Edexcel Pure Year 1

Vectors Cheat Sheet

Example7: 00000⃗
𝑂𝐴 =5i−2j and 00000⃗
𝐴𝐵 = 3i + 4j. Find the position vector of 𝐵
Vectors
Example 3: Given that a=2i+3j and b=4i−j, find the vector 4b−a in terms of i and j Start by drawing the vectors on the axes to find position vector of 𝐵. From the diagram position vector of 𝐵 is vector
A vector has both magnitude and direction.
Start by substituting vectors a and b in 4b−a and then simplify 00000⃗
𝑂𝐵 .It is easier to work with column vectors, so write the vectors
You can represent a vector using a directed line segment. Direction of arrow shows the direction of vector
4b−a= 4(4𝐢 − 𝐣) − (2𝐢 + 3𝐣 ) in column vector form
𝑦
This vector = (16𝐢 − 4𝑗) − (2𝐢 + 3𝐣) = (16 − 2)𝐢 + (−4 − 3)𝐣 = 14𝐢 − 7𝐣 00000⃗ = ; ) < and 00000⃗
𝑂𝐴 𝐴𝐵 = ;!+< 𝐵
*"
00000⃗ starts at
𝑃𝑄 If 00000⃗
𝑃𝑄 = 𝑅𝑆00000⃗ , then the
Hence, 4b−a in terms of i and j is 14𝐢 − 7𝐣 Using triangle law of vector addition vector
00000⃗
This vector 𝑄𝑃
𝑃 and line segment 𝑃𝑄 and 𝑅𝑆 00000⃗ = 𝑂𝐴
00000⃗ + 00000⃗
starts at 𝑄 and 𝑂𝐵 𝐴𝐵 𝑂
finishes at 𝑄 are equal in length and Example 4: Given that a= ;/.<, b= ;*! --
< and c= ;*0 < find 2a + b + c 𝑥
finishes at 𝑃 5 3 5+3 8
are parallel
*- 00000⃗ = ? A + ? A = ?
𝑂𝐵 A=? A
Start by substituting vectors a, b and c in 2a + b + c −2 4 −2 + 4 2 𝐴
2a + b + c= 2;/.< + ;*!--
< + ;*0 < = ;-0 --
< + ;*! < + ;*0 < = ;"- < In i, j form 𝑂𝐵 00000⃗ = 8i +2j
*- -+ *- -1 𝑦

