VECTORS; Further Mathematics

Draw diagrams!

1. i) Write each of the following vectors in i, j form; OA , OB , OC , OD , OE ,

OF , OG and OH .

ii) Write each of the following vectors in i, j form and find the magnitude.

a) AB

b) BA A C

D
c) BC

d) CB B
O
e) FE E

F G
f) EF
H
g) DF

h) FD .

2. Illustrate the vectors a + b, b a, c d and d c in the following diagram.

a
d

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3. Illustrate the vectors a + b and a b in the following diagram.

a
b

4. Use the given diagram to express the given vectors in terms of a and b;
e.g. AC = a + b. a
A B

a) BA b) AD
c) BD d) DA . b

D 2a C

5. Repeat question 4 for the following. K a L

a) MK b) NL b
c) NK d) KN .

N 3a M

6. A, B and N are mid-points of OP, OQ and PQ respectively.

Express the following vectors in terms of a and b. Q

a) AP b) AB B N
c) OQ d) PO b
e) PQ f) PN
P
g) ON h) AN O A
a
i) BP j) QA .

7. Repeat question 6 for the following diagram where OA = 2AP, BQ = 3OB,

PN = 2NQ. Q
N

B
b
P
O a A

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8. The diagram shows a parallelogram OACB where M and N are the mid-points of AC
and BC respectively.

i) Express the vectors AB and MN in terms of the vectors a and b.

Hence deduce that AB and MN are M

parallel. A C

ii) D is the mid-point of the

diagonal AB. a D
N
Express the vector
OD in terms of
a and b. O b B

Hence show that the 2 diagonals bisect each other.

9. The position vectors of points A and B are given by a = i 3j and b = 2i + 5j

respectively. Find,

a) | AB |
b) the position vector of the mid point of AB.

1 4
10. The position vectors of points A and B are given by a = and b = .
5 1

Find the position vector of the point C which divides the line AB in the ratio 1:2.

b
B
O

a
C
A

11. A, B and C have position vectors a, b and c respectively. If D is the mid point of BC
and E lies on AD such that AE : ED = 2 : 1, show that:

a + b + c
e = where e is the position vector of E, i.e. the vector OE
3
where O denotes the origin. B
D
E C

A
{Hint: e = OE = OA + AE

= a + AE , now find the vector AE by considering AD etc.}

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 3
12. Find the angle that the vector makes with the x axis. {Hint: SOHCAHTOA !}
2

13. Find a vector which is parallel to the line y = 2x 1.

3 4
14. Show that the vectors and are perpendicular.
4 3

15. Show that for all values of t, the point whose position vector is ti + (2t 1)j lies on the
line whose equation is y = 2x 1.

*16. Given that OA + OC = OB + OD , show that the quadrilateral ABCD is in fact a

parallelogram.

{Hint: you need only show that AB = DC which then forces ABCD to be a
parallelogram!}

17. Find the distances between the following pairs of points A and B.

a) A(1, 2, 3), B(2, 4, 5) b) A( 1, 0, 5), B(4, 2, 5)

c) A(1, 1, 4), B( 2, 1, 10) d) A(4, 9, 6), B(1, 1, 2).

18. The points A, B, C and D have position vectors given by

a = 5i + j, b= 3i + 2j, c= 3i 3j, d=i 6 j.

Show that AC is perpendicular to BD.

19. The points E, F and G have position vectors 2i + 2j, i + 6j and 7 i + 4j. Show that
the triangle EFG is right angled at F.

3
20. If a = , find: a) a unit vector parallel to a,
4
b) a unit vector perpendicular to a.

21. The points A, B, C and D have position vectors given by

a = 3j + 3k, b = 5i + 4j + 2k, c = 6i + 3j 6 k, d= 4i + j 4 k.

i) Prove that AB is parallel to DC .

ii) Prove that AC is perpendicular to BD .

22. The points A, B and C have position vectors given respectively by

a = 7i + 4j 2k, b = 5i + 3j 3k, c = 6i + 5j 4 k.

i) Find the angle BAC.

ii) Find the area of triangle ABC.

23. The point A has position vector 3i + j and point B has position vector 10i + j. Find the
position vector of the point which divides AB in the ratio 3:4.
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24. For each of the following pairs of vectors a and b, determine the vector product a b
and verify (by the scalar product) that the resulting vector is perpendicular to both a
and b.
1 2
a) a= 0 , b= 2 b) a = 3i j + 2k, b = i + j
1 1
c) a = 5i + 2j 3k, b = i + j + 2k d) a= i 2j k, b = 3i + 4j + k.

