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Exercise 6.10 · Q13

Q.If a⃗×(b⃗×c⃗)=(a⃗×b⃗)×c⃗\vec a\times(\vec b\times\vec c)=(\vec a\times\vec b)\times\vec c, where a⃗,b⃗,c⃗\vec a,\vec b,\vec c are any three vectors such that b⃗⋅c⃗≠0\vec b\cdot\vec c\ne0 and a⃗⋅b⃗≠0\vec a\cdot\vec b\ne0, then a⃗\vec a and c⃗\vec c are

(1) perpendicularperpendicular
(2) parallelparallel
(3) inclinedatanangleπ/3inclined at an angle \pi/3
(4) inclinedatanangleπ/6inclined at an angle \pi/6
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Expand both bracketings of the vector triple product and cancel the common term; what's left directly says c⃗\vec c is a scalar multiple of a⃗\vec a, i.e. the two are parallel.

Step 1. Expand the LHS. a⃗×(b⃗×c⃗)=(a⃗⋅c⃗)b⃗−(a⃗⋅b⃗)c⃗\vec a\times(\vec b\times\vec c)=(\vec a\cdot\vec c)\vec b-(\vec a\cdot\vec b)\vec c.

Step 2. Expand the RHS. (a⃗×b⃗)×c⃗=(a⃗⋅c⃗)b⃗−(b⃗⋅c⃗)a⃗(\vec a\times\vec b)\times\vec c=(\vec a\cdot\vec c)\vec b-(\vec b\cdot\vec c)\vec a.

Step 3. Set LHS == RHS.

(a⃗⋅c⃗)b⃗−(a⃗⋅b⃗)c⃗=(a⃗⋅c⃗)b⃗−(b⃗⋅c⃗)a⃗.(\vec a\cdot\vec c)\vec b-(\vec a\cdot\vec b)\vec c=(\vec a\cdot\vec c)\vec b-(\vec b\cdot\vec c)\vec a.

Step 4. Cancel the common (a⃗⋅c⃗)b⃗(\vec a\cdot\vec c)\vec b term.

−(a⃗⋅b⃗)c⃗=−(b⃗⋅c⃗)a⃗ ⟹ (a⃗⋅b⃗)c⃗=(b⃗⋅c⃗)a⃗.-(\vec a\cdot\vec b)\vec c=-(\vec b\cdot\vec c)\vec a\ \Longrightarrow\ (\vec a\cdot\vec b)\vec c=(\vec b\cdot\vec c)\vec a. …

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