Two vectors a and b are perpendicular if and only if their dot product is zero. That is, a · b = 0.
Given vectors are a = 1i + 2j + 3k and b = 2i - pj + 1k. The dot product is calculated as:
$$(1)(2) + (2)(-p) + (3)(1) = 0$$Simplify the equation:
$$2 - 2p + 3 = 0$$ $$5 - 2p = 0$$ $$2p = 5$$ $$p = \frac{5}{2}$$Final Answer: 5/2
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