GCSE: Vectors

Dr J Frost ([email protected])
www.drfrostmaths.com

Last modified: 20th March 2017

Coordinates vs Vectors

 𝑦
6 ?
 Coordinates represent a position.
We write to indicate the position
5
and position.
4
( 2,3?)  Vectors represent a ?
3 movement. We write to
  4
2 () 1?
indicate the change in and
change in .
Note
  we put the numbers
1 vertically. Do NOT write ; there
is no line and vectors are very
 𝑥 different to fractions!
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
-1 You may have seen vectors
briefly before if you’ve done
transformations; we can use
-2 them to describe the
movement of a shape in a
translation.
Vectors to represent movements

 𝒃

 𝒂  

1 5
? ?
 𝒅

 𝒄
 𝒇

 𝒆
 𝒈 () ()
𝒂= 𝒃=
?
?
?3 1
?
?
Writing Vectors
You’re used to variables representing numbers in maths. They can also
represent vectors!

𝑌   What can you say about how we

use variables for vertices (points) vs
 𝒃
variables for vectors?

𝑍  We use capital letters for vertices

? for vectors.
and lower case letters

There’s 3 ways in which can

 𝒂
represent the vector from point to :

1. (in bold)
2.
?
(with an ‘underbar’)
3. ?
𝑋
 
?
Adding Vectors
 
?
?
𝑌  ?
 𝒃 What
  do you notice about the numbers in
when compared to and ?
𝑍  We’ve simply added the values and values to
describe the combined movement.

i.e.
 𝒂 ?

 Bro Important Note: The point is that we can use

any route to get from the start to finish, and the

𝑋
  vector will always be the same.
• Route 1: We go from to via .

• Route 2: Use the direct line from to :

Scaling Vectors

 We can ‘scale’ a vector by

multiplying it by a normal number,
aptly known as a scalar.

If , then

?
What is the same about and and
what is different?
 𝒂

 
2 Same:
Same direction / Parallel
?
Different:
The length of the vector, known as
the magnitude, is?longer.

Bro Note: Note that

vector letters are bold
but scalars are not.
More on Adding/Subtracting Vectors

𝑋
 
2𝒄
 
 If , and , then find the following
in terms of , and :

𝐴
  𝐵 
𝒂
  𝒃
 
𝒃
 
𝑌  ?
?
𝒂
 
?
𝑂  𝒃
  ?
?
Bro Note:
  Since , subtracting a
  Side Note: Since vector goes in the opposite
would end up at the same
finish point, we can see direction.
(i.e. vector addition, like
normal addition, is
‘commutative’)
Exercise 1 (on provided sheet)

1 State the value of each vector. 2 4

 𝒂
 𝒃

  a. ?  a. ?
 𝒄
b.
c.
? b.
c. ?
d. ? d. ?
? ?
 𝒅 3 5
 𝒆  𝒇

  a. ?
b.
?   a. ?
c.
d. ? b.
c.
?
 
3? 3? −3 ? ?
?
𝒂= 𝒃=
1? () ( ) ( )
−?2
𝒄=
?0
d.
?
Starter
Expand and simplify the following expressions:

1  ?

2(𝒂+𝒃)+𝒃=2𝒂+3𝒃
2 ?

3 ?
4 ?
5 ?
 The ‘Two Parter’ exam question
Many exams questions follow a two-part format:
a) Find a relatively easy vector using skills from Lesson 1.
b) Find a harder vector that uses a fraction of your vector from part (a).

Edexcel June 2013 1H Q27

𝑆𝑄=−𝒃?+𝒂
⃗
Bro Tip: This ratio
wasn’t in the a  
original diagram. I
like to add the ratio
as a visual aid. 3   (b), there’s two possible paths to
For
:
2 get from to : via or via . But which
is best?
In (a) we found to rather than to ,
so it makes sense to go in this
direction so that?we can use our
result in (a).

2
is also because it is
 exactly
b   the same

⃗
𝑁𝑅= ⃗𝑆𝑄+𝒃
?
movement as .

5
Bro Workings Tip: While you’re
welcome to start your working with
the second line, I recommend the
first line so that your chosen route
is clearer.
Test Your Understanding
Edexcel June 2012

 
?
 
You MUST
? expand and
simplify.
Further Test Your Understanding
A  𝐵  𝐵
𝑂𝑋
  : 𝑋𝐵=1 :3 B  𝐴𝑌 : 𝑌𝐵=2 :3
 𝒃
 𝑋  𝒃
 𝑌

 𝑂  𝒂   𝐴  𝑂  𝒂   𝐴

2
   
First Step? First Step?

