MCQ
If $\vec{\text{a}}$ is any vector, then $\big(\vec{\text{a}}\times\hat{\text{i}}\big)^2+\big(\vec{\text{a}}\times\hat{\text{j}}\big)^2+\big(\vec{\text{a}}\times\hat{\text{k}}\big)^2=$
  • A
    $\vec{\text{a}}^2$
  • $2\vec{\text{a}}^2$
  • C
    $3\vec{\text{a}}^2$
  • D
    $4\vec{\text{a}}^2$

Answer

Correct option: B.
$2\vec{\text{a}}^2$
Let $\vec{\text{a}}={\text{a}}_1\hat{\text{i}}+{\text{a}}_2\hat{\text{j}}+{\text{a}}_3\hat{\text{k}}$
$\vec{\text{a}}\times\hat{\text{i}}=\begin{vmatrix}\hat{\text{i}}&\hat{\text{j}}&\hat{\text{k}}\\\text{a}_1&\text{a}_2&\text{a}_3\\1&0&0 \end{vmatrix}$
$=\text{a}_3\hat{\text{j}}-\text{a}_2\hat{\text{k}}$
$\Rightarrow\big(\vec{\text{a}}\times\hat{\text{i}}\big)^2=\big(\text{a}_3\hat{\text{j}}-\text{a}_2\hat{\text{k}}\big)^2$
$={\text{a}_3}^2|\hat{\text{j}}|^2+{\text{a}_2}^2|\hat{\text{k}}|^2-2\text{a}_3\text{a}_2\big(\hat{\text{j}}.\hat{\text{k}}\big)$
$={\text{a}_3}^2+{\text{a}_2}^2$ $\big(\because\hat{\text{j}}.\hat{\text{k}}=0\dots(1)\big)$
$\therefore\vec{\text{a}}\times\hat{\text{j}}=\begin{vmatrix}\hat{\text{i}}&\hat{\text{j}}&\hat{\text{k}}\\\text{a}_1&\text{a}_2&\text{a}_3\\0&1&0 \end{vmatrix}$
$=-\text{a}_3\hat{\text{i}}+\text{a}_1\hat{\text{k}}$
$\Rightarrow\big(\vec{\text{a}}\times\hat{\text{j}}\big)^2=\big(-\text{a}_3\hat{\text{i}}+\text{a}_1\hat{\text{k}}\big)^2$
$={\text{a}_3}^2|\hat{\text{i}}|^2+{\text{a}_1}^2|\hat{\text{k}}|^2-2\text{a}_3\text{a}_2\big(\hat{\text{i}}.\hat{\text{k}}\big)$
$={\text{a}_3}^2+{\text{a}_1}^2$ $(\because\hat{\text{i}}.\hat{\text{k}}=0)\dots(2)$
$\therefore\vec{\text{a}}\times\hat{\text{k}}=\begin{vmatrix}\hat{\text{i}}&\hat{\text{j}}&\hat{\text{k}}\\\text{a}_1&\text{a}_2&\text{a}_3\\0&0&1 \end{vmatrix}$
$=\text{a}_2\hat{\text{i}}-\text{a}_1\hat{\text{j}}$
$\Rightarrow\big(\vec{\text{a}}\times\hat{\text{k}}\big)^2=\big(\text{a}_2\hat{\text{i}}-\text{a}_1\hat{\text{j}}\big)^2$
$={\text{a}_2}^2|\hat{\text{i}}|^2+{\text{a}_1}^2|\hat{\text{j}}|^2-2\text{a}_1\text{a}_2\big(\hat{\text{i}}.\hat{\text{j}}\big)$
$={\text{a}_2}^2+{\text{a}_1}^2$ $(\because\hat{\text{i}}.\hat{\text{j}}=0)\dots(3)$
Adding $(1), (2)$ and $(3),$ we get
$\big(\vec{\text{a}}\times\hat{\text{i}}\big)^2+\big(\vec{\text{a}}\times\hat{\text{j}}\big)^2+\big(\vec{\text{a}}\times\hat{\text{k}}\big)^2$
$={\text{a}_3}^2+{\text{a}_2}^2+{\text{a}_3}^2+{\text{a}_1}^2+{\text{a}_2}^2+{\text{a}_1}^2$
$=2\big({\text{a}_1}^2+{\text{a}_2}^2+{\text{a}_3}^2\big)$
$=2\vec{\text{a}}^2$ $\big(\because|\vec{\text{a}}|=\sqrt{{\text{a}z_1}^2+{\text{a}_2}^2+{\text{a}_3}^2}\big)$

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