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Vectors - Lesson 1 & 2

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Vectors Introduction- Lesson1

To solve vector problems at the CSEC level, you will
need to understand the following terms:
Position vector,
Displacement vector,
Collinear vectors,
Equal vectors,
Parallel vectors and resultant vectors.

The three representations of the Position vector of point A

2
are: a ,
or O
A
3

()

Displacement Vector

An example will be used to illustrate each point

Vector Definition:

A vector is a quantity that has a magnitude (size) and

a direction. (shown by an arrow)
In the diagram above O
A and O
B are called
position vectors because their starting points are taken
relative to the origin (O).
The starting point of vector A
B is not the origin, so the
term displacement vector is used to differentiate between
this vector and the position vector.

Vector Representation
Vector AB is the vector going from A to B. Three different
representations of the vector AB are:
1.
2.
3.

A
B

()
4
3

- as two letters with an overhead arrow

- as a column matrix (column vector)

Example 1
O
P

Points P(3, 2) and Q(-1, -3) have position vectors

relative to the origin O.
and O Q

as column vectors
OQ

1.

Express

O
P

and

2.

Express

PQ

as a column vector

3.

Find the length of

PQ

m - as a lowercase letter

The size ( modulus, magnitude, length ) of vector AB

is found using Pythagoras: 4 2 3 2 = 5

Solution:
The position vectors can be found directly from the
coordinates of P and Q:

1)

Position vector

()

O
P=

3
2

= 1
OQ
3

Point A(2,3) can be viewed as being displaced from the

origin O, by a vector called the position vector where:
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Vectors - Lesson 1 & 2

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Finding P Q
The displacement vector
PQ is the vector going from P
to Q where : so how do we find this vector?

Find

Vector equation

=
AC

b+c

AD =

OD =

BO =

BM =

MA =

Imagine that your starting position is point P and you wish

to get to point Q. Note that the only know path or course is
to travel first from P to O, and then from O to Q. This
means that we can get from P to Q using the two vectors
that we already know.
i.e

PQ

PO

Parallel Vectors and Equal Vectors

OQ

Note carefully that we have the vector O

P , but what
.
we need is the vector P O
This is however easily found however, since the vector
is simply the reverse of the vector O
PO
P
i.e

PO

2) so :

PQ =

=
OP

()

3
2

()
( )

Vector c is parallel to vector b if :

c = kb, and k is a constant (scalar ).

3
2

1
3

so if a vector is a constant (scalar) multiple of another

vector, then they are parallel.

( )
4
5

Example:
3. Length (magnitude) of

42 5 2
P Q=

= 6.4

()

Given: a b=

c=

()
12
8

Solution:

D
f

Now

M
d
e

Prove that the vectors are parallel.

Vector Equation Exercise:

3
2

so

()
12
8

can be written as

c=4b

()
3
2

(take 4 as a factor)

( k = 4 a constant)

c = 4b ( so b and c are parallel)

In the diagram above, the points are A, B, C , M , and O,

and the vectors are a,b,c,d,e, and f.

So for example: M C=d

Use this diagram to complete the table.
(Note the direction of the arrows)
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Equal Vectors

Vector e is equal to vector h if they both have the same

magnitude and direction. ( so e = h)
It follows that equal vectors are also parallel vectors

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Vectors - Lesson 1 & 2

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Collinear vectors ( on a straight line)

6

Lesson 2 Example1 -Vectors

8
C

Two points A and B have position vectors

2
4
; O B =
, where O is the
O
A =
5
2
origin ( 0,0). The point G lies on the line AB such that
1
x
AG = AB . Express in the form
,
3
y
; position vector O G

A
B ;
AG

A
collinear vectors

Two vectors are collinear if one vector is a scalar

are
multiple of the other vector. If A B and B C

collinear (on a straight line), then B C = k.A B

where k is a scalar (constant)
(Note that this is the same condition for parallel vectors)

A(- 2, 5)

B(4,2)

Example:
Given Points A(-2,1);
B(2,3) and C(8,6) .
Use a vector method to prove that the points are collinear

**************************************************

A
B

1) Finding

Solution:

Now A
B is the vector going from A to B
That is: First go from A to O and then from O to B

C
B

so:

A
B

but

AO

so

A
B =

AO

O
B

O A

( )

2) Finding

We need to prove that :

= k.A
BC
B . ( the condition for collinearity)

now

2
5

+O
AO
B

BC

= B O+O
C

( )
() ()

2
2
=
+
1
3
2
8
=
+
3
6

4
2
6
3

1
AB
3

=
AG

3) Finding
Now

2
5

4
2

6
3

AG

so we need to find the two displacement vectors A

B
and then establish the relationship between
and B C
them.
A
B

( )
=

= 1/3

6
3

2
1

OG

OG

=
=

O
A + AG
2
2
+
5
1

=
0
4

**************************************************

but

6
3

()

4
1.5
2

so

= k.A
BC
B

k = 1.5

so the three points are on a straight line (collinear.)

