VECTORS

Vector – A quantity having both magnitude and direction. E.g. Displacement, Force.

The sliding movement (translation) from A to B is represented as AB and read

as vector AB. ( ) shows the direction of the vector. Vectors can also be
represented using single alphabet. E.g. AB = a

A sliding movement (translation) on a co- ordinate plane can be described using

a column vector. The column vector describes the movement of the object in
both the x- direction and the y- direction. It is represented as

AB = or a =

B
Magnitude of the vector is
a
Magnitude of a = , it is represented
as and read as modulus a
A

When the direction of the vector changes

the values of x and y changes correspondingly but the magnitude remains the
same.
E.g. BA or -a =
Parallel Vectors

Two vectors having the same direction are parallel vectors.

a If a and b are parallel vectors, then a = kb

If k > 0, a and b are in the same direction.
If a < 0, a and b are in the opposite direction
b

Addition and Subtraction of Vectors

MS/Dept. Of Maths/42Vectors/2006 Page 1 of 8 Sabu Thomas

 B C

b
c

O a A

OA + AC = OC (Triangle Law of addition)

OB + OA = OC (Parallelogram law of addition)

Representation of a + b as a column vector.

a+b a= b=

a
a+b=

Subtraction

a – b = a + (-b)

- = +

Multiplication by a scalar

5 10
a= 2a =
6 12

Position vector

MS/Dept. Of Maths/42Vectors/2006 Page 2 of 8 Sabu Thomas

 Vector is fixed in position relative to a specific point. The position vector of a point
A relative to the origin O is OA or a

Vector A relative to O is
A

O
Vector geometry

If position of a vector is not fixed, then any vector having same magnitude and
direction as a, can also be considered as a.

AB = DC

AD = BC
D C
BD = 2BE

CD = -AB
E

A B

MS/Dept. Of Maths/42Vectors/2006 Page 3 of 8 Sabu Thomas

1) In the diagram OA = and OB =

A
a) Find OA , modulus of OA
b) BA

c) given that BC = and BC = k . OA

O
Find the value of k & x
B

B
2)
OAB is a right angled triangle OA = a and OB = b
(a) Find AB in terms of a and b
Given that | a | = 8 and | b | = 6
(b) (i) Find AB as a column vector
O
A (ii) Find |AB|

3) ½a
B C
OACB is a trapezium. OA = a, OB = b
b and BC = ½ OA.

O a A
a) Find the following vectors in terms of a and b, write your answers as a
single fraction. i) OC ii) AC

b) Given that OA = 6 and OB = 5. Calculate the length AC.

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4)
D C

E B
O

F A

FABCDE is a regular hexagon O is the centre. FA = a and FE = b Find in

terms of a and b

(a) AC (b) AE c) AD (d) FO

5) The diagram shows a circle, centre O, with points A,B,P and Q on the circumference.
BOQ is a diameter.

B A

2a
2b
O

Q
3a

P
(a) Write down , in terms of a or b or both, the vectors

i) QB ii) PB

(b) If = 5 units, Write down the length of

i) PQ ii) PB, to one decimal place.

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 y
6)
A 2 B

1
H C

-2 -1 1 2
O

G D
-1

F -2 E

Given that AB = BC = CD = DE = EF = FG = GH. OA = 2a and OB = 2b

a) (i) Write down the mathematical name of the figure ABCDEFGH.

(ii) Calculate the angle AOB

b) Write down the following vectors in terms of a and /or b, giving your answer in
their simplest form.
i. AB ii. FB iii. FA
c) Name a geometrical relation between AF and HG.

(ii) Express GH in terms of a and b.

d) Express b – a as a column vector.

7) The quadrilateral ABCD is such that AB = 2p, BC = q and CD = -3p.

a) What is the special name given to the quadrilateral ABCD?

q C
B

2p
- 3p

D
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 b) Express DA in terms of p and q, giving your answer in its simplest form

8) In a video game, a spot on the screen bounces off the four sides of a rectangular
frame. The spot moves from A to B to C to D, as shown in the diagram below.

D
ALR Clear VIEW 14d

a) The column vector describing the part AB of the movement is 3

2
Write down the column vectors of
(i) BC (ii) CD (iii) AC

b) Find the length of the vectors

(i) AB (ii) BC (iii) AC
c) Prove that the parts of the path AB and CD are parallel to each other,
by using column vectors.
d) Given that AB = 2a BC = 3b, find in terms of a/b or a and b
(i) CD (ii) AD
9) In the diagram, OABC is a parallelogram,
a) Express, as simply as possible, in terms of p and q. A B
i) ii)
4p-q
b) D is the point such that
MS/Dept. Of Maths/42Vectors/2006 Page 7 of 8 Sabu Thomas
O p+5q C
D
 i) Explain why is parallel to .

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