Q.Using properties of determinants, evaluate 101104107102105108103106109 without direct expansion.
Concept understanding — Properties of Determinants
These properties let a determinant be simplified — often to 0 — without full expansion.
- Transpose invariance: ∣AT∣=∣A∣ (row-wise and column-wise expansion agree).
- Row/column swap: interchanging any two rows (or columns) changes the sign of the determinant, leaving its absolute value unchanged. More generally, n interchanges multiply the determinant by (−1)n.
- Identical rows/columns: if two rows (or columns) are identical, ∣A∣=0. (Proof idea: swapping the identical rows leaves the matrix unchanged but must flip the sign by Property 2, forcing ∣A∣=−∣A∣, so ∣A∣=0.)
- Proportional rows/columns: if one row (or column) is a scalar multiple of another, ∣A∣=0; in particular, an all-zero row/column forces ∣A∣=0.
- Scalar factor: multiplying every entry of one row (or column) by a scalar k multiplies the whole determinant by k. Consequently ∣kA∣=kn∣A∣ for an n×n matrix A (every one of the n rows is scaled by k).
- Sum splitting: if every entry of one row (or column) is a sum of two terms, the determinant splits as the sum of two determinants (one with each term in that row/column, all other rows/columns unchanged).
- Row/column operations: adding to any row (column) a scalar multiple of another row (column) — e.g. Ri→Ri+pRj+qRk — leaves the determinant unchanged. This is the workhorse trick used to create zeros before expanding.
- Product rule: ∣AB∣=∣A∣∣B∣ for square matrices of the same order; consequently if AB=O then ∣A∣=0 or ∣B∣=0, and ∣An∣=(∣A∣)n.
- Cofactor cross terms: the sum of the products of the entries of one row (column) with the cofactors of a different row (column) is always 0 — e.g. a1A2+b1B2+c1C2=0.
A determinant can also be evaluated as a product of determinants — row-by-column, row-by-row, column-by-column, or column-by-row multiplication of two determinants of the same order all give a valid product, since transposing (Property 1) shows rows and columns are interchangeable for this purpose.
[!TLDR] Apply C2→C2−C1, C3→C3−C1: the new C3 becomes exactly twice the new C2. [!ANSWER] 101104107102105108103106109=0.
Apply the row/column-combination property (Property 6): C2→C2−C1 turns column 2 into (102−101,105−104,108−107)=(1,1,1); C3→C3−C1 turns column 3 into (103−101,106−104,109−107)=(2,2,2). Neither operation changes the determinant's value. The new column 3, (2,2,2), is exactly twice the new column 2, (1,1,1); taking the factor 2 out of column 3 (Property 4) leaves two identical columns, so by Property 3 the determinant is 0. [!ANSWER] 101104107102105108103106109=0.
Use column operations C2→C2−C1 and C3→C3−C1 to expose that the resulting columns are proportional, then conclude the determinant is 0 without any numeric expansion.
A common mistake is trying to fully expand the 3×3 determinant directly with large three-digit numbers instead of spotting the arithmetic-progression pattern that makes a property-based shortcut available.
- CBSE 2026Set SEM31 markMCQQ.If −x2xyxzxy−y2yzxzyz−z2=λx2y2z2, then the value of λ is equal to(a) 1(b) 2(c) 3(d) 4
›Reveal solutionSolution
Take x,y,z common from the rows, then again from the columns, leaving a constant determinant equal to 4.
Extracting common factors from rows/columns is a standard CBSE/NCERT Class 12 determinants property.
Take x common from row 1, y from row 2, z from row 3:
−x2xyxzxy−y2yzxzyz−z2=xyz−xxxy−yyzz−z.
Now take x common from column 1, y from column 2, z from column 3:
=xyz⋅xyz−1111−1111−1=x2y2z2D.
Evaluate D:
D=−1(1−1)−1(−1−1)+1(1+1)=0+2+2=4.
So the determinant =4x2y2z2, giving λ=4.
✓Final answerλ=4 — option (d).
- CBSE 2026Set SEM31 markMCQQ.If A is a square matrix of order 3 and ∣A∣=7, then the value of ∣2AT∣ is(a) 32(b) 28(c) 16(d) 56
›Reveal solutionSolution
Use ∣kA∣=kn∣A∣ with n=3 and ∣AT∣=∣A∣: ∣2AT∣=23⋅7=56.
The scaling property of determinants (∣kA∣=kn∣A∣) is a CBSE/NCERT Class 12 determinants property.
For a square matrix of order n=3:
∣2AT∣=23∣AT∣.
Since a matrix and its transpose have equal determinants, ∣AT∣=∣A∣=7. Therefore
∣2AT∣=8⋅7=56.
✓Final answer∣2AT∣=56 — option (d).
- CBSE 2024Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.A is a square matrix of order 3. The value of |kA| is equal to (k is a constant)(a) k|A|(b) k^2|A|(c) k^3|A|(d) 3k|A|
›Reveal solutionSolution
Multiplying every entry of an n×n matrix by k scales its determinant by kn.
