Chapter 9 – Vectors- Worksheet 1

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 $$$$$⃗ where A is the initial point and B is the terminal point is
Our original vector, 𝐴𝐵
called a displacement vector.

Vectors are also denoted by small case letters, either bolded such as u or with
an arrow above the letter, 𝑢
$⃗.

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Investigation 1

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The zero vector is the vector whose magnitude is zero and it has all possible
directions.

Recall the following properties from addition with numbers.

1. Commutative property
2. Associative property
3. Identity Element
4. Additive Inverse
Can you show with diagrams that the same properties hold for vector
addition?

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Investigation 2

If 𝑢
$⃗ = 𝑘𝑣⃗ for some scalar k, then 𝑢
$⃗ ∕∕ $v⃗.

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Linear Combination
Given two non-parallel vectors, 𝑣⃗ and 𝑤$$⃗ and 𝑛, 𝑘 ∈ ℝ,
a linear combination of two vectors is defined to be
𝑢
$⃗ = 𝑘 ∙ 𝑣⃗ + 𝑛 ∙ 𝑤
$$⃗
Vectors that lie in the same plane are coplanar vectors.
Given three non-coplanar vectors, 𝑣⃗, 𝑟⃗ and 𝑤 $$⃗ and 𝑛, 𝑘, 𝑡 ∈ ℝ,
a linear combination of three vectors is defined to be
𝑢
$⃗ = 𝑘 ∙ 𝑣⃗ + 𝑛 ∙ 𝑤
$$⃗ + 𝑡 ∙ 𝑟⃗
Note that subtraction is not defined as an operation, so it is considered to be
the addition of the additive inverse, −𝑢$⃗.

We can use vectors for proofs in geometry. Consider the following example.

Example 1
In triangle ABC, M and N are midpoints of the sides [𝐴𝐶 ] and [𝐵𝐶 ]
respectively.

!
Show that the line segment [𝑀𝑁] is parallel to side [𝐴𝐵 ] and that 𝑀𝑁 = " 𝐴𝐵.

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Exercises 1
1. Given the vectors in the diagram, find:

a) 𝐭 + 𝐮

b) 𝐰 − 3𝐮

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 ! !
c) # 𝐯 − " 𝐰

! ! !
d) " 𝐭 − # 𝐯 + " 𝐮

2. In the figure, we are given a cuboid ABCDEF where M and N are midpoints
of edges [𝐵𝐹 ] and [𝐺𝐻 ] respectively. Vectors are defined as:
$$$$$⃗
𝐴𝐵 = 𝐚
$$$$$⃗
𝐴𝐷 = 𝐛
$$$$$⃗
𝐴𝐸 = 𝐜

Find the following vectors in terms of 𝐚, 𝐛 and 𝐜 :

$$$$$⃗
a) 𝐴𝐺 $$$$$⃗
b) 𝐶𝐸 $$$$$⃗
c) 𝐷𝐹 $$$$$$$⃗
d) 𝑀𝑁

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3. In a trapezium ABCD where the sides [𝐴𝐵 ] and [𝐶𝐷 ] are parallel, the points
M and N are the midpoints of [𝐵𝐶 ] and [𝐴𝐷 ] respectively. Show that [𝑀𝑁] is
parallel to both [𝐴𝐵 ] and [𝐶𝐷 ] and that MN is the average of AB and CD.

4. In a rectangle ABCD the points P and Q are on the sides [𝐵𝐶 ] and [𝐶𝐷 ]
respectively. Given that the point P divides the side [𝐵𝐶 ] in the ratio 2:3, find
the ratio by which point Q divides side [𝐶𝐷] so that [𝑃𝑄] is parallel to [𝐵𝐷 ].

Homework 1

1. A rectangle ABCD is given. The points P and Q are the midpoints of the
sides [𝐵𝐶 ] and [𝐶𝐷] respectively. Show that [𝑃𝑄] is parallel to the
!
diagonal [𝐵𝐷 ] and that 𝑃𝑄 = " 𝐵𝐷.

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 2. A regular hexagon ABCDEF with center O in the circumscribed circle is
given in the figure. The points M, N and P are the midpoints of the sides
[𝐸𝐹 ], [𝐷𝐸 ] and [𝐶𝐷 ] respectively. Define $$$$$⃗ $$$$$⃗ = 𝐛.
𝐴𝐵 = 𝐚 and 𝐴𝐹
Find the following vectors in terms of 𝐚 and 𝐛.

$$$$$⃗
a) 𝐴𝑂 $$$$$⃗
b) 𝐶𝐵 $$$$$⃗
c) 𝐶𝐸 $$$$$⃗
d) 𝐷𝐹

$$$$$⃗
e) 𝑃𝐴 $$$$$$⃗
f) 𝐴𝑁 g) $$$$$$⃗
𝐶𝑀 $$$$$$⃗
h) 𝑃𝑁

3. Given a quadrilateral ABCD and the midpoints K, L, M and N of the sides

$$$$$⃗
𝐴𝐵 , $$$$$⃗ $$$$$⃗ and $$$$$⃗
𝐵𝐶 , 𝐶𝐷 𝐷𝐴 respectively, use direction vectors to show that KLMN
forms a parallelogram.

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Operations with Vectors

We can express vectors in terms of their components in the x,y and z direction
or in terms of standard unit vectors, i, j (and k).

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A unit vector is a vector of length 1.

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Given a vector, we can find a unit vector in the same direction as the given
vector by dividing the given vector by its magnitude.

As the length of a vector is also called its norm, the process of finding a unit
vector in the same direction as a given vector is also called normalizing the
vector.

