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NCERT Solutions · Class 12 Maths · NCERT Mathematics Part I and II Part I · Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Determinants (Algebra)

Step-by-step solutions to all exercises of Chapter 4, Determinants (NCERT Class 12 Maths Part I, 2026-27): Exercise 4.1 (evaluating determinants), 4.2 (area of a triangle, collinearity, equation of a line), 4.3 (minors and cofactors), 4.4 (adjoint and inverse of a matrix), 4.5 (consistency and solving linear equations by the matrix method) and the Miscellaneous Exercise. All 61 questions are answered, with the key answer highlighted.

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Expansion: , where the cofactor . Area of a triangle: . is the transpose of the cofactor matrix; (). For : if , (unique solution); if and , the system is inconsistent.

Exercise 4.1

1
Evaluate .
Solution

18

2
Evaluate (i) (ii)
Solution

(i)

(ii)

(i) 1. (ii)

3
If , then show that .
Solution

. , so .

|2A| = −24 = 4|A|.

4
If , then show that .
Solution

A is upper triangular, so . is also upper triangular with diagonal 3, 3, 12, so .

|3A| = 108 = 27|A|.

5
Evaluate the determinants (i) (ii) (iii) (iv)
Solution

(i) Expand along (two zeros): only contributes, with cofactor . So .

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

(i) −12. (ii) 46. (iii) 0. (iv) 5.

6
If , find |A|.
Solution

|A| = 0

7
Find values of x, if (i) (ii)
Solution

(i) .

(ii) .

(i) . (ii) x = 2.

8
If , then x is equal to (A) 6 (B) ±6 (C) −6 (D) 0
Solution

.

(B)

Exercise 4.2

1
Find area of the triangle with vertices at the point given in each of the following: (i) (1, 0), (6, 0), (4, 3) (ii) (2, 7), (1, 1), (10, 8) (iii) (−2, −3), (3, 2), (−1, −8)
Solution

(i) sq units.

(ii) sq units.

(iii) Using : sq units.

(i) 15/2. (ii) 47/2. (iii) 15 sq units.

2
Show that points A (a, b + c), B (b, c + a), C (c, a + b) are collinear.
Solution

Apply : every entry of the first column becomes , so . Two proportional columns make the determinant 0. So the area is 0 and the points are collinear.

The determinant is 0 (C₁ + C₂ is a multiple of C₃), so the points are collinear.

3
Find values of k if area of triangle is 4 sq. units and vertices are (i) (k, 0), (4, 0), (0, 2) (ii) (−2, 0), (0, 4), (0, k)
Solution

(i) or .

(ii) or .

(i) k = 0 or 8. (ii) k = 0 or 8.

4
(i) Find equation of line joining (1, 2) and (3, 6) using determinants. (ii) Find equation of line joining (3, 1) and (9, 3) using determinants.
Solution

For a point on the line, the three points are collinear, so the area is 0.

(i) .

(ii) .

(i) y = 2x. (ii) x − 3y = 0.

5
If area of triangle is 35 sq units with vertices (2, −6), (5, 4) and (k, 4). Then k is (A) 12 (B) −2 (C) −12, −2 (D) 12, −2
Solution

or .

(D)

Exercise 4.3

1
Write minors and cofactors of the elements of following determinants: (i) (ii)
Solution

(i) , , , ; , , , .

(ii) , , , ; , , , .

As listed above.

2
Write minors and cofactors of the elements of: (i) (ii)
Solution

(i) and all other minors are 0; the cofactors are the same: , the rest 0.

(ii) Minors: , , , , , , , , .

Cofactors: , , , , , , , , .

As listed above.

3
Using cofactors of elements of second row, evaluate .
Solution

, , .

Δ = 7

4
Using cofactors of elements of third column, evaluate .
Solution

, , .

(Expanding: , which factorises as above.)

5
If and is cofactor of , then value of Δ is given by (A) (B) (C) (D)
Solution

Δ is the sum of the elements of any row or column multiplied by their own cofactors. (D) uses column 1 with its own cofactors.

(D)

Exercise 4.4

1
Find adjoint of the matrix .
Solution

For a 2 × 2 matrix, swap the diagonal and change the signs of the other two: .

2
Find adjoint of the matrix .
Solution

Cofactors: , , ; , , ; , , .

3
Verify for .
Solution

; .

and . Verified.

All three equal O since |A| = 0.

4
Verify for .
Solution

.

Cofactors: , , , , , , , , , so

Multiplying, , and as well. Verified.

Both products equal 11I = |A|I.

5
Find the inverse of .
Solution

; .

6
Find the inverse of .
Solution

; .

7
Find the inverse of .
Solution

(triangular).

Cofactors: , , , , , , , , .

8
Find the inverse of .
Solution

.

Cofactors: , , , , , , , , .

9
Find the inverse of .
Solution

.

Cofactors: , , , , , , , , .

10
Find the inverse of .
Solution

.

Cofactors: , , , , , , , , .

11
Find the inverse of .
Solution

.

