2 – Vector Operations

Warm Up
a) Write down the component vector for each vector shown.
i) ii)

b) What do you notice about these two vectors?

( ) ( )
c) Generalize how you can find a component vector given two points 𝑃 𝑥1, 𝑦1 and 𝑄 𝑥2, 𝑦2 .
Vectors between Two Points
If a vector is drawn from 𝐴(𝑥𝐴, 𝑦𝐴) to 𝐵(𝑥𝐵, 𝑦𝐵). In going from 𝐴 to 𝐵,

𝑥𝐵 − 𝑥𝐴 is the 𝑥-step, and

𝑦𝐵 − 𝑦𝐴 is the 𝑦-step.
→
[ ]
Consequently, 𝐴𝐵 = 𝑥𝐵 − 𝑥𝐴 𝑦𝐵 − 𝑦𝐴 = [∆𝑥 ∆𝑦 ]
→
𝐴𝐵 is the displacement from 𝐴 to 𝐵, or the change in position from 𝐴 to 𝐵.

→
[ ]
If a vector is drawn from 𝑂 (0, 0) to 𝐴 (𝑥𝐴, 𝑦𝐴) then 𝑂𝐴 = 𝑥𝐴 𝑦𝐴 , which is called the position vector
of 𝐴.

Similarly, in 3D: If 𝐴(𝑥1, 𝑦1, 𝑧1) and 𝐵(𝑥2, 𝑦2, 𝑧2) are two points in space then:
→
[ ]
𝐴𝐵 = 𝑥2 − 𝑥1 𝑦2 − 𝑦1 𝑧2 − 𝑧 1 = [∆𝑥 ∆𝑦 ∆𝑧 ]

Example 1: Find the displacement vector from 𝐺(3, − 2) to 𝐻(6, − 6) and its magnitude.

→
Example 2: Given 𝐴(6, 9, − 2) and 𝐴𝐵 = [3 2 − 1 ], find the coordinates of 𝐵.
When working with scalar quantities, the operations we most often use are addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division. Do these operations work with vectors?

Vector Addition
We know that vectors are used to represent displacements, such as translations (movements). What
happens if we have two consecutive displacements?
Biff drove from A to B, then from B to C.

Biff’s first displacement vector is:

His second displacement vector is:

Hence, the resultant displacement vector, or the vector sum is:

______ = ______ + _______

resultant sum of both displacements

Since the three vectors form a triangle, this is known as the triangle law for vector addition. Note that
the vectors must be carefully arranged, head to tail.

Algebraically Geometrically
To add 𝑎 and 𝑏.
[ ] [
If 𝑎 = 𝑎1 𝑎2 and 𝑏 = 𝑏1 𝑏2 , ] 1. Draw 𝑎
2. From the arrowhead end
[
then 𝑎 + 𝑏 = 𝑎1 + 𝑏1 𝑎2 + 𝑏2 . ] of 𝑎 draw 𝑏.
3. Join the tail of 𝑎 to the tip
of 𝑏.

Vector addition is geometrically accomplished using the “tail-to-tip” method.

Example 3: Find the resultant vector in each of the following examples using both an algebraic and
geometric method. Confirm that the two approaches give the same result.
Algebraically Geometrically
→ →
a) 𝐴𝐵 = [4, 2] and 𝐵𝐶 = [1, 3]

b)

c)

Notes:
→
The zero vector is written as 0 or 0, or in two-dimensional component form [0 0 ]. It is the additive
identity in vector addition. Hence, for any vector 𝑎:
𝑎 + (− 𝑎) = (− 𝑎) + 𝑎 = 0 and 𝑎 + 0 = 𝑎

The negative of [𝑎 𝑏 ] is [− 𝑎 − 𝑏 ]. The negative vector has the property that

[𝑎 𝑏 ] + [− 𝑎 − 𝑏 ] = [0 0 ].
Vector Subtraction
In regular arithmetic, subtraction is defined as the inverse operation of addition.
Ex. 5 − 3 = 2
5 + (− 3) = 2
To generalize this notation to vectors: we simply need to add its negative or add the opposite.
𝑎 + (− 𝑏) = 𝑎 − 𝑏
Algebraically Geometrically
To add 𝑎 and 𝑏.
[ ] [
If 𝑎 = 𝑎1 𝑎2 and 𝑏 = 𝑏1 𝑏2 , ] 1. Draw 𝑎
2. From the arrowhead end
[
then 𝑎 − 𝑏 = 𝑎1 − 𝑏1 𝑎2 − 𝑏2 . ] of 𝑎 draw − 𝑏.
3. Join the tail of 𝑎 to the tip
of − 𝑏.

Example 4: Find 𝑝 − 𝑞 using both an algebraic and geometric method. Confirm that the two
approaches given the same result.
Algebraically Geometrically
Scalar Multiplication
→ →
If 𝑎 is a vector, and 𝑘 is a scalar, then 𝑘𝑎 is also a vector. The operation we are performing is called
scalar multiplication. In component form,
→
[
𝑘𝑎 = 𝑘𝑎1 𝑘𝑎2 . ]
→ → → →
If 𝑘 > 0, 𝑘𝑎 and 𝑎 have the same direction. If 𝑘 < 0, 𝑘𝑎 and 𝑎 have opposite directions.

Scalar multiplication has some properties that are similar to properties in arithmetic and algebra. For
→ →
example, if 𝑎 and 𝑏 are vectors and 𝑚 is a scalar, then:
→ → → →
( )
𝑚 𝑎 + 𝑏 = 𝑚𝑎 + 𝑚𝑏
We say that scalar multiplication is distributive over vector addition.

