RAFFLES INSTITUTION

H2 Mathematics 9758
2022 Year 6 Term 3 Revision 6 (Grp Y)
Topic(s): Vectors 1 and 2 (Scalar and Vector Product, Lines) (Solution)

1 Referred to the origin O, points A and B have position vectors a and b respectively, such that a
and b are non-parallel vectors. Point C lies on OA produced such that AC = 4OA. Point P lies on BC,
between B and C, such that BP : PC = 2 : 3. Point Q lies on AB, between A and B, such that
AQ : QB = k :1.


(i) Find the position vector OP giving your answer in terms of the vectors a and b. Show also that
 1 k
OQ
= a+ b. [3]
1+ k 1+ k

(ii) Find the area of triangle OPQ in the form λ a × b , where λ is a constant to be determined. [3]

(iii) If O, P and Q are collinear, find the value of k. [2]

(iv) Given instead OQ is perpendicular to BC and OA is perpendicular to OB, a = 10 and b = 5 ,

find the exact

(a) area of triangle OPQ. [3]

 
(b) length of projection of OP onto OQ . [3]

1(i)
 The presence of
AC = 4OA ⇒ OC = 5a
ratios of line
segments should
By Ratio Theorem,
 2(5a) + 3b immediately tell
3 you to apply the
OP= = 2a + b
2+3 5 Ratio Theorem
 a + kb 1 k
OQ =
= a+ b
1+ k 1+ k 1+ k
(ii) Thought process:
Area in terms of cross product and other properties.
Note that cross
Note that k > 0 since Q lies between A and B. Hence, product is not
commutative,
1   a × b =−b × a ,
=
Area of triangle OPQ OP × OQ unlike the dot
2
product.
1 3  1
=  2a + b  × ( a + kb ) We also make use
2 5  k +1
of a × a =0.
1 3
= (2k )a × b + b × a since k + 1 > 0
2(k + 1) 5 Note that the
modulus over the
1  3 10k – 3 is not
=  2k −  (a × b)
2(k + 1)  5 removed since all
we know is that
10k − 3 k > 0, which does
= a×b since λ (a × b) = λ a × b
10(k + 1) not guarantee the
sign of 10k – 3.
(iii) Thought process:
What does collinearity mean? How can we use previous parts (if possible?) It is easier to make
use of the result in
Method 1 (ii).

Since O, P, Q are collinear, area of triangle OPQ is 0 and thus 10k − 3 =0

3
⇔k= .
10
Method 2
 
OP = mOQ
3 m mk
2a + b= a+ b
5 1+ k 1+ k
Since a and b are non - zero and non - parallel vectors,
m
2= (1)
1+ k
3 mk
= (2)
5 1+ k
3
(2) ÷ (1) ⇔ k =
10
(iv) Thought process: From the previous
(a) Convert all given conditions to mathematical statements: part we know it
 
OA is perpendicular to OB ⇒ OA ⋅ OB = a ⋅ b = 0. suffices to find k to
OQ is perpendicular to BC find the area of the
  triangle ABC.
1
OQ ⋅ BC
= ( a + kb ) ⋅ ( 5a −=
b) 0
1+ k
⇒ 5a ⋅ a − a ⋅ b + 5ka ⋅ b − kb ⋅ b = 0
2 2
⇒5a =
kb
⇒ 5(10)
= k (25) ⇒=
k 2

Hence area of triangle OPQ is

10k − 3
a×b
10(k + 1)
17
= a b sin 90
30
17
= 10
6
 
(b) Length of projection of OP onto OQ is
  Just apply the
OP ⋅ OQ formula for length
 of projection. To
OQ find the length of a
vector, we need to
 3   a + 2b  use the definition
 2a + b  ⋅  
 5   3  of the dot product.
=
 a + 2b 
  We still have
 3  a ⋅b = 0 , and from
2 2
2 a + 65 b the definition of
= the dot product,
( a + 2b ) ⋅ ( a + 2b ) 2
x ⋅ x =x cos 0
20 + 30
= ⇒x= x⋅x
10 + 4(25)
50
=
110
5 110
=
11
2 HCI Promo 9758/2020/Q9

With respect to an origin O, the points A, B, C and D have position vectors a = 4i , b = 2k , c= 3i − 5 j

and d =3i + 11j + (α + 2 ) k where α is a constant, respectively.

