30 Chapter30 546-561-1

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CHAPTER 30
Vectors
In this chapter you will learn how to:
write vectors as column vectors, and find their magnitudes
add and subtract vectors, and multiply a vector by a number
use vectors to prove geometric theorems.
You will also be challenged to:
investigate Queens on a chessboard.
Starter: Knights tours
When a knight moves on a chessboard, it can move two squares in a straight
line and one square at right angles, like this:
A knight can also move one square in a straight line and two squares sideways.
See if you can work out how to move a knight around a chessboard so that it
visits all 64 squares. The first three moves have been done to start you off.
2
1
3
If possible, try to find a route so that the 64th square is a knights hop away
from the first square; this will close the tour so that the knight can get back to
its starting position.
30.1 Introducing vectors
30.1 Introducing vectors

A vector is a quantity that has a magnitude (length) and a direction. Vectors are
3
. You have already
often described using column vector notation such as
5
met column vector notation in Chapter 15. Here are some diagrams to remind
you how the notation works:
[]
3
5
[ ]
2
4
The column vector
y means that the vector

x
can be drawn by going x units to the right

and y units up.
(Negative values indicate left or down.)
[ ]
3
2
[ ]
1
3
The magnitude, or modulus, of a vector is simply its length, regardless of

direction. In simple cases the magnitude of a vector may be seen by inspection,
but often Pythagoras theorem is needed.
EXAMPLE
a) Illustrate the vector a
8 on a square grid.

6
b) Work out the magnitude of the vector a.
SOLUTION
The vector a
8
6
means 6 units to the right (in the x direction)

and 8 units up (in the y direction).
a)
2
82
b) Magnitude of a is 6
36
4
6
100

10
The magnitude of a is its length, so we

can use Pythagoras theorem to find it.
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Chapter 30: Vectors
EXERCISE 30.1
1 The diagram below shows some vectors drawn on a grid of unit squares.
Write down column vectors to describe each one.
a)
b)
c)
d)
h)
f)
e)
g)
j)
i)
2 Draw a sketch of each of these vectors on squared paper.

7
4
5
a)
b)
c)
1
6
5

3 Calculate the magnitude of each of the following vectors:

4
5
9
24
b)
c)
d)
a)
3
12
12
7

d)
3
2
e)
4
7.5
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30.2 Adding and subtracting vectors
30.2 Adding and subtracting vectors

You can add two vectors using simple arithmetic. For example:
75
1 3 1 3 4
7
12
Subtraction is done in a similar way. For example:

82
4 3 4 3 7

8
Geometrically, addition corresponds to placing the two vectors head to tail like
this:
[ ]
12
4
The sum of the two vectors is called

the resultant.
[]
5
3
[]
7
1
Vectors are often named using letter a, b, c, etc. The letters are usually
underlined if written by hand, but they are in bold type in examination papers
and textbooks.
EXAMPLE
The vectors a, b and c are given by a
a) a b
Work out:
1, b 3 and c 2

6
b) a c
c) a b c
SOLUTION
62
a) a b
1 3 1 3 2
b) a c
1 2 1 2 1
c) a b c
64
624
1 3 2 1 3 2 0

6
549
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Chapter 30: Vectors

To find the negative of a vector, just reverse the signs of the numbers.
For example, if a
5
2 then a 2

5
When drawn on a grid, the vector a will be parallel to the vector a, but will
point in the opposite direction.
EXAMPLE
Given that p
1 and q 1, work out:

6
a) p q
b) p q
Illustrate your answers graphically.
SOLUTION
a) p q
1 1 0

6
b) p q
1 1 2

6
q
pq
pq
q
EXERCISE 30.2
3
5, b 8 and c 2.

2
Work out each of these as a column vector. Illustrate your answer with a diagram.
1 ab
2 bc
5 Work out a c b
3 ac
4 cb
6 Work out b a c
6 The vectors p, q and r are given by p
1, q 4 and r 5.