→ →
Example 5: Given 𝑎 = [4, 2] and 𝑏 = [1, 3]. Show the following algebraically:
→ → → →
(
2 𝑎 + 𝑏 = 2𝑎 + 2𝑏)

→ → → →
Suppose 𝑂𝐴 = 𝑎 and 𝐴𝐵 = 𝑏.

When one vector is a scalar multiple of another

vector, we say that these vectors are collinear.
→ →
For example, in the diagram above, 𝑂𝐴 and 𝑂𝐶
→ →
are collinear. Vectors 𝐴𝐵 and 𝐶𝐷 are also collinear.
Observe that if these vectors are drawn tail-to-tail,
their heads and tails lie on a line, just as do the
→ →
heads and tails of vectors 𝑂𝐴 and 𝑂𝐶.
Similar operations (addition, subtraction and scalar multiplication) can be performed with 3D vectors
to those with 2D vectors.

[
] [
If 𝑎 = 𝑎1 𝑎2 𝑎3 and 𝑏 = 𝑏1 𝑏2 𝑏3 ,]
then 𝑎 + 𝑏 = [𝑎1 + 𝑏1 𝑎2 + 𝑏2 𝑎3 + 𝑏3 ], and 𝑎 − 𝑏 = [𝑎1 − 𝑏1 𝑎2 − 𝑏2 𝑎3 − 𝑏3 ], and
𝑘𝑎 = [𝑘𝑎1 𝑘𝑎2 𝑘𝑎3 ] for some scalar 𝑘.

→ →
Example 7: Given 𝑎 = [1 3 − 2 ] and 𝑏 = [3 − 1 4 ], determine:
→ →
a) 𝑎 + 𝑏

→ →
b) 2𝑎 − 3𝑏

→→
||
c) 𝑎 𝑏

To find the midpoint of a vector, we average its coordinates. Use the midpoint formula:

𝑀= ( 𝑥1+𝑥2
2
,
𝑦1+𝑦2
2 ) or 𝑀 = ( 𝑥1+𝑥2
2
,
𝑦1+𝑦2
2
,
𝑧1+𝑧2
2 ).
Practice
1. i) For the diagram on the right, express each sum as a single vector.

ii) What generalizations can be made here?

→ → →
iii) Express each of the following vectors in terms of 𝐴𝐵, 𝐵𝐶 and 𝐶𝐷:
→ → →
a) 𝐴𝐶 b) 𝐴𝐷 c) 𝐷𝐵

2. Given 𝐴(− 3, 1, 2) and 𝐵(1, 0, − 1) find:

→ → → →
a) 𝐴𝐵 b) 𝐵𝐴 | |
c) 𝐴𝐵 | |
d) 𝐵𝐴

3. In rectangle 𝐴𝐵𝐶𝐷, 𝑋 and 𝑌 are midpoints of 𝐴𝐵 and 𝐴𝐷

→ →
respectively. Express each vector in terms of 𝑎 and/or 𝑏.

4. Given vectors r and s, find the following both

algebraically and geometrically:
1
a) 2𝑟 + 𝑠 b) 𝑟 − 2
𝑠

5. Find 𝑎, 𝑏 and 𝑐 if:

a) (𝑎 − 4 𝑏 − 3 𝑐 + 2 ) = (1 3 − 4 ) b)
(𝑎 − 5 𝑏 − 2 𝑐 + 3 ) = (3 − 𝑎 2 − 𝑏 5 − 𝑐 )

6. Construct vector equations for:

7. Simplify the following vector expressions.

 → → →
a) 𝐴𝐵 + 𝐵𝐶 + 𝐶𝐷
→ → →
b) 𝐷𝐸 − 𝐹𝐸 − 𝐺𝐹

8. The diagram shows a cube 𝑂𝐴𝐵𝐶𝐷𝐸𝐹𝐺. Find a single vector

that is equivalent to:
→ → → → → → →
a) 𝐸𝐷 + 𝐸𝐹 b) 𝐸𝐴 + 𝐵𝐶 c) 𝐷𝐺 − 𝐴𝐷 + 𝐹𝐸

Answers
→ → → → → →
1. i) a) 𝐴𝐶 b) 𝐴𝐷 c) 𝐵𝐴 d) 𝐵𝐴 e) 𝐶𝐵 f) 0
ii) from (c) and (d) it can be seen that the order of addition does not matter (associative
property)
→ → → → → → →
iii) a) 𝐴𝐵 + 𝐵𝐶 b) 𝐴𝐵 + 𝐵𝐶 + 𝐶𝐷 c) − 𝐶𝐷 − 𝐵𝐶
2. a) (4 − 1 − 3 ) b) (− 4 1 3 ) c) 26 d) 26
→ → → → → → → → → →
3. a) 2𝑎 b) − 2𝑏 c) 𝑏 − 𝑎 d) 𝑏 + 2𝑎 e) 𝑎 + 2𝑏 f) 2𝑏 − 2𝑎
4. a) (8 2 ) b) (2 3 )
5. a) 𝑎 = 5, 𝑏 = 6, 𝑐 =− 6 b) 𝑎 = 4, 𝑏 = 2, 𝑐 = 1
→ → → → → → → → → →
6. a) 𝑟 + 𝑠 = 𝑡 b) 𝑟 + 𝑠 =− 𝑡 c) 𝑠 − 𝑟 = 𝑝 − 𝑞
→ →
7. a) 𝐴𝐷 b) 𝐷𝐺
→ → →
8. a) 𝐸𝐺 b) 𝐸𝑂 c) 𝐷𝐴