PURE MATHEMATICS

Position Vectors…….………….…………………………………………………………………………………………….. O’ Level Questions

1) Referred to a fixed origin O , the position vectors of the points A and B are
 3i  4 j  and  7 i  7 j  respectively
a) Write down , in terms of i and j , an expression for AB

b) Hence show that ∆ AOB is isosceles

Jan 94

2) Referred to a fixed origin O , the position vectors of points A and B are ( 2i – 3j )

and ( 6i + 9j ) respectively. M is the mid-point of AB. Find , in terms of i and j
a) OM

b) MB

May 95

3) Referred to a fixed origin O, the position vectors of the points A and B are ( 2i – 3j )
and ( 7i – 15j ) respectively. Find , in terms of i and j
a) AB

b) The unit vector in the direction of AB

Jan 96

4) Referred to a fixed origin O , the position vectors of points A and B are ( – i + 4j )

and ( i – 2j ) respectively . C is the point on AB produced such that AC = 3AB .
Find , in terms of i and j
a) AB

b) OC

May 96

5) Referred to a fixed origin O the position vectors of the points A , B and C are
( 4i – 6j ) , ( pi – 12j ) and ( 9i + qj ) respectively

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a) Find the value of OA

b) Given that O , A , B and C are collinear , find the values of p and q

Jan 97

6) Referred to a fixed origin O , the position vectors of the points P and Q are
( –i + 3j ) and ( ki + lj ) respectively , where k and l are constants. The point M is
the mid-point of PQ. Given that the position vector of M relative to O is ( 2i + 4j )
a) Find the values of k and l
The point R is on PQ produced such that PQ : QR = 1 : 2
b) Find , in terms of i and j an expression for OR

May 97

7) Referred to a fixed origin O , the position vectors of points P and Q are ( 4i + 3j )

and ( –2i – 5j ) respectively . M is the mid-point of OP and N is the mid-point
of OQ . Find , in terms of i and j
a) MN

b) The unit vector in the direction of MN

Jan 00

8) The position vectors of points P and Q are ( 3i + 4j ) and ( 2i – 7j ) respectively ,

referred to a fixed origin O. The point R divides PQ internally in the ratio 2:3

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 Find in terms of i and j
a) PQ

b) OR

May 01

9) Referred to an origin O , the points A, B and C have position vectors ( 2i + 7j )

( 8i + 9j ) and ( 11i + 10j ) respectively
a) Find, in terms of i and j
i) AB

ii) BC

b) Show that A , B and C are collinear

The point D lies on OA and has position vector λ ( 2i + 7j ) . The point E lies on
OB and has position vector μ ( 8i + 9j ) . Given that DE = BC

c) Find the value of λ and the value of μ

d) Write down the ratio DE : AB
e) Find the ratio (area ∆ ODE ) : (area ∆ OAC )
Jan 01

10) Referred to a fixed origin O , the position vectors of the points A and B are
( 3i + 7j ) and ( 8i – 5j ) respectively. The point C divides AB internally in the ratio 2 : 1
Find , in terms of i and j
a) i) AB ii) OC

b) The unit vector in the direction of AB

Jan 03

11) Relative to a fixed origin O , the position vector of the point A is pi  5 j and the
position vector of the point B is 8i  qj . The point M , with position vector 7 i  j ,
is the mid-point of AB
a) Find the value of p and the value of q
The point D is on AB produced such that AD : DB is 3 : 2

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b) Find , in terms of i and j , the position vector of D

May 03

12) Referred to a fixed origin O , the position vectors of the points P and Q are
 5i  2 j  and  3i  7 j  . The midpoint of OP is M , and N is the midpoint of OQ.

a) Find MN , in terms of i and j

b) Prove that MN is parallel to PQ.
May 04

13) Referred to a fixed origin O, the position vectors of the points M and N are
 10 i  18 j and 14i  8 j respectively. The mid-point of OM is P and the mid-point of
ON is Q. Find, in terms of i and j,
a) PQ

b) the unit vector in the direction of PQ .

Jan 06

14) The position vectors of the points R and S are (2i + 6j) and (6i + 14j) respectively,
referred
to a fixed origin O . The point T divides RS internally in the ratio 3 : 1. Find, in terms of
i and j ,

(a) OT

(b) the unit vector in the direction of OT .

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 Jan 07

15) Referred to a fixed origin O, the position vectors of the points P and Q are (6i – 5j)
and
(10i + 3j) respectively. The midpoint of PQ is R.

(a) Find the position vector of R.

The midpoint of OP is S.

(b) Prove that SR is parallel to OQ.

Jan 08

16) Referred to a fixed origin O,the position vectors of the points A and B are 4i + 5j and
9i + 15j
respectively. The point C divides AB internally in the ratio 2 : 3. Find, in terms of i andj,

(a) (i) AB (ii) OC

(b) the unit vector in the direction of AB .

The point D lies on BA produced and OD = i .

(c) Find the value of .

May 08

17) Relative to a fixed origin O, the position vector of the point A is 3i 8j and the position
vector of the point B is 12i qj.
The point C divides AB internally in the ratio 1: 2 and pi 4j.
(a) Find the value of p and the value of q. (5)
The point D lies on OB and the line DC is parallel to OA. The mid-point of DC is M.
(b) Find, in terms of i and j, the position vector of M. (3)
Total Marks 8, Jan 10, P1
18) The points A, B, C and D are the vertices of a quadrilateral and
  
AB = 3i + 5j, AC = 6i + 6j and AD = 9i + 3j


(a) (i) Find BC
(ii) Hence show that ABCD is a trapezium (3)

(b) (i) Find the exact value of BD

(ii) Find a unit vector parallel to BD (4)
The point F is on the line BD and BF : FD = 1 : 2

AF
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(c) Find (2)
The point E is on the line AD such that ABCE is a parallelogram.
(d) (i) Show that F lies on the line CE

(ii) Find the ratio EF : FC (6)

Total Marks 15, Jan 12, P2

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