Cofactors: , , , , , .

(the matrix is its own inverse).

12
Let and . Verify that .
Solution

, :

, ; , .

Both equal .

13
If , show that . Hence find .
Solution

, so .

Multiply by (): , so

14
For the matrix , find the numbers a and b such that .
Solution

.

.

From : . Then (check: ✔).

a = −4, b = 1.

15
For the matrix , show that . Hence, find .
Solution

For example, the (1, 1) entry: ; all entries work out to 0, so .

Multiply by : , so

16
If , verify that and hence find .
Solution

(1, 1) entry: ; (1, 2) entry: ; all entries are 0.

Multiply by : , so

17
Let A be a nonsingular square matrix of order 3 × 3. Then |adj A| is equal to (A) |A| (B) |A|² (C) |A|³ (D) 3|A|
Solution

for .

(B)

18
If A is an invertible matrix of order 2, then det (A⁻¹) is equal to (A) det (A) (B) (C) 1 (D) 0
Solution

.

(B)

Exercise 4.5

1
Examine the consistency of the system of equations: x + 2y = 2, 2x + 3y = 3.
Solution

, so a unique solution exists: consistent.

Consistent.

2
Examine the consistency: 2x − y = 5, x + y = 4.
Solution

: consistent.

Consistent.

3
Examine the consistency: x + 3y = 5, 2x + 6y = 8.
Solution

. and : inconsistent.

Inconsistent.

4
Examine the consistency: x + y + z = 1, 2x + 3y + 2z = 2, ax + ay + 2az = 4.
Solution

For , , so the system is consistent (unique solution). (If , the third equation reads , which is impossible.)

Consistent (for a ≠ 0).

5
Examine the consistency: 3x − y − 2z = 2, 2y − z = −1, 3x − 5y = 3.
Solution

.

, : inconsistent.

Inconsistent.

6
Examine the consistency: 5x − y + 4z = 5, 2x + 3y + 5z = 2, 5x − 2y + 6z = −1.
Solution

: consistent.

Consistent.

7
Solve using matrix method: 5x + 2y = 4, 7x + 3y = 5.
Solution

, .

x = 2, y = −3

8
Solve using matrix method: 2x − y = −2, 3x + 4y = 3.
Solution

, .

,

9
Solve using matrix method: 4x − 3y = 3, 3x − 5y = 7.
Solution

, .

,

10
Solve using matrix method: 5x + 2y = 3, 3x + 2y = 5.
Solution

, .

x = −1, y = 4

11
Solve using matrix method: 2x + y + z = 1, x − 2y − z = 3/2, 3y − 5z = 9.
Solution

, .

.

x = 1, y = 1/2, z = −3/2

12
Solve using matrix method: x − y + z = 4, 2x + y − 3z = 0, x + y + z = 2.
Solution

, .

.

x = 2, y = −1, z = 1

13
Solve using matrix method: 2x + 3y + 3z = 5, x − 2y + z = −4, 3x − y − 2z = 3.
Solution

, .

.

x = 1, y = 2, z = −1

14
Solve using matrix method: x − y + 2z = 7, 3x + 4y − 5z = −5, 2x − y + 3z = 12.
Solution

, .

.

x = 2, y = 1, z = 3

15
If , find . Using solve the system of equations 2x − 3y + 5z = 11, 3x + 2y − 4z = −5, x + y − 2z = −3.
Solution

.

, so .

; x = 1, y = 2, z = 3.

16
The cost of 4 kg onion, 3 kg wheat and 2 kg rice is ₹60. The cost of 2 kg onion, 4 kg wheat and 6 kg rice is ₹90. The cost of 6 kg onion 2 kg wheat and 3 kg rice is ₹70. Find cost of each item per kg by matrix method.
Solution

Let the costs per kg be x (onion), y (wheat), z (rice): , , .

.

.

Onion ₹5/kg, wheat ₹8/kg, rice ₹8/kg.

Miscellaneous Exercise on Chapter 4

1
Prove that the determinant is independent of θ.
Solution

This does not contain θ.

Δ = −x³, independent of θ.

2
Evaluate .
Solution

Expanding along :

1

3
If and , find .
Solution

, and .

4
Let . Verify that (i) (ii) .
Solution

.

, .

(i) Since , . Also , which is the same matrix. So the two sides are equal.

(ii) and computing the inverse of by the adjoint method gives back (as ).

Both sides of (i) equal , and .

5
Evaluate .
Solution

: every entry of becomes :

, :

6
Evaluate .
Solution

, :

xy

7
Solve the system of equations , , .
Solution

Put , , : , , .

.

.

So , , .

x = 2, y = 3, z = 5

8
If x, y, z are nonzero real numbers, then the inverse of matrix is (A) (B) (C) (D)
Solution

and , so .

(A)

9
Let , where . Then (A) Det(A) = 0 (B) Det(A) ∈ (2, ∞) (C) Det(A) ∈ (2, 4) (D) Det(A) ∈ [2, 4]
Solution

Since , .

(D)

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