2
Work out each of these as a column vector. Illustrate your answer with a diagram.
7 pq
8 qr
11 Work out p q r
9 rp
12 Work out p r q
13 You are given that
6 x 9. Find the value of x.
6 1 y. Find the values of x and y.
y 3 12. Find the values of x and y.
10 r q
13 31
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30.3 Multiplying a vector by a number (scalar multiplication)
30.3 Multiplying a vector by a number (scalar multiplication)

You can multiply a vector by an ordinary number, say k. The direction of the
vector remains unaltered, but the magnitude is changed by factor k.
For example, 3
32
1 3 1 3
2
[]
[]
2
1
6
3
Questions about multiplication are often combined with addition and

subtraction.
EXAMPLE
1, b 2 and c 5

3
a) Work out 3a. Give your answer as a column vector.

b) Work out 2a c. Give your answer as a column vector.
Illustrate with a diagram.
c) Work out 4a 3b 2c.
SOLUTION
b)
33
1 3 1 3

3
1
6
1
5
2a c 2
1 5 2 5 7
a) 3a 3
[ ]
6
2
[ ]
5
7
c) 4a 3b 2c 4
[ ]
1
5
1 32 25 4 6 10 0

3
12
12
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Chapter 30: Vectors
EXERCISE 30.3
1
2, b 5 and c 1

4
Work out:
1 3a
2 2b c
3 a 3c
4 3c 5b
5 4a 5b
6 2a 4c
The vectors p, q and r are given by p
2
5, q 4 and r 1

0
Work out:
8 3r
7 5p
9 2r 3p
10 4p 2q r
11 5r 3q
12 2p 3r q
13 You are given that 3
3 x 6. Find the value of x.
4 25 y. Find the values of x and y.
5 2y 18. Find the values of x and y.
20
30.4 Using vectors

You can use vectors to solve geometric problems, and to prove some theorems
about parallel lines. If one vector is a (scalar) multiple of another, then the two
vectors must be parallel. The size of the multiple will tell you the scale factor.
In these problems it is often helpful to use AB, for example, to represent the
vector that would translate you from A to B. You can always rewrite the vector
if you need to travel via an intermediate point P:
AB AP PB
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30.4 Using vectors
EXAMPLE
ABCD is a parallelogram. AB p, BC q.
q
Find, in terms of p and q, expressions for:
b) AC
a) BA
c) BD
SOLUTION
a) BA AB
p
b) AC AB BC
pq
c) BD BA AD
p q
EXAMPLE
A
The diagram shows a triangle ABC.

M is the midpoint of AB and
N is the midpoint of AC.
AM p and AN q.
a) Find an expression for MN in terms of p and q.
b) Find an expression for BC in terms of p and q.

c) Use your results from a) and b) to prove that MN is parallel to BC.
SOLUTION
a) MN MA AM
AM AN
(p) q
p q
b) BC BA AC
(2p) 2q
2p 2q
c) BC 2p 2q
2(p q)
2 MN
Therefore BC is parallel to MN
To get MN in terms of p and q, go from

M to N via the point A.
MA has the same length as AM

but points
in the opposite direction, so MA AM
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Chapter 30: Vectors
Some exam questions might refer to a line being divided in a certain ratio.
For example, you might be told that X is the point on AB for which
AX : XB 2 : 1. This simply means that AX is twice as long as XB, so that
X is two-thirds of the way along AB.
EXAMPLE
The diagram shows a parallelogram ABCD. AB 6p and BC 6q.

