.
Why It Matters β¦
Two vectors are perpendicular exactly when their dot product is zero, so set (b+Ξ»c)β a=0.
With a=2i^+2j^β+3k^, b=βi^+2j^β+k^, c=3i^+j^β:
b+Ξ»c=(β1+3Ξ»)i^+(2+Ξ»)j^β+k^
Dot with a: β¦
Setting (b+Ξ»c)β a=0 gives 8Ξ»+5=0, so Ξ»=β85β.
The idea
Two vectors are perpendicular precisely when their dot product is zero. We are told b+Ξ»c is perpendicular to a, so we build that combined vector, dot it with a, set the result to 0, and solve the resulting linear equation for Ξ».
Set up the vectors
a=2i^+2j^β+3k^,b=βi^+2j^β+k^,c=3i^+j^β+0k^
Form b+Ξ»c
Add component by component (note c has no k^ part):
b+Ξ»c=(β1+3Ξ»)i^+(2+Ξ»)j^β+k^
Apply the perpendicularity condition β¦
Method: Solving for an unknown scalar using the perpendicularity condition
Use this whenever a problem states one vector (often containing an unknown like Ξ») is perpendicular to another and asks you to find that unknown.
Steps
Step 1: Translate "perpendicular" into a dot product of zero.
The defining test is
pββ₯qββΊpββ qβ=0.
Seeing the word "perpendicular" should immediately trigger "set the dot product to 0" β not equal magnitudes, not a cross product.
Step 2: Build the compound vector, keeping the unknown symbolic. β¦
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Forgetting that c=3i^+j^β has zero k^-component.
Why it's wrong: treating a missing component as anything but 0 corrupts b+Ξ»c and the dot product. Correct approach: write c=3i^+j^β+0k^ explicitly.
Mistake 2: Setting magnitudes equal instead of the dot product to zero.
Why it's wrong: perpendicularity is (b+Ξ»c)β a=0, not β£b+Ξ»cβ£=β£aβ£. Correct approach: reach for the dot-product-zero condition whenever "perpendicular" appears. β¦
- COMEDK 2026Set 2026-A1 markMCQQ.
[!FORMULA] Β IfΒ (a+b)β₯bΒ andΒ (a+2b)β₯a,Β thenΒ
(A) 2β£aβ£=β£bβ£ (B) β£aβ£=2β£bβ£ (C) β£aβ£=β£bβ£ (D) β£aβ£=2ββ£bβ£βΊReveal solutionSolution
Use the two perpendicularity conditions as dot-product equations. They give aβ b=ββ£bβ£2 and β£aβ£2=2β£bβ£2, so β£aβ£=2ββ£bβ£ β option (D).
Concept & Intuition
Two vectors are perpendicular exactly when their dot product is zero. Expanding each condition and combining them relates the magnitudes of a and b.
Step-by-step solution
- (a+b)β₯b:
(a+b)β b=0Β βΒ aβ b+β£bβ£2=0Β βΒ aβ b=ββ£bβ£2.
- (a+2b)β₯a: β¦
- COMEDK 2026Set 2026-M1 markMCQQ.Let pβ and qβ be the position vectors of P and Q with respect to the origin. If points R and S divide PQ internally and externally in the ratio 2:3 respectively, then OR and OS are perpendicular when (A) 4β£pββ£2=9β£qββ£2 (B) 9β£pββ£=4β£qββ£2 (C) 9β£pββ£2=4β£qββ£2 (D) 4β£pββ£2=9β£qββ£
βΊReveal solutionSolution
The condition for perpendicularity of the internal and external division vectors reduces to a simple relation between the squared magnitudes of pβ and qβ. The correct relation is 9β£pββ£2=4β£qββ£2, which corresponds to option (C).
Concept & Intuition
When a point divides a segment internally in a given ratio, its position vector is a weighted average of the endpoints. When it divides externally, the weights have opposite signs. Here, R divides PQ internally in the ratio 2:3 (meaning PR:RQ = 2:3), and S divides PQ externally in the same ratio (meaning PS:SQ = 2:3, but S lies outside the segment). The vectors OR and OS are perpendicular exactly when their dot product is zero. That dot product will involve pβ and qβ, and simplifying it yields a condition on their magnitudes.