Exercises 2

1. Let ABCDEFGH be a paralellepiped with vertices A(0,0,0), B(2,3,0),

D(-1,4,-2) and E(1,-2,6). Find the coordinates of points C and G.

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2. The vectors 𝑝⃗ = 3𝑖 + 2𝑗 and 𝑞⃗ = 𝑖 + 5𝑗 are given. Express the
following vectors as a linear combination of 𝑝⃗ and 𝑞⃗.
a) 5𝑖 − 𝑗

b) 10𝑖 + 9𝑗

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c) −9𝑖 + 7𝑗

d) 𝑖

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3. Given a rectangle PQRS with the points Q(-4,-1), R(-1,-3) and S(3,3), find
the coordinates of point P.

4. Use the properties of real numbers to show the following properties of

multiplication of a vector by a scalar:

i. (𝜆𝜇 )𝐚 = 𝜆(𝜇𝐚) = 𝜇(𝜆𝐚)

ii. 𝜆(𝐚 + 𝐛) = 𝜆𝐚 + 𝜆𝐛

iii. (𝜆 + 𝜇)𝐚 = 𝜆𝐚 + 𝜇𝐚

iv. 1𝐚 = 𝐚

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 v. 0𝐚 = 𝟎 or 𝜆𝟎 = 𝟎

5. Find the unit vector in the direction of the following vectors:

a) −3𝑖 + 2𝑗

b) −𝑖 + 3𝑗 + 4𝑘

6. Given the vectors 𝑎⃗ = 3𝑖 − 2𝑗 + 𝜆𝑘 and 𝑏$⃗ = −𝑖 + 5𝑗 + (𝜆 − 5)𝑘, find

the real value of 𝜆 such that 2|𝑎⃗| = ^𝑏$⃗^.

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7. Find all the vectors that are parallel to vector 𝑎⃗ = 5𝑖 − 𝑗 with a
magnitude of 6.

Homework 2

1. The vector 𝑝⃗ = 3𝑖 + 2𝑗 and 𝑞⃗ = 𝑖 + 5𝑗 are given. Express the following

vectors as a linear combination of 𝑝⃗ and 𝑞⃗.

a) −𝑗

! "
b) − 𝑖 + 𝑗
" #

2. A cuboid ABCDEFGH with the vertices B(3,2,0), C(2,3,1), D(1,1,2) and

G(0,3,-1) is given. Find the coordinates of all remaining vertices.

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3. Find all unit vectors that are parallel to the following vectors:

a) 𝑖 − 3𝑗

b) 2𝑖 + 𝑗 − 5𝑘

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Scalar Product

Investigation 3

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Exercises 3

1. Find the scalar product of vectors 𝐚 and 𝐛 where |𝐚| = 3, |𝐛| = 5 and
$
the angle between the two vectors measures radians.
%

2. Given the vectors 𝐚 = i + 4j − 3k and 𝐛 = −2i + 3j + k, find:

a) the scalar product of 𝐚 and 𝐛.

b) the angle between 𝐚 and 𝐛.

3. The vectors 𝐚 and 𝐛 are such that |𝐚| = 2 and |𝐛| = √3. If 2𝐚 + 𝐛 and
𝐚 − 2𝐛 are perpendicular, find the angle between vectors 𝐚 and 𝐛.

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4. Use a suitable definition of scalar product to justify the following
properties:
i. 𝐚∙𝐛=𝐛∙𝐚

ii. 𝐚 ∙ 𝐚 = |𝐚|𝟐

iii. 𝐚 ∙ (𝐛 + 𝐜 ) = 𝐚 ∙ 𝐛 + 𝐚 ∙ 𝐜

iv. 𝜆(𝐚 ∙ 𝐛) = (𝜆𝐚) ∙ 𝐛 = 𝐚 ∙ (𝜆𝐛), 𝜆 ∈ ℝ

5. Consider the unit cube ABCDEFGH in the figure.

Let O be the point where three of the diagonals meet.

$$$$$⃗ ∙ 𝑂𝐵
Find 𝑂𝐴 $$$$$⃗ .

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6. Consider the vectors 𝐮 = sin(3α) 𝑖 − cos(3α) 𝑗 + 2𝑘 and 𝐯 = cosα 𝑖 −
sinα 𝑗 − 2𝑘 where 0 < 𝛼 < 2𝜋. Let 𝜃 be the angle between the vectors
𝐮 and 𝐯.

a) Express cos𝜃 in terms of α.

b) Find all possible values of α for which the angle between the two
'$
vectors is % .

c) Show that the angle between the two vectors is always obtuse.

Homework 3

1. Find the scalar product of the vectors 𝐚 and 𝐛:

a) |𝐚| = √3, |𝐛| = 4, the angle between the vectors measures 30°

b) |𝐚| = 12, |𝐛| = 8, the angle between the vectors measures 115°

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 $
c) |𝐚| = 3, |𝐛| = 5, the angle between the two vectors measures (

#$
d) |𝐚| = 5√2, |𝐛| = 17, the angle between the vectors measures
)

2. Given the vectors 𝐚 = 3i − 4j and 𝐛 = 6i + 5j, find:

a) the scalar product of 𝐚 and 𝐛.

b) the angle between 𝐚 and 𝐛.

3. Given the vectors 𝐚 and 𝐛 such that 2𝐚 + 𝐛 and 𝐚 − 𝐛 are

perpendicular, and 3𝐚 + 𝐛 and 𝐚 − 2𝐛 are perpendicular, find the
angle between the vectors 𝐚 and 𝐛.

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