GCSE: Vectors

Dr J Frost (jfrost@[Link])
[Link]

Last modified: 20th March 2017

Coordinates vs Vectors

𝑦
6 ?
Coordinates represent a position.
We write to indicate the position
5
and position.
4
( 2 , 3?) Vectors represent a ?
3 movement. We write to

2 ( )
4
?
1
indicate the change in and
change in .
Note we put the numbers
1 vertically. Do NOT write ; there
is no line and vectors are very
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
𝑥 different to fractions!

-1 You may have seen vectors

briefly before if you’ve done
transformations; we can use
-2 them to describe the
movement of a shape in a
translation.
Vectors to represent movements

𝒃
𝒂

1
() ()
5
𝒅

𝒇 𝒂= 𝒃=
𝒄
𝒆 𝒈 3 1
Writing Vectors
You’re used to variables representing numbers in maths. They can also
represent vectors!

𝑌 What can you say about how we

use variables for vertices (points) vs
𝒃 variables for vectors?
We use capital letters for vertices
𝑍 ? for vectors.
and lower case letters

There’s 3 ways in which can

𝒂 represent the vector from point to :

1. (in bold)
2.
?
(with an ‘underbar’)
3. ?
𝑋 ?
Adding Vectors
?
?
𝑌 ?
𝒃 What do you notice about the numbers in
when compared to and ?
𝑍 We’ve simply added the values and values to
describe the combined movement.

i.e.
𝒂 ?

Bro Important Note: The point is that we can use

any route to get from the start to finish, and the

𝑋 vector will always be the same.

• Route 1: We go from to via .

• Route 2: Use the direct line from to :

Scaling Vectors

We can ‘scale’ a vector by

multiplying it by a normal number,
aptly known as a scalar.

If , then

?
What is the same about and and
what is different?

𝒂
2 Same:
Same direction / Parallel
?
Different:
The length of the vector, known as
the magnitude, is?longer.

Bro Note: Note that

vector letters are bold
but scalars are not.
More on Adding/Subtracting Vectors

𝑋 2𝒄
If , and , then find the following
in terms of , and :

𝐴 𝐵
𝒂 𝒃 𝒃 𝑌
𝒂
𝑂 𝒃
Bro Side Note: Since Note: Since , subtracting a
would end up at the same vector goes in the opposite
finish point, we can see direction.
(i.e. vector addition, like
normal addition, is
‘commutative’)
Exercise 1 (on provided sheet)

1 State the value of each vector. 2 4

𝒂 𝒃
a. a.
?
𝒄 b. b.
?
?
c. c.
d. d.
?
𝒅 𝒆
3 5
𝒇

a. ?
b.
? a. ?
c.
d. ? b. ?
? c.
?
𝒂=
() ( ) ( )
3
1
𝒃=
3
−2
𝒄=
−3
0
d.
?
Starter
Expand and simplify the following expressions:

2(𝒂+𝒃)+𝒃=2𝒂+3𝒃
1

5
 The ‘Two Parter’ exam question
Many exams questions follow a two-part format:
a) Find a relatively easy vector using skills from Lesson 1.
b) Find a harder vector that uses a fraction of your vector from part (a).

Edexcel June 2013 1H Q27

Bro Tip: This ratio
wasn’t in the
original diagram. I
a ⃗ ? 𝒂
𝑆𝑄=− 𝒃+
like to add the ratio
as a visual aid. 3 For (b), there’s two possible paths to
:
2 get from to : via or via . But which
is best?
In (a) we found to rather than to ,
so it makes sense to go in this
direction so that?we can use our
result in (a).

2
is also because it is
b

⃗ ⃗
exactly the same
movement as .