2 3
25. If a = 1 and b = 0 , find: a) a b,
2 4
b) the acute angle between these vectors
(to the nearest degree),

c) a vector which is perpendicular to both

a and b.

26. Find the value of for which the vectors 2i 3j + k and 3i + 6j + k are
perpendicular.

3 2
27. For the vectors a = and b = , determine:
2
a) the value of for which a and b are perpendicular,

b) the values of for which the angle between a and b is 45 .

{Hint: scalar product!}

28. Find parametric equations for the following lines.

a) Passing through A(1, 1, 5) parallel to the vector b = 2i j + 3k.

b) Passing through A(0, 1, 3) parallel to the vector b = 3j k.
c) Passing through points A(2, 5, 1) and B(4, 6, 2).
d) Passing through points A( 1, 5, 2) and B(3, 3, 2).

29. Change the following parametric equations to Cartesian form.

1 4 2 2
a) r= 2 + 5 b) r= 3 + 2
3 6 1 3
5 3
c) r= 0 + 1 .
2 0

30. Change the following Cartesian equations to parametric\vector form.

x + 4 y + 2 z 3 x 1 y 3 z 2
a) = = b) = =
3 2 2 2 4 3
y 2 z + 1 z 3
c) x = 1, = d) x+3=y 2= .
3 3 5

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 z 1
31. Show that the 2 lines given by 1 x=y 2=
2
and 3 x=y 1= 1 z are perpendicular.

{Hint: convert both equations to vector form and then apply the scalar product
to the 2 direction vectors obtained etc.}

x y + 2
1 z 4
32. A line has Cartesian equation =
= .
3 4 5
Find a vector equation for a parallel line passing through the point with position vector
5i 2j 4k and find the co ordinates of the point on this line where y = 0.

33. Two lines have equations

1 4 3 2
r= 3 + 2 and r = 8 + 3 .
2 1 7 1
Show that the lines intersect, and find the position vector of the point of intersection.

34. The lines l1 and l2 have equations

2 1 1 1
r= 1 + 1 and r = 3 + 1 respectively.
4 1 5 1

i) Show that l1 and l2 do not intersect.

ii) Given that A is the point on l1 at which =3 and B is the point on l2 at which
= 1, find the acute angle between AB and l1. {Hint: scalar product!}

35. The lines l1 and l2 have equations

3 2 11 3
r= 6 + r 1 and r = 2 + s 3 respectively.
3 2 1 1
Show that l1 and l2 are skew lines.
5
The point A has position vector 4 , and O is the origin. Show that A lies on l2, and
3
that OA is perpendicular to l2.

Show also that the line through O and A intersects l1. Denoting the point of
intersection by B, find the position vector of the reflection of B in l2.

36. The lines l1 and l2 have equations

2 2 3 3
r= + and r = + respectively.
5 3 -3 2
Show that the two lines are perpendicular and find the position vector of their point of
intersection.

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37. Find the shortest distance of the point P(6, 3, 3) from the line L given by
1 1
r= 1 + 0 .
2 3

38. Find a 2 dimensional vector which is perpendicular to the vector i 2 j.

Hence find a vector equation of the line through the point (2, 3) which is perpendicular
to the line r = 3i + 2j + ( i 2 j).

39. Find the Cartesian equations of the following planes.

a) Passing through the point A(1, 2, 1) and parallel to the vectors b = j + 3k and
c = i + 2k.

b) Passing through the points A(1, 1, 2), B(1, 0, 1) and C( 2, 1, 3).

40. The lines l1 and l2 have equations:

3 1 2 1
l1 : r= 1 + 2 , l2 : r= 5 + 1 .
1 3 0 1

a) Prove that l1 and l2 intersect and find the coordinates of the point of
intersection.
b) Determine the equation of the plane containing l1 and l2 in Cartesian form.

2 1 0 1
41. The lines l1 and l2 have equations given by r = 2 + s 1 and r = 1 + t 2
1 1 3 5
respectively.

a) Prove that the 2 lines intersect and find the position vector of the point of
intersection.

b) Determine the equation of the plane, , containing l1 and l2 in Cartesian form.

42. Find the Cartesian equations of the following planes.

2 1 1 1
a) r= 0 + 0 + 2 b) r 2 =3
1 0 1 3
2
c) passing through the point (2, 1, 1) with normal vector 3
1
d) r = (1 + s t)i + (2 s)j + (3 2s + 2t)k.

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 1 2
43. Show that the line r = 4 + 1 lies in the plane given by x y + 3z = 3.
2 1
1 2
44. Show that the line r = 1 + 1 is parallel to the plane x + 4y 3z = 1.
2 2
Does the line lie in the plane?

