Vectors 1

Exercise 1: The scalar product and the vector equation of a line

Solutions

1. a) Which of the following gives the equation of the straight line through the points with position
vectors

2𝐢 + 3𝐣 and 4𝐢 − 6𝐣

Select all of the correct solutions from this list:

2𝐢 + 3𝐣 + 𝜆(2𝐢 − 9𝐣)
2𝐢 + 3𝐣 + 𝜇(−2𝐢 + 9𝐣)
4𝐢 − 6𝐣 + 𝜈(2𝐢 − 9𝐣)
4𝐢 − 6𝐣 + 𝜉(−2𝐢 + 9𝐣)
2𝐢 + 3𝐣 − 𝜌(2𝐢 − 9𝐣)
2𝐢 + 3𝐣 − 𝜎(−2𝐢 + 9𝐣)
2(1 + 𝜏)𝐢 + 3(1 − 3𝜏)𝐣

There are two points that you know are on the line, 2𝐢 + 3𝐣 and 4𝐢 − 6𝐣

The vector to move from one to the other is either (4 − 2)𝐢 + (−6 − 3)𝐣 = 2𝐢 − 9𝐣 going one
way or (2 − 4)𝐢 + (3 − −6)𝐣 = −2𝐢 + 9𝐣 going the other

The vector equation will be 𝐫 = 𝐚 + 𝜆𝐛 where 𝐚 is either 2𝐢 + 3𝐣 or 4𝐢 − 6𝐣

and 𝐛 is either 2𝐢 − 9𝐣 or −2𝐢 + 9𝐣

Any combination of these results will give the line so all of the options are correct forms for the
vector equation (you can convert them all to Cartesian form if you don’t believe that).

The last equation can be rewritten as

2(1 + 𝜏)𝐢 + 3(1 − 3𝜏)𝐣 ≡ 2𝐢 + 3𝐣 + τ(2𝐢 − 9𝐣)

Which is exactly the same as the first option.

b) Which of the following gives the equation of the straight line through the points with position
vectors

2𝐢 + 3𝐣 − 𝐤 and 4𝐢 − 6𝐣 − 7𝐤

Select all of the correct solutions from this list:

2𝐢 + 3𝐣 + 𝜆(2𝐢 − 9𝐣)
2𝐢 + 3𝐣 − 𝐤 + 𝜇(−2𝐢 + 9𝐣 + 6𝐤)
4𝐢 − 6𝐣 − 7𝐤 + 𝜈(2𝐢 − 9𝐣 − 6𝐤)
4𝐢 − 6𝐣 − 7𝐤 + 𝜉(2𝐢 + 9𝐣 − 6𝐤)
2𝐢 + 3𝐣 − 𝐤 − 𝜌(2𝐢 − 9𝐣 + 6𝐤)

This does have some incorrect options.

There is no 𝐤 component in the first equation so that is not correct

All of the other equations have a valid point on the line for the first part so the direction vectors
need to be checked.

The direction vector needs to be either

(4𝐢 − 6𝐣 − 7𝐤) − (2𝐢 + 3𝐣 − 𝐤) = 2𝐢 − 9𝐣 − 6𝐤

or

(2𝐢 + 3𝐣 − 𝐤) − (4𝐢 − 6𝐣 − 7𝐤) = −2𝐢 + 9𝐣 + 6𝐤

Only options 2 and 3 have one of these direction vectors. The other direction vectors are clearly
not parallel to either of these and so are for different lines.

Correct answers:
2𝐢 + 3𝐣 − 𝐤 + 𝜇(−2𝐢 + 9𝐣 + 6𝐤)
4𝐢 − 6𝐣 − 7𝐤 + 𝜈(2𝐢 − 9𝐣 − 6𝐤)
2. The scalar product of the two vectors −7𝐢 + 3𝑝𝐣 − 𝐤 and 3𝑝𝐢 − 6𝑝𝐣 − 7𝐤 is equal to 3.

What are the possible values of 𝑝?

This is easier to write in column vector form:

−7 3𝑝
( 3𝑝 ) ∙ (−6𝑝) = 3
−1 −7

−21𝑝 − 18𝑝2 + 7 = 3

18𝑝2 + 21𝑝 − 4 = 0

(6𝑝 − 1)(3𝑝 + 4) = 0

1 4
𝑝 = 6 or 𝑝 = − 3
 2 −4
3. Points 𝐴 and 𝐵 have position vectors (3) and ( 5 ) respectively.
2 1

The vector equation of the line passing through 𝐴 and 𝐵 can be written in the form

𝑎 𝑐
𝐫 = (𝑏 ) + 𝜆 (𝑑 )
2 1

Find the values of 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐 and 𝑑.

The point 𝐶 lies on this line so that 𝐴𝐶 = 3𝐵𝐶, what are the possible position vectors for 𝐶?

By direct comparison,

𝑎 2
(𝑏 ) = (3)
2 2

For the 𝑧 component of the direction vector to be 1,

𝑐 2 −4
(𝑑 ) = (3) − ( 5 )
1 2 1
𝑐 6
𝑑
( ) = (−2)
1 1

Giving 𝑎 = 2, 𝑏 = 3, 𝑐 = 6, 𝑑 = −2

2 6 2 + 6𝜆
Let the position vector of 𝐶 be (3) + 𝜆 (−2) = (3 − 2𝜆)
2 1 2+𝜆

2 + 6𝜆 2 6𝜆
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ = (3 − 2𝜆) − (3) = (−2𝜆)
𝐴𝐶
2+𝜆 2 𝜆

2 + 6𝜆 −4 6 + 6𝜆
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐵𝐶 = (3 − 2𝜆) − ( 5 ) = (−2 − 2𝜆)
2+𝜆 1 1+𝜆