Step-by-step solution
- Write the position vector of R (internal division) For internal division in the ratio m:n, the position vector is m+nnpβ+mqββ. Here m=2, n=3 (since PR:RQ = 2:3, the point is closer to Q). So
OR=53pβ+2qββ.
- Write the position vector of S (external division) For external division in the ratio m:n, the formula is mβnβnpβ+mqββ (or equivalently nβmnpββmqββ). Using m=2, n=3:
OS=2β3β3pβ+2qββ=β1β3pβ+2qββ=3pββ2qβ.
- Set the dot product to zero for perpendicularity
ORβ OS=0.
Substitute:
51β(3pβ+2qβ)β (3pββ2qβ)=0.
Multiply both sides by 5:
(3pβ+2qβ)β (3pββ2qβ)=0.
- Expand the dot product Using the distributive property:
- KCET 2021Set A-11 markMCQQ.The equation of straight line which passes through the point (acos3ΞΈ,asin3ΞΈ) and perpendicular to xsecΞΈ+ycscΞΈ=a is (A) axβ+ayβ=acosΞΈ (B) xcosΞΈβysinΞΈ=acos2ΞΈ (C) xcosΞΈ+ysinΞΈ=acos2ΞΈ (D) xcosΞΈβysinΞΈ=βacos2ΞΈ
βΊReveal solutionSolution
The key idea is to find the slope of the given line, then use the perpendicular slope condition and the given point to write the equation. The correct line is xcosΞΈβysinΞΈ=acos2ΞΈ, which is option (B).
We start with the given line: xsecΞΈ+ycscΞΈ=a. To find its slope, rewrite it in the form y=mx+c.
Recall secΞΈ=cosΞΈ1β and cscΞΈ=sinΞΈ1β. So the equation becomes:
cosΞΈxβ+sinΞΈyβ=a
Multiply through by cosΞΈsinΞΈ:
xsinΞΈ+ycosΞΈ=acosΞΈsinΞΈ
Now solve for y:
ycosΞΈ=acosΞΈsinΞΈβxsinΞΈ
y=asinΞΈβxtanΞΈ
So the slope of the given line is βtanΞΈ.
- Slope of the perpendicular line If two lines are perpendicular, the product of their slopes is β1. Let the slope of the required line be m. Then:
mβ (βtanΞΈ)=β1βm=cotΞΈ
So the required line has slope cotΞΈ.
- Equation using point-slope form The line passes through (acos3ΞΈ,asin3ΞΈ). Using yβy1β=m(xβx1β):
yβasin3ΞΈ=cotΞΈ(xβacos3ΞΈ)
Since cotΞΈ=sinΞΈcosΞΈβ, multiply both sides by sinΞΈ:
ysinΞΈβasin4ΞΈ=xcosΞΈβacos4ΞΈ
- Rearrange to standard form Bring terms together:
xcosΞΈβysinΞΈ=acos4ΞΈβasin4ΞΈ
Factor the right-hand side: β¦
- KCET 2020Set A-11 markMCQQ.The two lines lx+my=n and lβ²x+mβ²y=nβ² are perpendicular if (A) llβ²+mmβ²=0 (B) lmβ²=mlβ² (C) lm+lβ²mβ²=0 (D) lmβ²+mlβ²=0
βΊReveal solutionSolution
Convert both lines to slope-intercept form and impose m1βm2β=β1; the constants n,nβ² drop out because they only shift the lines, they don't tilt them.
Step 1 β Slopes from the general form.
For ax+by=c the slope is βbaβ. Hence
L1β:lx+my=nβm1β=βmlβ
L2β:lβ²x+mβ²y=nβ²βm2β=βmβ²lβ²β
Notice n and nβ² never appear β they only translate the lines, so they cannot affect perpendicularity.
Step 2 β Apply the perpendicularity condition.
Two non-vertical lines are perpendicular iff the product of their slopes is β1:
m1βm2β=β1
(βmlβ)(βmβ²lβ²β)=β1
mmβ²llβ²β=β1
Step 3 β Clear the denominator.
llβ²=βmmβ²βΉllβ²+mmβ²=0β
Step 4 β Why this is the right form (and a vector cross-check).