45. Find the vector equation of the line passing through the point with position vector
i + 2j k and which is perpendicular to the plane 3x + y z = 0.

46. Find the Cartesian equation of the plane which passes through the point (3, 1, 4) and
which is parallel to the plane 3x + 2y z = 5.

47. Find the Cartesian equation of the plane passing through the points A(2, 1, 1),
B( 5, 3, 2) and C(4, 1, 3).

48. Find the Cartesian equation of the plane passing through the points A(1, 0, 3),
B(2, 4, 3) and C(4, 1, 2).

49. Find the equation of the plane through (3, 2, 4) and (2, 1, 3) which is parallel to the
line joining (1, 1, 1) to (2, 3, 5).

50. Find the Cartesian equation of the plane which passes through the point A(2, 1, 4) and
x 1 y + 2
contains the line with Cartesian equation = = z 1.
3 5

51. Find the co-ordinates of the point of intersection of the line with equation
0 2
r = 0 + 1 and the plane with equation x + y z = 4.
1 1

52. Find the co-ordinates of the point where the line through the origin and (1, 1, 1) meets
the plane through the points ( 1, 1, 2), (1, 5, 5) and (0, 2, 3).

53. Find the equation of the line of intersection of the planes

1 3
r. 2 = 3 and r . 1 = 4.
1 2
3 2
54. Two planes with equations r . 1 = 2 and r . 5 = 15 intersect in the line L.
1 1
a) Find a direction for the line L.
{Hint: vector product! Draw a diagram.}

b) Show that the point (1, 2, 3) lies in both planes, and write down a vector
equation for the line L.

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 1 1
55. Find the angle between the line with equation r = 2 + 1 and the plane
1 1
2x y + z = 4.

x 2 y 3
56. Find the acute angle between the line == z 5 and the plane
2 4
x y + z = 0. {Hint: convert the equation of the line into parametric form.}

57. Find the angle between the planes given by x + y 2z = 3 and 2x 2y + z = 2.

58. Find the cosine of the acute angle between the two planes whose equations are
x y + 3z = 3 and 2x y + 2z = 5.

12 14 1 1
59. Two skew lines have vector equations r = 0 + 4 and r = 1 + 1 .
2 5 6 1
a) Determine a unit vector, u, which is perpendicular to both lines.

b) Find the shortest distance between the two lines.

60. Referred to a fixed origin O, the position vectors of the points A, B, C and D are
respectively:

j + k, 2i j + 3k, i 2j + 2k, 7i 4j + 2k.

a) Use the vector product to find a vector which is perpendicular to the

plane ABC.
b) Show that the distance from the point D to the plane ABC is of length 2 6 .
c) Show that the planes ABC and BCD are perpendicular.
d) Find the acute angle between the line BD and the plane ABC, giving your
answer to the nearest degree.

61. Show that the points P(3, 2, 2), Q(1, 2, 1) are on opposite sides of the plane
r (i j k) = 2.

Find the position vector of the point of intersection of the line PQ with the plane.

62. A tetrahedron has vertices at the points A(2, 1, 0), B(3, 0, 1), C(1, 1, 2),
D( 1, 3, 0).

Use the vector product to find a vector perpendicular to ABC and a vector
perpendicular to ABD.

Hence find the cosine of the angle between the faces ABC and ABD.

63. Prove that the line r = i 2j + (i 3j k) is parallel to the intersection of the

planes r (i + j 2k) = 2 and r (2i + j k) = 0.
{There is no need to find the line of intersection!}

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64. The point A has position vector i + 4j 3k referred to the origin O. The line L has
vector equation

r = i. The plane q contains the line L and the point A. Find:

a) a vector which is normal to the plane q,

b) a vector equation for the plane q,

c) the cosine of the acute angle between OA and the line L.

65. OABC is one face of a cube, where A and C are the points (1, 4, 1), (3, 0, 3)
respectively.
C B
i) Find the co-ordinates of B. {Hint: b = a + c etc.}
c b

O a A

ii) Find the vector equation of the plane containing the other face of the cube of
which AB is an edge.
{Hint: the vector a is normal to the required plane which passes
through A.}

66. Referred to a fixed origin O, the points A(4, 1, 3), B( 2, 7, 6) and C(1, 1, 4) have
position vectors a, b and c respectively.

i) Find (b a) (c a) and hence, or otherwise, determine in the form r.n = d,

an equation of the plane ABC.

ii) The point D with position vector d = 5i 3j + k lies in the plane ABC. Find
the value of .

iii) By consideration of the vectors AB and CD , show that the quadrilateral

ABCD is in fact a trapezium.

