Applied Mathematics 1A1E

Module Code: APM1EB1

Year: 2022
Tutorial Test 4
Solutions
Due Date: 19 August 2022

Provide the following details.

Student number Tutorial Test 4 APM1EB1

Surname, Initials 08:00 19 August 2022

Problem 1
→
− −
Suppose that the vectors → −
a , b ,→
c ∈ R2 are the position vectors of the
points (0, −1) , (1, 5) , (−5, 7) ∈ R2 , respectively. Presented in compo-
nent form with the final answer accurate to three decimal digits per
component, normalise
→
−
2→
−
a − 3 b + 4→ −c . (1)

Solution: Let
→
− →
−
d := 2→
−
a − 3 b + 4→
−c , (2)
→
− →
− →
−
then d ∈ R2 is a vector and we must determine dˆ (if d 6= 0 ). We

1
notice that
→
−a = −ŷ (3a)
⇒ 2→
−a = −2ŷ, (3b)
→
−
b = x̂ + 5ŷ (3c)
→
−
⇒ −3 b = −3x̂ − 15ŷ and (3d)
→
−c = −5x̂ + 7ŷ (3e)
⇒ 4→
−c = −20x̂ + 28ŷ. (3f)
→
−
Thus, with d := d , we have
→
− →
−
d = 2→ −a − 3 b + 4→−c (4a)
= (−2ŷ) + (−3x̂ − 15ŷ) + (−20x̂ + 28ŷ) (4b)
→
−
⇒ d = −23x̂ + 11ŷ and (4c)
√
d = 5 26 6= 0, so (4d)
→
−
d
dˆ = (4e)
d
−23x̂ + 11ŷ
= √ (4f)
5 26
= −0.902x̂ + 0.431ŷ. (4g)

Hence, accurate to three decimal digits per component, the desired

vector, presented in component form, is

− 0.902x̂ + 0.431ŷ. (5)