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Vectors - Lesson 1 & 2

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Class Activity 1
The position vectors of points A, B and C are:
O A =

()
6
2

O
B=

Express in the form

()
a
b

()
3
4

( )

, and O C
= 12
2

, vectors

B
A ,

3D
A

DA

giving
so:

BC

=
DC

a + ( b 3a)
=
a + b - 1.5 a
=
b-a
=
( b a)
= DO
+O X

DX
+O X

= O D
= 2a+2b = 2 (ba )

Finding

2) State one geometrical relationship between BA and

BC
3) If Point M is the mid point of AB; Find the
coordinates of M.
Example 2:
A

3a
a

=
=

Two Geometrical Relationships:

ii) DX and DC are parallel, (2) DX = 4 DC
iii) D, C and X are collinear ( on a straight line)

Class Activity 2
The Position vectors of R and J are :

D
C

O
R = 2
3
B

and

O
J=

1
1

1. Express

In the diagram above: C is the mid point of AB and B is

the mid point of OX, and D is such that OD = 2DA.
The vectors a and b are such that: O A=3a and
O
B =b

R
J in the form

2. Find the length

a
b

R
J

3. Given that another point is such that

R T = 8
2

Find the coordinates of T

Express the following in terms of

; DC
and D X

A
B ; AC

and

b
*********************************************************

State two geometrical relationship between DX and DC

State one geometrical relationship between the points D,
C and X
**************************************************

Hint: The coordinates of T comes from the position vector

O T
*********************************************************

Class Activity 3 ABCD is a quadrilateral such that:

Finding A B
now

+O
AO
B
O
A+O
B =

b3a

A
B =

Finding

O
A=

8
4

O
B=

( )
5
7

()

=
OC

1
4

3a +b

OM is a point on OA such that the ratio

OM:OA = 1:4
Prove that ABCM is a parallelogram

AC

now: C is mid point AB

= A
B

AC

( )

= ( b 3a)

Solution:
*********************************************************

Finding
now

DC
=D
,
DC
A A C

where OD = 2DA

Hint: The opposite sides of a parallelogram are equal., so

this question is testing that you know how to prove that two
vectors are equal.
*********************************************************

and
so

= 3a
O D+D
A
2D
A+D
A = 3a

( given)

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Vectors - Lesson 1 & 2

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Class Avtivity 4
The position vectors A and B relative to the origin are
a and b respectively.
The point P is on OA such that OP = 2PA
The point M is on BA such that BM = MA
A

b
a

OB is produced to N such that OB = ON

Express in terms of a and b, the vectors:
1.

A
B;

P
A;

PM

2.

use a vector method to Prove that Points P, M

and N are collinear

3.

Calculate the length AN given that :

a=

6
2

and b =

1
2

***************************************************

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Vectors - Lesson 1 & 2

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Activity 2

Vector lesson - Solutions to activity questions

Activity 1

RT

R(-2,3)

B(3,4)

OT

A(6,2

J(1, -1)

C(12, -2)

R
J

() ( )
() ( ) ( )

A =
B O+O

= B O+O

=
BC
C

B
A =

so:

BC

3B
A

6
2

12
2

3
2

( geometrical relationship)

9
6

+O
RO
J

( )
2
3

( )=( )
1
1

( 3 +(4 ) )
2

length =

=5
O T

Position vector of T =

2
3

B(3,4)

O
R

()
8
2

R T

()
6
5

so coordinates = T (6, 5)

M
A(6,2

*********************************************

Activity 3

B(-5,7)

C(12, -2)

if M = mid AB; then

=

BM

C(1,4)

1
BA
2

A(-8,4)

( )=( )

1 3
2 2

1.5
1

M
O

Now the coordinates of M can be found from the

position vector O M

OM

=
=

( )

where

3
4

O
B+ B M

() + ( ) = ( )
3
4

1.5
1

4.5
3

The objective is to prove that:

(1)
Now:

; and (2)
A
B =M C

A
B = A O+O
B

coordinates = M( 4.5, 3)

=
Also:

so :
Giving
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M
A= C
B

( )

8
4

= MO
+O C

MC

OM

= O
A =

=
OM

MO

( ) ()
5
7

3
3

but OM:OA = 1:4

8
2
=
4
1

( )
( )
2
1

2
1

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Vectors - Lesson 1 & 2

1 2
4
1

=
MC

so:

3
3

A
B =M C

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1
1
a b a
3
2

=
PM

.... (1)

1
3b a
6

**********************************************
Points P, M and N are collinear if:

We now need to prove that : M

A= C
B

=k P M

M N

( )

3
OA =
4

now:

M
A =

also

+O
C
B = CO
B

()

1
4

3 8
4 4

6
3

( ) ( )
5
7

6
3

M N

so we need to find

M N

M
B+B N

where:

M
B

ba ; and

so

=
M N

now

M
A= C
B

( )

( k is a constant)

(2)

now note that

=b

b a + b

From (1) and (2), ABCM is a parallelogram.

BN

3b a

M N

3PM

k=3

therfore P , M and N are on a stright line ( collinear)

Activity 4
N

: consider triangle OAN:

AN

To find the length of

=O

ON
A A N

=O N
O A =
AN

AN

=2

1/3 (a)

2/3 (a)

2b a

1
2

2
4

6
2

6
2

4
2

Length =

Finding:

A
B =

=
Finding
now:

+O
AO
B

=
=

a+b

A O+O
B

4 2

4.47

************************************************

ba

P
A

1
P
A= a
3

Finding P M

P
A+ A M

now A M = MB = A B =

so P M

b a

1
1
a + ( ab)
3
2

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