Linear Algebra : Operations and Properties

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Linear Algebra

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Example Questions

Example Question #43 : Norms

These two vectors form two sides of a triangle. In which range does the area of the triangle fall?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The area of a triangle formed by two vectors in  is half the norm of their cross-product - that is 

The cross-product is equal to the "determinant" of the matrix 

,

where .

which can be calculated by adding the upper-left to lower-right products and subtracting the upper-right to lower-left products:

The norm of this vector is the square root of the sum of the squares of the entries:

The area of the triangle falls in the range .

Example Question #42 : Norms

 and  form two sides of a triangle. Is the triangle acute, right, or obtuse?

Possible Answers:

Right

Acute

Obtuse

Correct answer:

Acute

Explanation:

First, find the angle  between the vectors using the formula

Find the dot product  by adding the products of corresponding entries:

Find the lengths, or norms, of  and , by taking the square roots of the sums of the squares of their entries:

Therefore, 

To find the measures of the other angles, it is necessary to find the length of the third side, which is equal to

, so

.

It follows that the triangle is isosceles. This third side, which is one of the two congruent sides, is opposite the  angle; by the Isosceles Triangle Theorem the angle opposite the other congruent side is also .  The measure of the third angle is 

.

All three angles are acute, so the triangle is an acute triangle.

Example Question #44 : Norms

Find the unit vector in the same direction as .

Possible Answers:

None of the other choices gives the correct response.

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The unit vector in the same direction as is

is the norm of , which can be calculated by finding the square root of the sum of the squares of its entries:

Thus, the unit vector is

Example Question #181 : Operations And Properties

Find the unit vector in the same direction as .

Possible Answers:

itself is a unit vector.

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The unit vector in the same direction as is

is the norm of , which can be calculated by finding the square root of the sum of the squares of its entries:

Thus, the unit vector is

Example Question #51 : Norms

In terms of , find the unit vector in the same direction as .

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The unit vector in the same direction as is

is the norm of , which can be calculated by finding the square root of the sum of the squares of its entries:

.

Therefore, the unit vector is

 

.

Example Question #52 : Norms

.

Find the unit vector in the same direction as .

Possible Answers:

is itself a unit vector

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The unit vector in the same direction as is .

 is the norm of , which can be calculated by finding the square root of the sum of the squares of its entries:

Thus, the unit vector is

 

Example Question #53 : Norms

Find the unit vector in the same direction as .

Possible Answers:

itself is a unit vector.

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The unit vector in the same direction as is

is the norm of , which can be calculated by finding the square root of the sum of the squares of its entries:

Thus, the unit vector is

Example Question #1 : Linear Independence And Rank

Determine whether the following vectors in Matrix form are Linearly Independent.

Possible Answers:

The vectors aren't Linearly Independent

The vectors are Linearly Independent

Correct answer:

The vectors are Linearly Independent

Explanation:

To figure out if the matrix is independent, we need to get the matrix into reduced echelon form. If we get the Identity Matrix, then the matrix is Linearly Independent.

 

 

 

 

 

Since we got the Identity Matrix, we know that the matrix is Linearly Independent. 

 

 

Example Question #2 : Linear Independence And Rank

Find the rank of the following matrix.

 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

We need to get the matrix into reduced echelon form, and then count all the non all zero rows.

The rank is 2, since there are 2 non all zero rows.

Example Question #1 : Linear Independence And Rank

Calculate the Rank of the following matrix

 

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

We need to put the matrix into reduced echelon form, and then count all the non-zero rows.

Since there is only 1 non-zero row, the Rank is 1.

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