VICTORIAN CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION

2021

STUDENT NAME:

MATHEMATICAL AND COMPUTATIONAL PHYSICS

Vectors Assignment

QUESTION AND ANSWER BOOK

Structure of book

Number of Number of Number of

questions questions marks
to be answered

8 8 33

Special instructions:
All calculations must be done ‘by hand’ and using Mathematica.
Mathemtaica is not required to be used for Question 8.
You are required to submit your Wolfram notebook for this assignment.
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Instructions
Answer all questions in the spaces provided.
Unless otherwise specified, an exact answer is required to a question.
In questions where more than one mark is available, appropriate working must be shown.

Question 1 (4 marks)
1
Consider the vectors u = − i + 2 j− 3 k , v = − 2i − 3 j+ k and w = 3 i − 2 3 j− k .
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 2~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Find the following:

a. w. 1 mark
~

b. u− v . 1 mark
~ ~

c. 3 w− 2 v . 2 marks
~ ~
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Question 2 (3 marks)
The vectors (a 2 + 1) i − 2 j + 3k and 5 i − 2 j + (a 2 + a + 1) k are equal.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Find the value(s) of a.
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Question 3 (3 marks)
The vectors (b − 25) i + j− b k and −2(5 + b) i + 4 j− 3(5 + b) k are parallel.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Find the value(s) of b.

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Question 4 (4 marks)
The coordinates of three points are A(4t , 0, 4) , B (6, − 4t , 0) and C (0, 1, 4 + 4t ) where
t∈R.
→
a. Find the vector AB . 1 mark

b. Find the value(s) of t so that the points A, B and C are collinear. 3 marks
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Question 5 (4 marks)
Consider the vectors v = −2 2 i + j− 3 k and w = 3 i − 2 3 j− n k where n ∈ R .
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

a. Find the vector of length 2 in the direction of v . 2 marks

~

b. Find the value(s) of n so that w = 6 . 2 marks

~
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Question 6 (3 marks)
→ →
A and B are points on a plane such that OA = −3 i − 2 j+ 5 k and OB = − i + 4 j− 3 k .
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
M is the midpoint of the line segment AB.
→
Find OM .
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Question 7 (6 marks)
a. The scalar resolute of the vector 2 i − m j− 3 2 k in the direction of the vector − i − 2 3 j− 2 k
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
is equal to 2. Find all possible values of m.
b a −c b
Give your answer in the form where a, b, c are positive integers. 2 marks
b
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b. Find the square of the scalar resolute of the vector −4 i − 3 j+ 2 k in the direction perpendicular
~ ~ ~

to the vector i − 3 j− k .
~ ~ ~

a − 36 b
Give your answer in the form where a, b and c are integers. 4 marks
c
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Question 8 (6 marks)
OABC is a parallelogram.
→ →
OB and AC intersect at point P.
→ →
Let OA = a and OC = c .
~ ~
C B

O A

→ → →
a. Given that CP = λ CA , write an expression for CP in terms of λ , a and c . 1 mark
~ ~

→ → →
b. Given that OP = µ OB , write another expression for CP in terms of µ , a and c . 2 marks
~ ~
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c. Hence prove that the diagonals of a parallelogram bisect each other. 3 marks

END OF QUESTION AND ANSWER BOOK