⃗ ⃗
𝑂𝑌=𝒂+ 𝐴𝐵
?
5 ?
Exercise 2 (on provided sheet)

1  is a point such that 3

a.
  ?
b.
c.
?
d. ?  [June 2009 2H Q23]
? a) Find in terms of and .
2  is a point such
?
b) is on such that .
that Show that

 a.
b.
?
c. ?
? ?
 Exercise 2 (on provided sheet)

4  [Nov 2010 1H Q27] is the midpoint 5  is a parallelogram. is a

point such that . is a point
of .
such that .

 a. ?
b.
c. ?
d. ?
?
6
 a) Express in terms of and .
 is the midpoint of ,
?
b) Express in terms of and giving
your answer in its simplest form. a.
  ?
b.
c.
?
d. ?
e.
f.
?
? ?
?
Exercise 2 (on provided sheet)

7 8

  ?
?  
a. ?
b.
? c. ?
? d. ?
? ?
? 9
?

  ?
?
?
Recap

?
Types of vector ‘proof’ questions

“Show that … is
parallel to …”

“Prove these two

vectors are equal.”

“Prove that … is
a straight line.”
Showing vectors are equal
Edexcel March 2013

 There is nothing
mysterious about this
kind of ‘prove’ question.
Just find any vectors ?
involved, in this case, With proof questions
and . Hopefully they you should restate the
should be equal! thing you are trying to
prove, as a ‘conclusion’.
What do you notice?

𝒂  2𝒂
  𝒂+2 𝒃 
 
2 𝒂+4 𝒃

! Vectors are parallel

𝒂
 
 3 ?
if one is a multiple of
− 𝒂
2 another.
Parallel or not parallel?

Vector 1 Vector 2 Parallel?

(in general)


No 
Yes

No 
Yes

No 
Yes

No 
Yes
For ones which are parallel, show it diagrammatically.
How to show two vectors are parallel
 𝑨
𝑪
 

𝒂  𝑿  𝑴 
𝑶
 
𝑩
𝒃   

 is a point on such that . is the midpoint of .

Show that is parallel to .

For
  any proof question always find the vectors
  involved first, in this case and .
is a multiple of parallel.
The key is to factor out a scalar such
? that we see the same vector.

The magic words here are

“is a multiple of”.
Test Your Understanding
Edexcel June 2011 Q26

 𝐴  a) Find in terms of and .

 𝑃
2  𝒂 ?
 𝐵 b) is the point on such that .
Show that is parallel to the vector .
 𝑂 3  𝒃

?
Bro
  Exam Note: Notice that the mark
scheme didn’t specifically require “is a
multiple of” here (but write it anyway!), but
DID explicitly factorise out the
Proving three points form a straight line
 
Points A, B and C form a straight line if:
and are parallel (and B is? a common point).
Alternatively, we could show and are parallel. This tends to be easier.

C
B
A

C
B

A
Straight Line Example

a  −3 𝒃+ 𝒂?
b  

is a multiple of is parallel to .
is a common point.
is a straight line.

?
 
is the midpoint of . is the midpoint of .
a) Find in terms of and .
b) Show that is a straight line.
Test Your Understanding
November 2013 1H Q24

 and
is the point such that
The point divides in the ratio .

(a) Write an expression for in terms of and .

?
(b) Prove that is a straight line.

is a multiple of and is a common point.

is a straight line.

?
Exercise 3
1 2

 is the point on such that . Show  is the midpoint of . is the midpoint of .
that is parallel to the vector . Prove that is parallel to .

is a multiple of parallel.

?
?
Exercise 3

3 4

 is a parallelogram. is the midpoint of . is  ,and

the midpoint of . Show that is a straight i) Express in terms of and .
line.
?
ii) Prove that is parallel to .
which
is a multiple of and is a common point, ?
is a multiple of
so is a straight line. iii) is the point on such that such that . Prove that ,
and lie on the same straight line.

?
Exercise 3
5 6

 and and and . is the midpoint of . Prove

 is a parallelogram. is the point on such
that . that is a straight line.

i) Find the vector . Give your answer in

terms of and . is a multiple of and is a common point,
therefore is a straight line.
?
ii) Given that the midpoint of is , prove
that is a straight line.
?
is a multiple of and is a common point,
therefore is a straight line.