Bro Workings Tip: While you’re

𝑁𝑅= 𝑆𝑄+𝒃
?
5
welcome to start your working with
the second line, I recommend the
first line so that your chosen route
is clearer.
Test Your Understanding
Edexcel June 2012

You MUST
expand and
simplify.
Further Test Your Understanding
A
𝑂𝑋 : 𝑋𝐵=1: 3 𝐵 B 𝐴𝑌 :𝑌𝐵=2 :3 𝐵
𝒃
𝑋 𝒃
𝑌
𝑂 𝒂 𝐴 𝑂 𝒂 𝐴

⃗ 2 ⃗
𝑂𝑌=𝒂+ 𝐴𝐵
5
Exercise 2 (on provided sheet)

1 is a point such that 3

a. ?
b.
c.
?
d. ? [June 2009 2H Q23]
? a) Find in terms of and .
2 is a point such
?
b) is on such that .
that Show that

a.
b.
?
c. ?
? ?
 Exercise 2 (on provided sheet)

4 [Nov 2010 1H Q27] is the midpoint 5

is a parallelogram. is a
point such that . is a point
of .
such that .

a. ?
b.
c. ?
d. ?
?
6
a) Express in terms of and .
is the midpoint of ,
?
b) Express in terms of and giving
your answer in its simplest form. a. ?
b.
c.
?
d. ?
e. ?
? f.
?
?
Exercise 2 (on provided sheet)

7 8

?
? a. ?
b.
? c. ?
? d. ?
? ?
? 9
?

?
?
?
Recap

?
Types of vector ‘proof’ questions

“Show that … is
parallel to …”

“Prove these two

vectors are equal.”

“Prove that … is
a straight line.”
Showing vectors are equal
Edexcel March 2013

There is nothing
mysterious about this
kind of ‘prove’ question.
Just find any vectors ?
involved, in this case, With proof questions
and . Hopefully they you should restate the
should be equal! thing you are trying to
prove, as a ‘conclusion’.
What do you notice?

𝒂 2𝒂 𝒂+2 𝒃
2 𝒂+4 𝒃

! Vectors are parallel

𝒂 3 ?
if one is a multiple of
− 𝒂
2 another.
Parallel or not parallel?

Vector 1 Vector 2 Parallel?

(in general)


No 
Yes

No 
Yes

No 
Yes

No 
Yes
For ones which are parallel, show it diagrammatically.
How to show two vectors are parallel
𝑨 𝑪

𝒂 𝑿 𝑴
𝑶 𝑩
𝒃
is a point on such that . is the midpoint of .
Show that is parallel to .

For any proof question always find the vectors

involved first, in this case and .
is a multiple of parallel.
The key is to factor out a scalar such
? that we see the same vector.

The magic words here are

“is a multiple of”.
Test Your Understanding
Edexcel June 2011 Q26

𝐴 a) Find in terms of and .

𝑃
2𝒂 ?
𝐵 b) is the point on such that .
Show that is parallel to the vector .
𝑂 3𝒃

?
Bro Exam Note: Notice that the mark
scheme didn’t specifically require “is a
multiple of” here (but write it anyway!), but
DID explicitly factorise out the
Proving three points form a straight line

Points A, B and C form a straight line if:

and are parallel (and B is? a common point).
Alternatively, we could show and are parallel. This tends to be easier.

C
B
A

C
B

A
Straight Line Example

a
− 3 𝒃+ 𝒂?
b
is a multiple of is parallel to .
is a common point.
is a straight line.

is the midpoint of . is the midpoint of .

a) Find in terms of and .
b) Show that is a straight line.
Test Your Understanding
November 2013 1H Q24

and
is the point such that
The point divides in the ratio .

(a) Write an expression for in terms of and .

?
(b) Prove that is a straight line.

is a multiple of and is a common point.

is a straight line.

?
Exercise 3
1 2

is the point on such that . Show is the midpoint of . is the midpoint of .

that is parallel to the vector . Prove that is parallel to .

is a multiple of parallel.

?
?
Exercise 3

3 4

is a parallelogram. is the midpoint of . is , and

the midpoint of . Show that is a straight i) Express in terms of and .
line.
ii) Prove that is parallel to .
which
is a multiple of and is a common point, is a multiple of
so is a straight line. iii) is the point on such that such that . Prove that ,
and lie on the same straight line.

?
Exercise 3
5 6

and and and . is the midpoint of . Prove

is a parallelogram. is the point on such
that . that is a straight line.

i) Find the vector . Give your answer in

terms of and . is a multiple of and is a common point,
therefore is a straight line.

ii) Given that the midpoint of is , prove

that is a straight line.

is a multiple of and is a common point,

therefore is a straight line.