If $\overrightarrow{\mathrm{a}}$ is a nonzero vector such that its projections on the vectors $2 \hat{i}-\hat{j}+2 \hat{k}, \hat{i}+2 \hat{j}-2 \hat{k}$ and $\hat{k}$ are equal, then a unit vector along $\overrightarrow{\mathrm{a}}$ is :
Solution
<p>Projection of $\vec{a}$ on $\vec{v}$</p>
<p>$$\begin{aligned}
& =\frac{\vec{a} \cdot \vec{v}}{|\vec{v}|}- \\
& \Rightarrow \frac{\vec{a} \cdot(2 \hat{i}-\hat{j}+2 \hat{k})}{3}=\frac{\vec{a} \cdot \hat{k}}{1}=\frac{\vec{a} \cdot(\hat{i}+2 \hat{j}-2 \hat{k})}{3} \\
& \Rightarrow \vec{a} \cdot(2 \hat{i}-\hat{j}-\hat{k})=0 \text { and } \vec{a} \cdot(\hat{i}+2 \hat{j}-5 \hat{k})=0 \\
& \Rightarrow \vec{a} \perp(2 \hat{i}-\hat{j}-\hat{k}) \text { and }(\hat{i}+2 \hat{j}-5 \hat{k}) \\
& \Rightarrow \vec{a} \|(2 \hat{i}-\hat{j}-\hat{k}) \times(\hat{i}+2 \hat{j}-5 \hat{k}) \\
& \Rightarrow \vec{a}= \pm k\left|\begin{array}{ccc}
\hat{i} & -\hat{j} & \hat{k} \\
2 & -1 & -1 \\
1 & 2 & -5
\end{array}\right|= \pm k(7 \hat{i}+9 \hat{j}-5 \hat{k}) \\
& \Rightarrow \text { Unit vector will be } \frac{1}{\sqrt{155}}(7 \hat{i}+9 \hat{j}+5 \hat{k})
\end{aligned}$$</p>
About this question
Subject: Mathematics · Chapter: Vector Algebra · Topic: Types of Vectors
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