(i) Let P be the point on the line OC that is closest to A. Find the exact position vector of P. Hence
state the ratio of the area of triangle OAP to the area of triangle OAC in the form of x : y ,

where x, y ∈  + . [3]

(ii) = λ :1 − λ . Given
The point M is the midpoint of AB and the point E on CM is such that ME : EC
that the point N lies on BE produced such that A, N and C are collinear and AN = 2 NC , find the
value of λ . [5]

(iii) Given that the line passing through A and C and the line passing through B and D are skew lines,
what can be said about the value of α ? [3]

(iv) Determine the smallest possible angle between the line passing through A and C and the line
passing through B and D. [3]

(i) Since P lies on OC, To find the shortest

  distance between a
OP = kOC point and a line is the
 3 same as finding the
  foot of perpendicular
= k  −5 
0 from the point to the
  line.
  
AP
= OP − OA
 3   4 To do so, just follow
   
= k  −5  −  0  the standard
 0  0 procedure:
   
1) Write down the
position vector of a
point on the line (we
 Since AP is perpendicular to OC, need to find the value
  of the parameter to
APOC = 0 find the position vector
A of the point)
  3   4   3 
       2) Use the fact that 2
 k  −5  −  0    −5  =
0 C
    
  0   0    0   O vectors are
P
perpendicular, hence
k (32 + (−5) 2 ) − 12 =0 dot product is 0
12 6
k
= = 3) Solve for the
34 17 parameter and thus the
position vector of foot
3
 6   of perpendicular
∴ OP = −5
17  
0

∆OAP and ∆ OAC share a common perpendicular height. Question said ‘hence’.
So from
Area of ∆ OAP : Area of triangle ∆ OAC
 6 
= OP : OC OP = OC
17
= 6 :17 we should be able to
obtain the desired ratio
(ii) The important thing in
C this question is a
1 1–λ diagram.
N E B What we are given:
λ
1) position vectors of
2
M A, B, C, D
2) what we need to
A find: position vectors
of M, E, N
Clearly, 3) use the condition of
collinearity of C, E, M
   2
 OA + OB  
OM =
=
2 0
1
 
  
 OA + 2OC
ON =
3 A 2 N 1
 10  C
 4   6    3 
1    
=  0  +  −10   =  −10 
3     3 O
 0   0    0 
 
 
Then,
  
OE= λOC + (1 − λ ) OM
 3λ   2 − 2λ 
    M λ E1 – λ
 −5λ  +  0 
= C
 0   1− λ 
   
 2  1  O
   
=  0  +λ  −5  ----- (1)
   
 1   −1 
Now, B, E, N are collinear implies that
 
k BN = BE
 10 3   2 + λ 
   
⇒ k  −10 3  = −5λ 
 −2   −1 − λ 
   
1
⇒ 2 + λ = 5λ ⇒ λ =
2
(or solve the system of 3 equations and 2 unknowns by GC).
(iii)  4 1 Recall that for skew
    lines, there are 2
l AC  0  + µ  5  where µ ∈ 
:r =
conditions:
0 0
   
1) the lines are not
0 3 parallel
   
 0  + γ 11 where γ ∈ 
lBD : r = 2) they do not intersect
 2 α 
   
Even though for any
real α the two lines
are never parallel, it
still needs to be
explicitly checked.
 1 3
Since  5  ≠ k 11 for all real values of k, lAC and lBD are not parallel
 
0 α 
   
to each other.

Assume that lAC and lBD intersect.

 4 1 0 3

       
0 + µ 5 =  0  + γ 11
0 0  2 α 
       
4 + µ = 3γ ---- (1) Alternatively, just use
 GC to solve the first 2
⇒  5µ = 11γ ---- ( 2 )
0= 2 + γα ---- ( 3) equations, and then
 solve for α in the last
equation.
From (1) , we have 20 + 5µ =
15γ ---- ( 4 )
So when the lines
Substitute ( 2 ) into ( 4 ) : 20 + 11γ = 15γ ⇒ γ = 5 2
intersect, α = − .
5
2
Substitute γ = 5 into ( 3) : 0 =+
2 5α ⇒ α =−
5 So for the lines to not
2
However, since lAC and lBD are, in fact, skew lines, they do not intersect intersect, α ≠ − .
5
each other.
2
Thus, α ≠ − .
5
(iv) The angle θ between the 2 lines satisfies Just need to write
down the formula for
1  3  angle between 2 lines
   
 5  ⋅ 11 (which is essentially
0  α  the angle between the
   
cos θ = 2 direction vectors).
26 130 + α 2
58 No need for calculus
= here.
26 130 + α 2
For θ to be smallest, we need cos θ to be maximum and thus α = 0 .

The corresponding θ is 3.9 (1 d.p) .