The physical quantities that have magnitude and are directly attached to them are known as vectors. Position vectors simply denote the position or location of a point in the three-dimensional Cartesian system with respect to a reference origin. Let us see in the upcoming discussion how we can apply section formula to vectors. The concept of section formula is implemented to find the coordinates of a point dividing a line segment internally or externally in a specific ratio. To locate the position of a point in space, we require a coordinate system.
Section Formula
If O is taken as reference origin and A is an arbitrary point in space then the vector
\(\begin{array}{l}\vec{OA}\end{array} \)
 is called the position vector of the point. Let us consider two points P and Q denoted by position vectors \(\begin{array}{l}\vec{OP}\end{array} \)
 and \(\begin{array}{l}\vec{OQ}\end{array} \)
  with respect to origin O.
Let us consider that the line segment connecting P and Q is divided by a point R lying on PQ. The point R can divide the line segment PQ in two ways: internally and externally. Let us consider both these cases individually.
Case 1: Line segment PQ is divided by R internally
Let us consider that the point R divides the line segment PQ in the ratio m: n, given that m and n are positive scalar quantities we can say that,
m
\(\begin{array}{l}\overline{RQ}\end{array} \)
= n\(\begin{array}{l}\overline{PR}\end{array} \)
Consider the triangles, ∆ORQ and ∆OPR.
\(\begin{array}{l}\overline{RQ}\end{array} \)
= \(\begin{array}{l}\overline{OQ}\end{array} \)
– \(\begin{array}{l}\overline{OR}\end{array} \)
= \(\begin{array}{l}\vec{b}\end{array} \)
– \(\begin{array}{l}\vec{r}\end{array} \)
\(\begin{array}{l}\overline{PR}\end{array} \)
= \(\begin{array}{l}\overline{OR}\end{array} \)
– \(\begin{array}{l}\overline{OP}\end{array} \)
= \(\begin{array}{l}\vec{r}\end{array} \)
– \(\begin{array}{l}\vec{a}\end{array} \)
Therefore,
m(
\(\begin{array}{l}\vec{b}\end{array} \)
– \(\begin{array}{l}\vec{r}\end{array} \)
) = n(\(\begin{array}{l}\vec{r}\end{array} \)
– \(\begin{array}{l}\vec{a}\end{array} \)
)
Rearranging this equation we get:
\(\begin{array}{l}\vec{r}\end{array} \)
= \(\begin{array}{l}\frac{m\vec{b} + n\vec{a}}{m + n}\end{array} \)
Therefore the position vector of point R dividing P and Q internally in the ratio m:n is given by:
\(\begin{array}{l}\vec{OR}\end{array} \)
= \(\begin{array}{l}\frac{m\vec{b} + n\vec{a}}{m + n}\end{array} \)
Case 2: Line segment PQ is divided by R externally
Let us consider that the point R divides the line segment PQ in the ratio m: n, given that m and n are positive scalar quantities we can say that,
m
\(\begin{array}{l}\overline{RQ}\end{array} \)
= -n\(\begin{array}{l}\overline{PR}\end{array} \)
Consider the triangles, ∆ORQ and ∆OPR.
\(\begin{array}{l}\overline{RQ}\end{array} \)
= \(\begin{array}{l}\overline{OQ}\end{array} \)
– \(\begin{array}{l}\overline{OR}\end{array} \)
= \(\begin{array}{l}\vec{b}\end{array} \)
– \(\begin{array}{l}\vec{r}\end{array} \)
\(\begin{array}{l}\overline{PR}\end{array} \)
= \(\begin{array}{l}\overline{OR}\end{array} \)
– \(\begin{array}{l}\overline{OP}\end{array} \)
= \(\begin{array}{l}\vec{r}\end{array} \)
– \(\begin{array}{l}\vec{a}\end{array} \)
Therefore,
m(
\(\begin{array}{l}\vec{b}\end{array} \)
– \(\begin{array}{l}\vec{r}\end{array} \)
) = -n(\(\begin{array}{l}\vec{r}\end{array} \)
– \(\begin{array}{l}\vec{a}\end{array} \)
)
Rearranging this equation we get:
\(\begin{array}{l}\vec{r}\end{array} \)
= \(\begin{array}{l}\frac{m\vec{b} – n\vec{a}}{m – n}\end{array} \)
Therefore the position vector of point R dividing P and Q externally in the ratio m:n is given by:
\(\begin{array}{l}\vec{OR}\end{array} \)
= \(\begin{array}{l}\frac{m\vec{b} – n\vec{a}}{m – n}\end{array} \)
What if the point R dividing the line segment joining points P and Q is the midpoint of line segment AB?
In that case, if R is the midpoint, then R divides the line segment PQ in the ratio 1:1, i.e. m = n = 1.The position vector of point R dividing will be given as:
\(\begin{array}{l}\vec{OR}\end{array} \)
= \(\begin{array}{l}\frac{\vec{b} + \vec{a}}{2}\end{array} \)
Go through the example problem given below to understand how to use the section formula of vectors.
Example:
Consider two points A and B with position vectors and \(\begin{array}{l}\vec{OA} = 4\vec{a} – 2\vec{b}\end{array} \)
and \(\begin{array}{l}\vec{OB} = 2\vec{a} + \vec{b}\end{array} \)
. Find the position vector of a point C which divides the line joining A and B in the ratio 3 : 2,Â
(i) internally
(ii) externally.
Solution:
(i) The position vector of the point C dividing the join of A and B internally in the ratio 3 : 2 is:
\(\begin{array}{l}\vec{OC}= \frac{3(2\vec{a} + \vec{b}) + 2(4\vec{a} – 2\vec{b})}{3+2}\end{array} \)
Expanding the terms in the numerator,
\(\begin{array}{l}=\frac{6\vec{a} + 3\vec{b} + 8\vec{a} – 4\vec{b}}{5}\\=\frac{14\vec{a} – \vec{b}}{5}\end{array} \)
(ii) The position vector of the point C dividing the join of A and B externally in the ratio 3 : 2 is:
\(\begin{array}{l}\vec{OC}= \frac{3(2\vec{a} + \vec{b}) – 2(4\vec{a} – 2\vec{b})}{3-2}\end{array} \)
Expanding the terms in the numerator,
\(\begin{array}{l}=\frac{6\vec{a} + 3\vec{b} – 8\vec{a} + 4\vec{b}}{1}\\={-2\vec{a} + 7\vec{b}}\end{array} \)
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