Louis Brooks

April 11, 2008

1 C4 Vectors
1.1 What is a vector
A vector is a quantity that has both magnitude and a direction in space.

1.2 Vector representation

~ where A an B are
The vector below can be represented using the notation AB.
the ends of the vector.

:B

 
 
A

1.3 Modulus of a vector

~ is
The modulus of a vector is its magnitude. The modulus of the vector AB
~
written |AB|. The modulus of the vector a is written |a| or a.

1.4 Equality of vectors

Two vectors are said to be equal if they have both the same magnitude and
direction.

1.5 Zero vector

A zero vector has zero magnitude and indeterminate direction. The best exam-
ple of a zero vector is to consider the vectors P~Q and QP
~ these two vectors have
the same magnitude but opposite direction.You can write an equation involving
these vectors as ...
P~Q + QP~ =0
because a displacement from P to Q followed by a displacement from Q to P
takes you back where you started, so overall there is no displacement.

1
1.6 Unit vector
A unit vector is a vector whose modulus is 1. The vector a has magnitude |a|.
So a unit vector in the same direction as a is |a
a| .

1.7 Skipped multiplication, addition and subtraction

1.8 Position vectors
~ is defined to
If you have a fixed position O and a point A, then the vector OA
be the position vector of the point A.

1.9 Position vector of the mid-point of a line

~ = a)
Let the position vector of a point A be a (OA
Let the position vector of B be b.
Let M be the mid-point of AB.
Then: BA~ =ab
~ = OB
So: OM ~ + BM ~
~ = OB
OM ~ + 1 BA~
2

~ =b+
OM 1
b)
2 (a

~ = 1 (a + b)
OM 2

So the position vector of the mid-point of the line AB is 21 (a + b).

1.10 Cartesian components of a vector

The position vector of any point P (x,y,z ) is x i+yj+z k. x, y and z are cartesian
components of OP~ .
p
The length of the line OP which p joins (0,0,0) to (x,y,z ) is x2 + y 2 + z 2
Therefore the modulus of OP ~ is x2 + y 2 + z 2 .
xi+yj+zk
and a unit vector in the direction x i+yj+z k is 2 2 2 .
x +y +z

1.11 Scalar product of two vectors

The scalar (or dot) product of two vectors a and b is defined as |a||b| cos where
is the angle between a and b. The calculation only works when the direction
of the vectors are either both towards their point of intersection or both away
from their point of intersection and is the angle between their directions.
The scalar product is written a.b.

1.12 Rules of scalar products

1. For two perpendicular vectors a.b = 0
a.b = |a||b| cos 90
cos 90 = 0
So a.b = 0
2. a.a = a2
a.a = |a||a| cos

2
 Since the vectors are the same the angle between them is zero.
a.a = |a||a| cos 0 = a.a.1 = a2
3. a.b = b.a
a.b = |a||b| cos = |b||a| cos = b.a
4. (a.b) = (a).b = a.(b)
5. a.(b+c) = a.b + a.c

1.13 The scalar product in terms of cartesian coordinates

If the vectors a and b are given in terms of cartesian components as
a = x1 i + y1 j + z1 k and b = x2 i + y2 j + z2 k
Then a.b = x1 x2 + y1 y2 + z1 z2
And |a||b| cos = x1 x2 + y1 y2 + z1 z2

1.14 The projection of a vector onto another vector

The projection of the vector a on b is a.b
|b|

1.15 The vector equation of a straight line

Given two vectors a1 i + b1 j + c1 k and a2 i + b2 j + c2 k
The vector equation of a straight line is in the format of
a1 i + b1 j + c1 k + (a3 i + b3 j + c3 k)
Where
a3 = a2 a1
b3 = b 2 b 1
c3 = c 2 c 1
The vector equation can be rearranged in the format.
(a1 + a3 )i + (b1 + b3 )j + (c1 + c3 )k
If you are told that a vector equation of a line passes through the point
a1 i + b1 j + c1 k and is parallel to the vector a2 i + b2 j + c2 k then the vector
equation of the line is a1 i + b1 j + c1 k + (a2 i + b2 j + c2 k).

2 Example questions
2.1 Question 1
Relative to a fixed origin, O, the line l has the equation
r = (i + pj 5k) + (3i j + qj),
Where p and q are constants and is a scalar parameter.
Given that the point A with coordinates (-5, 9, -9) lies on l,
(a) find the values of p and q,
Working
r = (1 + 3)i + (p )j + (5 + q)k
(1 + 3) = 5
= 2
(p + 2) = 9
p=7
(5 2q) = 9

3
q=2
(b) show that the point B with coordinates (25, -1, 11) also lies on l.
Working
Put values of p and q into equation
r = (1 + 3)i + (7 )j + (5 + 2)k
Equate each coordinate of the equation to the relative coordinate of the point
to find value of .
(1 + 3) = 25
(7 ) = 1
(5 + 2) = 11
Therefore when = 8 the point (25, -1, 11) lies on l.
The point C lies on l and is such that OC is perpendicular to l.
(c) find the coordinates of C.
Working
Use the dot product on the direction vector of the line and the line itself, the
idea behind doing this is to find a value of for which the new equation of
the line equals zero. This will allow us to find a point whose position vector is
parrallel to the line.
(1 + 3)i + (7 )j + (5 + 2)k.(3, 1, 2) = 0
(3 + 9)i + (7 + )j + (10 + 4)k = 0
when = 1
12 6 6 = 0
Put = 1 back into (1 + 3)i + (7 )j + (5 + 2)k giving the point (4,6,-3).
(d) find the ratio AC:CB.
There are two ways of doing this question the first way is to find the magni-
tude(length) of AC ~ and CB~ by finding the modulus of both these vectors.
We first need to find the vectors AC~ and CB~ we do this by doing C - A for AC~
~
B - C for CB.
AC~ = (4, 6, 3) (5, 9, 9)
~
AC = (9, 3, 6)
CB~ = (25, 1, 11) (4, 6, 3)
CB~ = (21, 7, 14)

~ = 92 + 32 + 62
|AC|
~ = 126
|AC|
~ = 212 + 72 + 142
|CB|
~ = 686
|CB|
686 = 7
126 3
Therefore the ratio AC:CB = 3:7
The second method for doing this question is simple we know that the points
A,B and C lie on the line
r = (i + 7j 5k) + (3i j + 2j),
but each point is produced using a different value of as shown in previous
parts of the question, these values of are.
for point A = 2
for point B = 8
for point C = 1
To find the ratio AC:CB we calculate C-A and B-C.
C A=3

4
BC =7
So the ratio AC:CB = 3:7