00000⃗ 00000⃗ implies

𝐴𝐵 = −𝐵𝐴 Solving geometric problem:
Unit Vector: (0, 1)
𝐴𝐵 is equal in length, parallel and in the opposite direction to 𝐵𝐴 j You can use vector to find the position vector of a point that divides a line segment in a given ratio
A unit vector is a vector of length 1.
The unit vectors along the 𝑥- and 𝑦-axes are usually If the point 𝑷 divides the line segment 𝑨𝑩 in the ratio 𝝀: 𝝁, then 𝐴
i (1, 0) 𝑥 𝑃
𝜆
Triangle law for vector addition: denoted by i and j respectively. 00000⃗ = 00000⃗
𝑂𝑃 𝑂𝐴 + 00000⃗
𝐴𝐵
i= ;-1< j= ;1-< 𝜆+𝜇
You can add two vector using the triangle law for vector addition.
The law states that 00000⃗ + % 𝑂𝐵
= 𝑂𝐴 00000⃗ − 00000⃗
𝑂𝐴
You can write any two-dimensional vector in the form 9#$: = 𝑝i+𝑞j %(, 𝑂
00000⃗
𝐴𝐵 + 𝐵𝐶 00000⃗ = 00000⃗
𝐴𝐶 𝐵
In this topic you will learn to find a unit vector in the direction of a given vector
If 00000⃗
𝐴𝐵 =a, 𝐵𝐶 00000⃗ = b and 00000⃗
𝐴𝐶 = c then, a+b=c A unit vector in the direction of a is
𝐚 Example 8: In the diagram the points 𝐴 and 𝐵 have position vectors a and b respectively.
|𝐚| The point 𝑃 divides 𝐴𝐵 in the ratio 1:2. Find the position vector of 𝑃
𝐚
so if |a| = 5, then a unit vector in the direction of a is 00000⃗.You can refer to the figure above. To find000000⃗
Example 1: The diagram shows vectors a, b and c. Draw a diagram to illustrate the vector addition ) The position vector of 𝑃 is vector 𝑂𝑃 𝑂𝑃 we can make use of the equation
given above for point 𝑷 dividing the line segment 𝑨𝑩 in the ratio 𝝀: 𝝁. Here 𝜆 = 1 and 𝜇 = 2 and substituting them
Answer:
Magnitude and direction: in to the equation gives us,
First use the triangle law for -
To calculate the magnitude of vector you can use Pythagoras theorem. 00000⃗ = 00000⃗
𝑂𝑃 𝑂𝐴 + 𝐴𝐵 00000⃗
a+b, then use it again for !
For the vector a= 𝑥i+𝑦j= 9𝒚𝒙: the magnitude of the vector is given by 00000⃗ = 00000⃗
𝑂𝑃 𝑂𝐴 + ;𝑂𝐵
-
00000⃗ − 𝑂𝐴
00000⃗< You will have to write 00000⃗
𝐴𝐵 in terms of the position vectors of 𝐴 and 𝐵
(a+b) +c. c !
in order to find 00000⃗
𝑂𝑃
The resultant goes from the |a|= Z𝑥 " + 𝑦 " 1 1
00000⃗ = 00000⃗
𝑂𝑃 𝑂𝐴 + 00000⃗𝑂𝐵 − 00000⃗ 𝑂𝐴
start of a to the end of c The two straight lines on either side of the vector is the notation for magnitude of a vector 3 3
- -
00000⃗ − 00000⃗
= 𝑂𝐴 𝑂𝐴 + 𝑂𝐵 00000⃗ = " 00000⃗
𝑂𝐴 + 𝑂𝐵
-
00000⃗ = " 𝐚 + - b
! ! ! ! ! !
Example 4: a = 2i + 3j, b = 3i -4j. Find the exact value of a + b Hence, 00000⃗
"
𝑂𝑃 is 𝐚 + b
-
Subtracting a vector is same as adding a negative vector 𝒂 − 𝒃 = 𝒂 + (−𝒃) ! !
Since we need to calculate exact value of a + b, first we will have to add the two vectors.
We can do that by representing the vectors in column vector form and then add
If a and b are two non-parallel vectors and 𝒑a + 𝒒b = 𝒓a + 𝒔b then 𝒑 = 𝒓 and 𝒒 = 𝒔
So, a = ;"!< and b = ;*+
!
< implies a + b = ;"!< + ;*+
!
< = ;"(!
!*+
)
< = ;*-<
Use the formula for magnitude which is |a|= Z𝑥 " + 𝑦 "
Modelling with vectors
Hence, |a + b|= Z5" + (−1)" = √26 In mechanics, vectors have both magnitude and direction. For example velocity, displacement, and force.
Multiplying a vector: Keep your answer in surd form as you are asked to find exact value. Magnitude of a vector is a scalar quantity - it has size but no direction
You can multiply a vector by a scalar. If the number is +𝑣𝑒 the resultant vector has same direction but different
length. If the number is −𝑣𝑒 ,the new vector has different length but opposite direction Vector quantity Its magnitude
Example 5: For vector a = 5i − 12j, find the unit vector in the same direction.
𝐚 velocity speed
A unit vector in the direction of a is displacement distance
|𝐚|
Let us first calculate |𝐚|, so |𝐚| = Z5" + (−12)" = √25 + 144 = √169 = 13
𝟏 Example 9: A girl walks 2km due east from fixed point O to A, and then 3km due south from A to B. Find: i. The
Any vector parallel to the vector a may be written as 𝜆a where 𝜆 is a non-zero scalar To find the unit vector in the direction of a first write the vector in column vector form and multiply by
𝐷 𝐶 |𝐚| position vector of 𝐵 relative to 𝑂 ii. the bearing of 𝐵 from 𝑂
Parallelogram Law for vector addition: !
b 𝐚 𝐚 $ & i) To find the position vector of 𝐵 relative to 𝑂,
For the parallelogram 𝐴𝐵𝐶𝐷,
|𝐚|
= $% = $% #'$( $ = %$"%
"#
&
00000⃗ = a, 𝐴𝐷
00000⃗ =b then 00000⃗ We will have to represent the girl’s journey on a diagram 2km
If 𝐴𝐵 𝐴𝐶 = a+b "#
𝐴 𝐵 !
00000⃗ =pi + qi
𝑂𝐵
a Hence, the unit vector in the direction of a is %$"%
"#
&
Example 2: Show that the vectors 6a + 8b and 9a + 12b are parallel. 2km due east implies p= 2 and 3km due south
"#
Try to write one of the vectors as 𝜆 × other vector Example 6: Find the angle that the vector 3i − 5j makes with j axis implies q= −3, you can refer to the diagram here
3km
!
9a + 12b = (6a + 8b) So 00000⃗
𝑂𝐵 = (2i −3j) km
"
! j 3 The angle the vector 3i − 5j makes with j is 90° + angle 𝜃
Since, 9a + 12b can be written as 𝜆 ×(6a + 8b) where 𝜆 = , this implies that 6a + 8b and 9a + 12b are parallel. Vector 3i − 5j on axes will be 3 units to the right on i axis and 5 units
"
down on j axis ii) To find bearing of 𝐵 from 𝑂, you will have to calculate angle clockwise from North of 𝑂 to
Representing vector: We can find angle 𝜃 by using trigonometric ratio tan 𝜃 =
8##8'9:;
=
) line segment 𝑂𝐵 which is 90° + angle 𝜃
5 <=><?;@: !
A vector represent change in position or displacement relative to the change in 𝑥-and 𝑦 −axes ) )
Using tan 𝜃 we can find angle 𝜃
So, tan 𝜃 = taking inverse we get 𝜃 = tan*- 9 : = 59° !
! ! tan 𝜃 =
"
𝒂= ;𝟒𝟓< where 4 is the change in the 𝑥 −direction and 5 is the change So the angle 3i − 5j makes with j is 90° + 59° = 149° !
𝜃 = tan*- = 56.3°
"
in 𝑦-direction
Position Vector: So the bearing of 𝐵 from 𝑂 is 90° + 56.3° = 146.3° = 146°
This is called Column vector. Example 10: Find the distance moved by particle which travels for 10 seconds at velocity (5i−j) m𝑠 *-
Position vector are the vectors that gives us the position of a point relative to fixed origin
In general, a point 𝑃 with coordinates (𝑝, 𝑞) has a position vector You are familiar with the formula for distance, Distance = speed × time
00000⃗ In order to calculate distance we need to find speed (i.e. magnitude of velocity)
To multiply a column vector by a scalar multiply each component by the scalar: 𝜆 9#$: = 9%#
%$
: 𝑂𝑃 = 𝑝i+𝑞j= 9#: $ and substitute speed and time = 10 seconds in the formula.
To add 2 column vector add the 𝑥- component and the 𝑦-components: 9#$: + ;&'< = 9#(&
$('
: Use the magnitude formula to calculate speed
Speed = |5i−j|= Z5" + (−1)" = √25 + 1 = √26 = 5.099
Hence, Distance = 5.099× 10 = 51.0cm

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