The normal vectors of the two lines are n1ββ=(l,m) and n2ββ=(lβ²,mβ²). Two lines are perpendicular exactly when their normals are perpendicular, i.e. β¦
- COMEDK 2022Set 20221 markMCQQ.The line 4xβ3β=5yβ4β=6zβ5β is parallel to the plane (A) 3x+4y+5z=7 (B) x+y+z=2 (C) xβ2y+z=0 (D) 2x+3y+4z=0
βΊReveal solutionSolution
Only plane (C) has a normal perpendicular to the line's direction, so the line is parallel to it (in fact, since the point (3,4,5) satisfies x - 2y + z = 3 - 8 + 5 = 0, the line actually lies in that plane - which is the limiting case of being parallel; it is nevertheless the only option satisfying the parallelism condition).
Concept: A line with direction ratios (a, b, c) is parallel to the plane with normal (l, m, n) iff the direction vector is perpendicular to the normal, i.e. al + bm + cn = 0.
The line (x-3)/4 = (y-4)/5 = (z-5)/6 has direction (4, 5, 6) and passes through (3, 4, 5).
Test each plane's normal:
(A) 3x + 4y + 5z = 7 -> normal (3,4,5): 12 + 20 + 30 = 62 (not 0).
(B) x + y + z = 2 -> normal (1,1,1): 4 + 5 + 6 = 15 (not 0).
(C) x - 2y + z = 0 -> normal (1,-2,1): 4 - 10 + 6 = 0 -> direction is perpendicular to the normal. YES. β¦
- KCET 2026Set UNKNOWN1 markMCQQ.If a=2i^+2j^ββk^, b=Ξ±i^+Ξ²j^β+2k^ and β£a+bβ£=β£aβbβ£, then Ξ±+Ξ² is equal to (A) 2 (B) β1 (C) 0 (D) 1
βΊReveal solutionSolution
β£a+bβ£=β£aβbβ£ is a standard condition that forces aβ b=0; expand this dot product to solve for Ξ±+Ξ².
Step 1 β Translate the given condition
Squaring both sides of β£a+bβ£=β£aβbβ£:
β£a+bβ£2=β£aβbβ£2
β£aβ£2+2aβ b+β£bβ£2=β£aβ£2β2aβ b+β£bβ£2
4aβ b=0βΉaβ b=0
Step 2 β Compute aβ b β¦
- KCET 2026Set UNKNOWN1 markMCQQ.The value of Ξ» for which the vectors a=2i^+Ξ»j^β+k^ and b=i^+2j^β+3k^ are orthogonal is (A) 25β (B) 2β5β (C) 52β (D) 5β2β
βΊReveal solutionSolution
Two vectors are orthogonal exactly when their dot product is zero; set aβ b=0 and solve for Ξ».
Step 1 β Write the orthogonality condition
a=2i^+Ξ»j^β+k^ and b=i^+2j^β+3k^ are orthogonal when aβ b=0.
Step 2 β Compute the dot product β¦
- KCET 2026Set UNKNOWN1 markMCQQ.The three points A(2,4,3),B(4,a,9) and C(10,β1,7) form a right-angled triangle with β B=90Β°, then the value of 'a' is (A) 1 or 4 (B) β2 or 4 (C) 1 or β4 (D) β2 or β4
βΊReveal solutionSolution
Use the right-angle condition BAβ BC=0 at vertex B to form a quadratic equation in a and solve it.
Step 1 β Form vectors from B
BA=AβB=(2β4,4βa,3β9)=(β2,4βa,β6)
BC=CβB=(10β4,β1βa,7β9)=(6,β1βa,β2)
Step 2 β Apply the perpendicularity condition
Since β B=90Β°, BAβ BC=0:
(β2)(6)+(4βa)(β1βa)+(β6)(β2)=0
β12+(4βa)(β1βa)+12=0βΉ(4βa)(β1βa)=0
Step 3 β Expand and solve
(4βa)(β1βa)=a2β3aβ4=0βΉ(aβ4)(a+1)=0
a=4ora=β1
Step 4 β Match to the given option β¦
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