CxcDirect Vectors Tutorial
CxcDirect Vectors Tutorial
CxcDirect Vectors Tutorial
www.cxcdirect.org
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.
An example will be used to illustrate each point Vector Definition:
()
Displacement Vector
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
Example 1
Points P(3, 2) and Q(-1, -3) have position vectors relative to the origin O. and O Q 1. 2. 3. Express Express
O P PQ O P
and
as column vectors OQ
()
4 3
as a column vector
PQ
m - as a lowercase letter
Solution:
The position vectors can be found directly from the coordinates of P and Q:
1)
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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Finding P Q The displacement vector PQ is the vector going from P to Q where : so how do we find this vector?
Find
= AC
Vector equation
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
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 =
= OP
2) so :
PQ =
()
3 2
() ( )
3 2 1 3
( )
4 5 = 6.4
so if a vector is a constant (scalar) multiple of another vector, then they are parallel. Example:
= 4 2 5 2 PQ
Given: a b =
()
3 2
c=
()
12 8
Now
C
c
()
12 8
can be written as
()
3 2
(take 4 as a factor)
so
c = 4 b
( k = 4 a constant)
O B
In the diagram above, the points are A, B, C , M , and O, and the vectors are a,b,c,d,e, and f. =d So for example: M C 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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A collinear vectors
Two vectors are collinear if one vector is a scalar are B and B C multiple of the other vector. If A 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
0
**************************************************
Solution:
C B A
1) Finding
A B
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 so: but so
A B AO
= =
AO
O B
O A
A B =
( )
2 5
1 AB 3
( ) =
4 2 2 5 6 3
We need to prove that : = k.A BC B . ( the condition for collinearity) so we need to find the two displacement vectors A B and then establish the relationship between and B C them.
A B BC +O AO B
2) Finding now
AG
= AG
= 1/3
6 3
2 1
+O C = BO
2 2 = + 1 3 2 8 = + 3 6 so
( ) () ()
= = 4 2 6 3
3) Finding Now
OG
OG
= =
=
0 4
O A + AG 2 2 + 5 1
**************************************************
but
6 3
4 1.5 2
()
= k.A BC B
k = 1.5
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Class Activity 1
The position vectors of points A, B and C are: O A=
giving so:
3D A DA
= DC
= =
3a a
()
6 2
O B=
()
3 4
, and O C = 12 2
B A , BC
( )
()
a b
, vectors
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
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 :
C
O R = 2 3
B X
and
O J=
1 1
1. Express
R J in the form R J
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
a b = 8 RT 2
and
b
*********************************************************
State two geometrical relationship between DX and DC State one geometrical relationship between the points D, C and X
**************************************************
now
A B =
= = Finding
AC
+O AO B O A +O B =
O A=
3a + b
( )
8 4
O B=
( )
5 7
= OC
()
1 4
b 3a
OM is a point on OA such that the ratio OM:OA = 1:4 Prove that ABCM is a parallelogram
= ( b 3a)
Solution:
*********************************************************
DC =D , DC A A C
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.
*********************************************************
+D = 3a OD A 2D A+ D A = 3a
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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
B A
b a
use a vector method to Prove that Points P, M and N are collinear Calculate the length AN given that : a=
6 2
and b =
1 2
***************************************************
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Activity 2
T R(-2,3)
RT OT
O
J(1, -1)
O
C(12, -2)
R J
B A = +O BO A =
= =
+O RO J
3 4 3 4
= BO +O C = BC
() ( ) () ( ) ( )
+ 6 2 = 3 2 + 12 2 = 9 6
( )
2 3
2
+
2
( )=( )
1 1 3 4
length =
( 3 +(4 ) )
=5
OT
so:
BC
3B A
( geometrical relationship)
Position vector of T = =
=
2 3
O R
RT
B(3,4) M A(6,2
( )
()
8 2
()
6 5
so coordinates = T (6, 5)
*********************************************
O
C(12, -2)
Activity 3
B(-5,7)
BM
1 BA 2
C(1,4) A(-8,4)
( )=( )
1.5 1
M O
Now the coordinates of M can be found from the position vector O M where
OM
= =
O B+ B M
() + ( ) = ( )
3 4 1.5 1 4.5 3
+O B A B = AO =
coordinates = M( 4.5, 3)
Also:
( )
8 4
( ) ()
5 7 = 3 3 but OM:OA = 1:4 8 2 = 4 1
= MO +O C MC
OM
= O A =
so : Giving
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= OM MO
( ) ( )
2 1 2 1
6
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so:
= MC
1 2 4 1 = 3 3
.... (1)
= PM
1 1 a b a 3 2 1 3b a 6
A B =M C
now: also
M A =
3 8 4 4
( )
=
(2)
( )
6 3 6 3
+O C B = CO B =
M N
M B
= = =
M B+ B N
b a ; and b a + b
3b a BN
()
1 4
( ) ( )
5 7
where: so
=b
M A= C B
= M N
M N
3PM
k=3
Activity 4
N
b
M A
1/3 (a)
=O ON A A N =O N O AN A = AN 2b a
=2 =
P
2/3 (a)
1 2 6 2 2 4 6 2 = 4 2
2
Length =
Finding:
A B =
+O AO B a+b
= =
+O A O B ba
4 2
4.47
************************************************
= Finding now:
P A
1 P A= a 3
Finding P M
P A+ A M
B = now A M = MB = A
b a
so P M
1 1 a + ( a b) 3 2