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Question

Mathematics Question on Vector Algebra

Show that
(ab)×(a+b)=2(a×b)(\vec{a}-\vec{b})\times(\vec{a}+\vec{b})=2(\vec{a}\times \vec{b})

Answer

(ab)×(a+b)(\vec{a}-\vec{b})\times(\vec{a}+\vec{b})
=(ab)×a+(ab)×b=(\vec{a}-\vec{b})\times \vec{a}+(\vec{a}-\vec{b})\times \vec{b} [By distributivity of vector product over addition]
=a×ab×a+a×bb×b=\vec{a}\times \vec{a}-\vec{b}\times\vec{a}+\vec{a}\times\vec{b}-\vec{b}\times\vec{b} [Again,by distributivity of vector product over addition]
=0+a×b+a×b0=\vec{0}+\vec{a}\times\vec{b}+\vec{a}\times\vec{b}-\vec{0}
=2a×b=2\vec{a}\times\vec{b}