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Q.Show that a⃗\vec a, b⃗\vec b and c⃗\vec c are coplanar   ⟺  \iff a⃗+b⃗\vec a+\vec b, b⃗+c⃗\vec b+\vec c and c⃗+a⃗\vec c+\vec a are coplanar.

Odisha ChseOdisha CHSE +2 Science Board Exam 2020Subjective· 6mImportance★★★★★
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Expanding the scalar triple product of a⃗+b⃗,b⃗+c⃗,c⃗+a⃗\vec a+\vec b,\vec b+\vec c,\vec c+\vec a shows it equals exactly twice [a⃗ b⃗ c⃗][\vec a\,\vec b\,\vec c], so the two coplanarity conditions are equivalent.

Vectors p⃗,q⃗,r⃗\vec p,\vec q,\vec r are coplanar iff their scalar triple product [p⃗ q⃗ r⃗]=p⃗⋅(q⃗×r⃗)=0[\vec p\,\vec q\,\vec r]=\vec p\cdot(\vec q\times\vec r)=0.

Compute [a⃗+b⃗, b⃗+c⃗, c⃗+a⃗]=(a⃗+b⃗)⋅[(b⃗+c⃗)×(c⃗+a⃗)][\vec a+\vec b,\ \vec b+\vec c,\ \vec c+\vec a]=(\vec a+\vec b)\cdot\big[(\vec b+\vec c)\times(\vec c+\vec a)\big].

First expand the cross product:

(b⃗+c⃗)×(c⃗+a⃗)=b⃗×c⃗+b⃗×a⃗+c⃗×c⃗+c⃗×a⃗=b⃗×c⃗+b⃗×a⃗+c⃗×a⃗(\vec b+\vec c)\times(\vec c+\vec a)=\vec b\times\vec c+\vec b\times\vec a+\vec c\times\vec c+\vec c\times\vec a=\vec b\times\vec c+\vec b\times\vec a+\vec c\times\vec a

(using c⃗×c⃗=0⃗\vec c\times\vec c=\vec 0).

Now dot with (a⃗+b⃗)(\vec a+\vec b):

(a⃗+b⃗)⋅(b⃗×c⃗+b⃗×a⃗+c⃗×a⃗)(\vec a+\vec b)\cdot(\vec b\times\vec c+\vec b\times\vec a+\vec c\times\vec a)

=a⃗⋅(b⃗×c⃗)+a⃗⋅(b⃗×a⃗)+a⃗⋅(c⃗×a⃗)+b⃗⋅(b⃗×c⃗)+b⃗⋅(b⃗×a⃗)+b⃗⋅(c⃗×a⃗).=\vec a\cdot(\vec b\times\vec c)+\vec a\cdot(\vec b\times\vec a)+\vec a\cdot(\vec c\times\vec a)+\vec b\cdot(\vec b\times\vec c)+\vec b\cdot(\vec b\times\vec a)+\vec b\cdot(\vec c\times\vec a).

Any scalar triple product with a repeated vector is zero: a⃗⋅(b⃗×a⃗)=0\vec a\cdot(\vec b\times\vec a)=0, a⃗⋅(c⃗×a⃗)=0\vec a\cdot(\vec c\times\vec a)=0, b⃗⋅(b⃗×c⃗)=0\vec b\cdot(\vec b\times\vec c)=0, b⃗⋅(b⃗×a⃗)=0\vec b\cdot(\vec b\times\vec a)=0.

What remains: …

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