Let $\vec{a}=2 \hat{i}-\hat{j}+\hat{k}, \vec{b}=\hat{i}+2 \hat{j}-\hat{k}$ and $\vec{c}=\hat{i}+\hat{j}-2…

Let $\vec{a}=2 \hat{i}-\hat{j}+\hat{k}, \vec{b}=\hat{i}+2 \hat{j}-\hat{k}$ and $\vec{c}=\hat{i}+\hat{j}-2 \hat{k}$ be three vectors. A vector of the type $\vec{b}+\lambda \vec{c}$ for some scalar $\lambda$, whose projection on $\vec{a}$ is of magnitude $\sqrt{\frac{2}{3}}$ is :
  1. $2 \hat{i}+\hat{j}+5 \hat{k}$
  2. $2 \hat{i}+3 \hat{j}-3 \hat{k}$
  3. $2 \hat{i}-\hat{j}+5 \hat{k}$
  4. $2 \hat{i}+3 \hat{j}+3 \hat{k}$

Solution

Let $\vec{d}=\vec{b}+\lambda \vec{c}$ $ \begin{aligned} & \therefore \vec{d}=\hat{i}+2 \hat{j}-\hat{k}+\lambda(\hat{i}+\hat{j}-2 \hat{k}) \\ & =(1+\lambda) \hat{i}+(2+\lambda) \hat{j}-(1+2 \lambda) \hat{k} \end{aligned} $ If $\theta$ be the angle between $\vec{d}$ and $\vec{a}$, then projection of $\vec{d}$ or $(\vec{b}+\lambda \vec{c})$ on $\vec{a}$ $ \begin{aligned} & =|\vec{d}| \cos \theta \\ & =|\vec{d}|\left(\frac{\vec{d} \cdot \vec{a}}{|\vec{d}||\vec{a}|}\right)=\frac{\vec{d} \cdot \vec{a}}{|\vec{a}|} \\ & =\frac{2(\lambda+1)-(\lambda+2)-(2 \lambda+1)}{\sqrt{4+1+1}} \\ & =\frac{-\lambda-1}{\sqrt{6}} \end{aligned} $ But projection of $\vec{d}$ on $\vec{a}=\sqrt{\frac{2}{3}}$ $ \therefore-\frac{\lambda+1}{\sqrt{6}}=\sqrt{\frac{2}{3}} \Rightarrow \frac{\lambda^2+2 \lambda+1}{6}=\frac{2}{3} $ $ \begin{aligned} & \Rightarrow \lambda^2+2 \lambda-3=0 \Rightarrow \lambda^2+3 \lambda-\lambda-3=0 \\ & \Rightarrow \lambda(\lambda+3)-1(\lambda+3)=0, \Rightarrow \lambda=1,-3 \end{aligned} $ when $\lambda=1$, then $\vec{b}+\lambda \vec{c}=2 \hat{i}+3 \hat{j}-3 \hat{k}$ when $\lambda=-3$, then $\vec{b}+\lambda \vec{c}=-2 \hat{i}-\hat{j}+5 \hat{k}$

Asked in: JEE Main 2013 (09 Apr Online)

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