67. Find the perpendicular distance of the origin to the plane r (2i + j 2k) = 9.
Hence, or otherwise, find:

i) the radius of the circle in which the plane r (2i + j 2k) = 9 cuts the sphere
of radius 5 units and centre the origin;

ii) the volume of the cone of which this circle is the base and whose vertex is the
origin.

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ANSWERS.
1. i) OA = i + 3j, OB = 3i, OC = 2i + 3j, OD = 3i + 2j, OE = 2i j,
OF = 2i 2j, OG = 2j, OH = 3i 3j.
ii) a) 4i 3j; 5 b) 4i + 3j; 5
c) i + 3j; 10 d) i 3j; 10
e) j; 1 f) j; 1
g) i 4j; 17 h) i + 4j; 17 .
4. a) a b) a+b c) 2a + b d) a b.
5. a) a b b) 3a b c) 2a b d) 2a + b.
6. a) a b) b a c) 2b d) 2a
e) 2a + 2b f) a+b g) a+b h) b
i) 2a b j) a 2b.
1 3
7. a) 2 a b) a+b c) 4b d) 2 a
3
e) 2 a + 4b f) a + 83 b g) 1
2 a + 3b
8
h) 1 8
2 a + 3b
3
i) 2 a b, j) a 4b.
1 1 1 1
8. i) AB = a + b, MN = 2 a+ 2 b ii) OD = 2 a+ 2 b.
9. a) 65 units b) 1 5i + j.
2
10. c= .
3
12. 33 69 .
1
13. Any vector parallel to will do.
2
17. a) 3 b) 29 c) 7 d) 125 = 5 5 .
1 3 1 4
20. a) b) .
5 4 5 3
22. i) 60 ii) 2 598 units2.
23. 6i + j.
24. a) 2i 3j 2k b) 2i 2j + 2k
c) 7i 7j + 7k d) 2i 2j + 2k.
25. a) 14 b) 21 c) 4i 2j + 3k.
26. = 12.
2
27. a) = 3 b) = 10 or 5 .
1 2 0 0
28. a) r= 1 + 1 b) r= 1 + 3
5 3 3 1
2 2 1 4
c) r= 5 + 1 d) r= 5 + 2 .
1 1 2 0
y 2 y+ 3
29. a) x
4
1
= 5 = z
6
3
b) x
2
2
= 2 = z
3
1

y
c) x
3
5
= 1 , z = 2.
4 3 1 2
30. a) r= 2 + 2 b) r= 3 + 4
3 2 2 3

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 1 0 3 1
c) r= 2 + 3 d) r= 2 + 1 .
1 3 3 5
5 3
32. r= 2 + 4 . (6 5, 0, 1 5).
4 5
9
33. 1 .
4
34. ii) 37 6 (1 decimal place).
5
35. b= 4 .
3
6
36. .
1
37. 4 86 units (2 decimal places).
2 2 2
38. E.g. is perpendicular to i 2j. r = + .
1 3 1
39. a) 2x 3y + z = 5 b) x 9y 3z = 2.
40. a) (4, 3, 2) b) 5x + 2y 3z = 20.
1
41. a) 3 b) x + 2y z = 5.
2
42. a) y 2z = 2 b) x + 2y 3z = 3 c) 2x 3y + z = 0
d) 2x + z = 5.
44. No.
1 3
45. r= 2 + 1 .
1 1
46. 3x + 2y z = 3.
47. x + y + z = 0.
48. 4x + y + 11z = 37.
49. 2x + y z = 0.
50. 3x 2y + z = 8.
51. (5, 2.5, 3.5).
52. ( 1, 1, 1).
x 0 3
53. y = 10
3
+ 5 .
z 11
3
7
6 1 6
54. a) 5 b) r= 2 + 5 .
13 3 13
55. 70.5o to 1 decimal place.
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56. 15.0o to 1 decimal place.
57. 74.2o or 105.8o to 1 decimal place.
3
58. .
11
1
1
59. a) 1 b) 6.
6
2
60. a) E.g. 2i 4j 2k d) 56 to the nearest degree.
3
25

61. 2 .
1 25

2 4
62. 3 and 3 respectively. 0 249 to 3 significant figures.
1 7
0 0
1
64. a) e.g. 3 b) r 3 = 0 (or 3y + 4z = 0) c) .
26
4 4
1
65. i) B = (4, 4, 2) ii) r 4 = 18 (or x + 4y z = 18).
1
2
66. i) 6i 3j + 18k, r 1 = 25 ii) = 2.
6
67. 3 units i) 4 units ii) 50 27 units3 (2 decimal places).

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