If 𝐴𝐶 = 3𝐵𝐶 then either ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ or ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗

𝐴𝐶 = 3𝐵𝐶 ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐴𝐶 = −3𝐵𝐶

⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ = 3𝐵𝐶
For 𝐴𝐶 ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
 6𝜆 6 + 6𝜆 6𝜆 = 18 + 18𝜆
(−2𝜆) = 3 (−2 − 2𝜆) gives −2𝜆 = −6 − 6𝜆
𝜆 1+𝜆 𝜆 = 3 + 3𝜆
3
all three of which give 𝜆 = − 2

For ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗

𝐴𝐶 = −3𝐵𝐶

6𝜆 6 + 6𝜆 6𝜆 = −18 − 18𝜆
(−2𝜆) = −3 (−2 − 2𝜆) gives −2𝜆 = 6 + 6𝜆
𝜆 1+𝜆 𝜆 = −3 − 3𝜆
3
all three of which give 𝜆 = − 4

3
For 𝜆 = − 2, the position vector of 𝐶 is at

2 6 −7
3
(3) − (−2) = ( 6 )
2 1⁄
2 1 2
3
For 𝜆 = − 4, the position vector of 𝐶 is at

− 5⁄2
2 6
3 9⁄
(3) − (−2) = 2
4
2 1 5⁄
( 4 )
4. The line 𝐿 has vector equation 𝑟 = 3𝐢 − 2𝐣 + 4𝐤 + 𝜆(−𝐢 − 𝐣 + 2𝐤) .

The point 𝐴 lies on the line 𝐿 so that the distance from the origin to 𝐴 is as short as possible.

Find the position vector of the point 𝐴

Let the position vector of 𝐴 be

3𝐢 − 2𝐣 + 4𝐤 + 𝜆(−𝐢 − 𝐣 + 2𝐤) = (3 − 𝜆)𝐢 + (−2 − 𝜆)𝐣 + (4 + 2𝜆)𝐤

This means that ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗

𝑂𝐴 = (3 − 𝜆)𝐢 + (−2 − 𝜆)𝐣 + (4 + 2𝜆)𝐤

The shortest distance will be where ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗

𝑂𝐴 is perpendicular to the line so

((3 − 𝜆)𝐢 + (−2 − 𝜆)𝐣 + (4 + 2𝜆)𝐤) ∙ (−𝐢 − 𝐣 + 2𝐤) = 0

𝜆 − 3 + 2 + 𝜆 + 8 + 4𝜆 = 0

6𝜆 = −7

7
𝜆 = −6

7 7 14
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑂𝐴 = (3 + ) 𝐢 + (−2 + ) 𝐣 + (4 − ) 𝐤
6 6 6

25 5 5
= 𝐢− 𝐣+ 𝐤
6 6 3
5. Find the position vectors of the points on the line

𝐫 = 𝐢 + 2𝐣 + 3𝐤 + 𝜆(3𝐢 + 2𝐣 + 𝐤)

that are a distance of √8 units from the origin.

Let one of the points be 𝐴 with position vector

𝐢 + 2𝐣 + 3𝐤 + 𝜆(3𝐢 + 2𝐣 + 𝐤) = (1 + 3𝜆)𝐢 + (2 + 2𝜆)𝐣 + (3 + 𝜆)𝐤

This means that ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗

𝑂𝐴 = (1 + 3𝜆)𝐢 + (2 + 2𝜆)𝐣 + (3 + 𝜆)𝐤

⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ | = √(1 + 3𝜆)2 + (2 + 2𝜆)2 + (3 + 𝜆)2

|𝑂𝐴

√(1 + 3𝜆)2 + (2 + 2𝜆)2 + (3 + 𝜆)2 = √8

(1 + 3𝜆)2 + (2 + 2𝜆)2 + (3 + 𝜆)2 = 8

9𝜆2 + 6𝜆 + 1 + 4𝜆2 + 8𝜆 + 4 + 𝜆2 + 6𝜆 + 9 = 8

14𝜆2 + 20𝜆 + 6 = 0

7𝜆2 + 10𝜆 + 3 = 0

(7𝜆 + 3)(𝜆 + 1) = 0

3
Either 𝜆 = − 7 or 𝜆 = −1

3 9 6 3
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ = (1 − ) 𝐢 + (2 − ) 𝐣 + (3 − ) 𝐤
For 𝜆 = − 7, 𝑂𝐴 7 7 7

2 8 18
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑂𝐴 = − 7 𝐢 + 7 𝐣 + 7 𝐤

For 𝜆 = −1, ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗

𝑂𝐴 = (1 − 3)𝐢 + (2 − 2)𝐣 + (3 − 1)𝐤

⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ = −2𝐢 + 0𝐣 + 2𝐤 = −2𝐢 + 2𝐤

𝑂𝐴
 2 6
6. The point 𝐴 has position vector ( ) and the point 𝐵 has position vector ( ).
−5 𝑘

The points O, A, B and C form the vertices of a rectangle.

a) Find the value of 𝑘.

b) Find the position vector of the point 𝐶.

⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ = ( 2 )
𝑂𝐴
−5

⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ 6 2 4
𝐴𝐵 = ( ) − ( ) = ( )
𝑘 −5 𝑘+5

𝑂𝐴 is perpendicular to 𝐴𝐵 so

2 4
( )∙( )=0
−5 𝑘+5

8 − 5𝑘 − 25 = 0

5𝑘 = −17

17
𝑘=− 5

4 4
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ = 𝐴𝐵
𝑂𝐶 is parallel and the same length as 𝐴𝐵 so 𝑂𝐶 ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ = ( 17 ) = (
− 5 +5 8⁄5)