For a square matrix A of order n, the standard determinant property states ∣kA∣=kn∣A∣. This is because multiplying a matrix by a scalar k multiplies EVERY row by k, and multiplying a single row of a determinant by a scalar multiplies the whole determinant by that scalar. Doing this once for each of the n rows gives a total factor of kn.
Here A is order 3, so n=3, giving ∣kA∣=k3∣A∣.
✓Final answerk3∣A∣ — option (c).
- CBSE 2023Set MARCH1 markMCQQ.If any three rows (columns) of a determinant are identical then the value of the determinant is :(a) 1(b) 0(c) 3(d) 2
›Reveal solutionSolution
If any rows (or columns) of a determinant are identical, the determinant equals 0, so the answer is option (b).
One of the standard properties of determinants is:
If any two rows (or columns) of a determinant are identical, then the value of the determinant is 0.
If three rows are identical, then in particular two of them are identical, so the property still forces the value to be zero. Intuitively, identical rows make the rows linearly dependent, so the determinant (which measures the 'volume' spanned) collapses to zero.
✓Final answerOption (b) 0.
- CBSE 2022Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.If each element of a row of a determinant is multiplied by a constant 'K', then :(a) The value of the determinant remains unchanged.(b) The value of the determinant gets multiplied by K.(c) The value of the determinant gets multiplied by 2K.(d) The value of the determinant gets multiplied by 3K.
›Reveal solutionSolution
Multiplying all elements of one row by K multiplies the determinant by K, so the answer is (b).
Take a general 2×2 determinant to see the property clearly:
D=acbd=ad−bc.
Now multiply the first row by K:
KacKbd=(Ka)d−(Kb)c=K(ad−bc)=KD.
The common factor K comes straight out of that row, so the determinant is scaled by K exactly once. (The option 2K or 3K would only arise if several rows were each multiplied by K.)
✓Final answerOption (b) — the value of the determinant gets multiplied by K.
- CBSE 2020Set MARCH1 markMCQQ.If Δ=132213321 then 312123231 is :(a) −3Δ(b) Δ(c) −Δ(d) 3Δ
›Reveal solutionSolution
The second determinant is obtained from Δ by interchanging rows R1 and R2; one row swap multiplies the value by −1, so the answer is −Δ. This is a standard property-of-determinants question in the Tamil Nadu HSC Business Maths syllabus.
Write the rows of the given Δ:
Δ=132213321,R1=(1,2,3),R2=(3,1,2),R3=(2,3,1).
Now look at the second determinant:
312123231.
Its first row is (3,1,2)=R2, its second row is (1,2,3)=R1, and its third row is (2,3,1)=R3. So it is exactly Δ with rows R1 and R2 interchanged.
Property used: if any two rows (or columns) of a determinant are interchanged, the value of the determinant changes sign. One interchange therefore gives a factor of −1:
312123231=−Δ.
✓Final answerOption (c) −Δ.
- CBSE 2019Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.If two rows or two columns of a determinant are identical then value of the determinant is(a) 0(b) 2(c) -1(d) 1
›Reveal solutionSolution
A determinant with two identical rows or columns is always zero — a standard property.
If two rows (or two columns) of a determinant are identical, interchanging those two rows leaves the determinant unchanged (same matrix), but the row-interchange property says the determinant's sign must flip: D=−D, which forces D=0.
✓Final answer(a) 0
- CBSE 2017Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.If A is a matrix of order 3, then det(kA) is :(a) k3det(A)(b) k2det(A)(c) kdet(A)(d) det(A)
›Reveal solutionSolution
Scaling every row of an n×n matrix by k multiplies the determinant by k once per row; for a 3×3 matrix that is 3 rows, giving the factor k3.
- A is a square matrix of order 3 (i.e. 3×3), and kA means every entry of A is multiplied by the scalar k — equivalently, every one of the 3 rows is scaled by k.
- The determinant property for scaling a single row by k is: multiplying one row by k multiplies the determinant by k.
- Since all 3 rows of A are scaled by k in forming kA, the determinant is multiplied by k a total of 3 times: det(kA)=k⋅k⋅k⋅det(A)=k3det(A).
- In general, for an n×n matrix, det(kA)=kndet(A); here n=3.
- This matches option (a).
✓Final answerdet(kA)=k3det(A).
- CBSE 2016Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.If A is a matrix of order 3, then det(kA) is(a) k3det(A)(b) k2det(A)(c) kdet(A)(d) det(A)
›Reveal solutionSolution
Scaling a matrix by k scales the determinant by kn; for a 3×3 matrix this is k3.
- If A is a square matrix of order n, then kA is obtained by multiplying every entry of A by k.
- A determinant is multilinear in its rows (equivalently columns): multiplying a single row by k multiplies the determinant by k.
- Since kA has all n rows scaled by k (not just one), the determinant is multiplied by k a total of n times: det(kA)=kndet(A).
- Here A has order 3, so n=3, giving det(kA)=k3det(A).
- Distractors (b) k2det(A), (c) kdet(A), (d) det(A) correspond to scaling only 2, 1, or 0 of the rows respectively, not the correct all-rows scaling implied by kA.
✓Final answerdet(kA)=k3det(A) for a matrix of order 3 (option a).
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