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If the sum of two unit vectors is a unit...

If the sum of two unit vectors is a unit vector, then magnitude of difference is-

A

`sqrt(2)`

B

`sqrt(3)`

C

`1//sqrt(2)`

D

`sqrt(5)`

Text Solution

AI Generated Solution

The correct Answer is:
To solve the problem, we need to find the magnitude of the difference between two unit vectors \( \mathbf{n_1} \) and \( \mathbf{n_2} \) given that their sum is also a unit vector. ### Step-by-Step Solution: 1. **Understanding the Given Information**: - Let \( \mathbf{n_1} \) and \( \mathbf{n_2} \) be two unit vectors. - According to the problem, \( \mathbf{n_1} + \mathbf{n_2} = \mathbf{n} \) where \( \mathbf{n} \) is also a unit vector. 2. **Magnitude of the Sum**: - Since \( \mathbf{n} \) is a unit vector, we have: \[ |\mathbf{n}| = 1 \] - The magnitude of the sum of two vectors can be expressed as: \[ |\mathbf{n_1} + \mathbf{n_2}|^2 = |\mathbf{n}|^2 \] - Expanding the left-hand side: \[ |\mathbf{n_1} + \mathbf{n_2}|^2 = |\mathbf{n_1}|^2 + |\mathbf{n_2}|^2 + 2 \mathbf{n_1} \cdot \mathbf{n_2} \] - Since \( \mathbf{n_1} \) and \( \mathbf{n_2} \) are unit vectors: \[ |\mathbf{n_1}|^2 = 1 \quad \text{and} \quad |\mathbf{n_2}|^2 = 1 \] - Therefore: \[ |\mathbf{n_1} + \mathbf{n_2}|^2 = 1 + 1 + 2 \mathbf{n_1} \cdot \mathbf{n_2} = 1 \] - Simplifying gives: \[ 2 + 2 \mathbf{n_1} \cdot \mathbf{n_2} = 1 \] - Rearranging leads to: \[ 2 \mathbf{n_1} \cdot \mathbf{n_2} = 1 - 2 \quad \Rightarrow \quad \mathbf{n_1} \cdot \mathbf{n_2} = -\frac{1}{2} \] 3. **Finding the Angle Between the Vectors**: - The dot product \( \mathbf{n_1} \cdot \mathbf{n_2} \) can also be expressed in terms of the angle \( \theta \) between them: \[ \mathbf{n_1} \cdot \mathbf{n_2} = |\mathbf{n_1}| |\mathbf{n_2}| \cos(\theta) = 1 \cdot 1 \cdot \cos(\theta) = \cos(\theta) \] - Thus: \[ \cos(\theta) = -\frac{1}{2} \] - This implies: \[ \theta = 120^\circ \] 4. **Calculating the Magnitude of the Difference**: - The magnitude of the difference of the two unit vectors is given by: \[ |\mathbf{n_1} - \mathbf{n_2}|^2 = |\mathbf{n_1}|^2 + |\mathbf{n_2}|^2 - 2 \mathbf{n_1} \cdot \mathbf{n_2} \] - Substituting the known values: \[ |\mathbf{n_1} - \mathbf{n_2}|^2 = 1 + 1 - 2(-\frac{1}{2}) \] - Simplifying this: \[ |\mathbf{n_1} - \mathbf{n_2}|^2 = 2 + 1 = 3 \] - Taking the square root gives: \[ |\mathbf{n_1} - \mathbf{n_2}| = \sqrt{3} \] ### Final Answer: The magnitude of the difference between the two unit vectors is \( \sqrt{3} \).

To solve the problem, we need to find the magnitude of the difference between two unit vectors \( \mathbf{n_1} \) and \( \mathbf{n_2} \) given that their sum is also a unit vector. ### Step-by-Step Solution: 1. **Understanding the Given Information**: - Let \( \mathbf{n_1} \) and \( \mathbf{n_2} \) be two unit vectors. - According to the problem, \( \mathbf{n_1} + \mathbf{n_2} = \mathbf{n} \) where \( \mathbf{n} \) is also a unit vector. ...
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