Orthogonal Vector Equation
Let $ \mathbf{a} = \begin{pmatrix} 1 \\ 3 \\ 0 \end{pmatrix}, $ $ \mathbf{b} = \begin{pmatrix} -11 \\ 5 \\ 2 \end{pmatrix}, $ and $ \mathbf{c} = \begin{pmatrix} 1 + \sqrt{5} \\ 4 \\ -5 \end{pmatrix} $. Find $ k $ if the vectors $ \mathbf{a} + \mathbf{b} + \mathbf{c} $ and
\[3 (\mathbf{b} \times \mathbf{c}) - 8 (\mathbf{c} \times \mathbf{a}) + k (\mathbf{a} \times \mathbf{b})\]are orthogonal.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- +
- 4
- 5
- 6
- -
- 7
- 8
- 9
- $\frac{a}{b}$
- .
- 0
- =
- %
- $a^n$
- $a^{\circ}$
- $a_n$
- $\sqrt{}$
- $\sqrt[n]{}$
- $\pi$
- $\ln{}$
- $\log$
- $\theta$
- $\sin{}$
- $\cos{}$
- $\tan{}$
- $($
- $)$
- $[$
- $]$
- $\cap$
- $\cup$
- $,$
- $\infty$
Solution
Since $ \mathbf{a} + \mathbf{b} + \mathbf{c} $ and $ 3 (\mathbf{b} \times \mathbf{c}) - 8 (\mathbf{c} \times \mathbf{a}) + k (\mathbf{a} \times \mathbf{b}) $ are orthogonal,
\[(\mathbf{a} + \mathbf{b} + \mathbf{c}) \cdot (3 (\mathbf{b} \times \mathbf{c}) - 8 (\mathbf{c} \times \mathbf{a}) + k (\mathbf{a} \times \mathbf{b})) = 0.\]Expanding, we get
\begin{align*}
&3 (\mathbf{a} \cdot (\mathbf{b} \times \mathbf{c})) - 8 (\mathbf{a} \cdot (\mathbf{c} \times \mathbf{a})) + k (\mathbf{a} \cdot (\mathbf{a} \times \mathbf{b})) \\
&\quad + 3 (\mathbf{b} \cdot (\mathbf{b} \times \mathbf{c})) - 8 (\mathbf{b} \cdot (\mathbf{c} \times \mathbf{a})) + k (\mathbf{b} \cdot (\mathbf{a} \times \mathbf{b})) \\
&\quad + 3 (\mathbf{c} \cdot (\mathbf{b} \times \mathbf{c})) - 8 (\mathbf{c} \cdot (\mathbf{c} \times \mathbf{a})) + k (\mathbf{c} \cdot (\mathbf{a} \times \mathbf{b})) = 0.\end{align*}Since $ \mathbf{a} $ and $ \mathbf{c} \times \mathbf{a} $ are orthogonal, their dot product is 0. Likewise, most of the terms vanish, and we are left with
\[3 (\mathbf{a} \cdot (\mathbf{b} \times \mathbf{c})) - 8 (\mathbf{b} \cdot (\mathbf{c} \times \mathbf{a})) + k (\mathbf{c} \cdot (\mathbf{a} \times \mathbf{b})) = 0.\]By the scalar triple product,
\[\mathbf{a} \cdot (\mathbf{b} \times \mathbf{c}) = \mathbf{b} \cdot (\mathbf{c} \times \mathbf{a}) = \mathbf{c} \cdot (\mathbf{a} \times \mathbf{b}),\]so $ (3 - 8 + k) (\mathbf{a} \cdot (\mathbf{b} \times \mathbf{c})) = 0 $. We can verify that $ \mathbf{a} \cdot (\mathbf{b} \times \mathbf{c}) \neq 0, $ so we must have $ 3 - 8 + k = 0, $ which means $ k = \boxed{5} $.
Freeflows