6q
C
Y
6p
A
X
X is the point on AD for which AX : XD 1 : 2

Y is the point on DC for which DY : YC 2 : 1
a) AC
b) AD
c) DC
d) XD
e) DY
f) XY
Hence prove that AC is parallel to XY.
SOLUTION
a) AC AB BC
6p 6q
b) AD BC since they are opposite sides of the parallelogram
6q
c) DC AB since they are opposite sides of the parallelogram
6p
d) XD 3 AD
2
3 6q
4q
e) DY 3 DC
2
3 6p
4p
f) XY XD DY
4q 4p
4p 4q
Now AC 6p 6q = 6(p q)
and XY 4p 4q = 4(p q)
Thus AC 1.5 XY, and therefore AC is parallel to XY
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30.4 Using vectors
EXERCISE 30.4
1 The
diagram
shows two squares ABXY and CDYX.
AB p and AY q.
X
b) AX
a) BX
c) AD
d) AC
2 The
diagram
shows a trapezium PQRS.
PQ a and QR b.
PS is twice the length of QR.
b
a) QP
b) PR
c) PS
d) QS
1
3 The
diagram
shows a triangle ABC. AP 3AB, and AQ 3AC.
AP p and AQ q.
A
p
P
q
Q
a) Find, in terms of p and q, expressions for:
(ii) AB
(iii) AC
(iv) BC
(i) PQ
b) Use your results from a) to prove that PQ is parallel to BC.
4 A quadrilateral ABCD is made by joining points A (1, 1), B (5, 8), C (11, 11) and D (7, 4).
a) Write column vectors for:
(i) AB
(ii) DC
b) What do your answers to part a) tell you about AB and DC?
c) Write column vectors for:
(i) BC
(ii) AD
d) What kind of quadrilateral is ABCD?
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Chapter 30: Vectors

5 The
diagram
shows a parallelogram PQRS.
PQ a and PS b.
E is the mid-point of QS.
Q
a
E
a) Find, in terms of a and b:
(ii) QE
(iii) PE
(i) QS
b) Explain why SR a.
c) Find PR in terms of a and b.

d) What can you deduce about the diagonals of a parallelogram?
6 A quadrilateral ABCD is made by joining A (3, 3), B (9, 3), C (3, 7) and D (1, 5).
a) Write column vectors for:
(i) AB
(ii) DC
b) What do your answers to part a) tell you about AB and DC?
c) What kind of quadrilateral is ABCD?
7 The
diagram
shows a quadrilateral
PQRS.
PQ 2a, PS 2b and SR 2c.

E, F, G and H are the mid-points of PQ, PS, SR and QR respectively.
Q
R
H
2a
E
2c
F
P
2b
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Explain why QR 2a 2b 2c.
Find EH in terms of a, b and c.
Find FG in terms of a, b and c.

What can you deduce about the line segments EH and FG?
What type of quadrilateral is EFGH?
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Review exercise 30
REVIEW EXERCISE 30
1 Given that 3
5 4 y, find the values of x and y.

x
16
2 P is the point (5, 4) and Q is the point (1, 12).
a) Write PQ and QP as column vectors.
b) Work out the length of the vector PQ.

3 A is the point (2, 3) and B is the point (2, 0).
a) (i) Write AB as a column vector.
(ii) Find the length of the vector AB.
0
and the length of AD the length of AB.
D is the point such that BD is parallel to
1
O is the point (0, 0).
b) Find OD as a column vector.

C is a point such that ABCD is a rhombus. AC is a diagonal of the rhombus.
c) Find the coordinates of C.
[Edexcel]
4 OPQ is a triangle.
R is the midpoint of OP.
S is the midpoint of PQ.
OP p and OQ q.
P
Diagram not
accurately drawn
p
R
a) Find OS in terms of p and q.

b) Show that RS is parallel to OQ.
[Edexcel]
5 OPQ is a triangle.
T
is the point
on PQ for which PT : TQ 2 : 1.
OP a and OQ b.
Q
T
Diagram not
accurately drawn
a) Write down, in terms of a and b, an expression for PQ.
b) Express OT in terms of a and b. Give your answer in its simplest form.
[Edexcel]
557
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Chapter 30: Vectors

6 OABC is a parallelogram.
2
P is the point on AC such that AP 3AC.
OA 6a and OC 6c.
A
Diagram not
accurately drawn
6a
P
6c
a) Find the vector OP . Give your answer in terms of a and c.

The midpoint of CB is M.
b) Prove that OPM is a straight line.
[Edexcel]
7 PQRS is a parallelogram.
T is the midpoint of QR.
U is the point on SR for which SU : UR 1 : 2.
PQ a and PS b.
U
S
Diagram not
accurately drawn
b
T
Write down, in terms of a and b, expressions for:
a) PT
b) TU
[Edexcel]
8 ABCD is a quadrilateral.
C
Diagram not
accurately drawn
M
c
D
L
N
b
A
K is the midpoint of AB. L is the midpoint of BC.

M is the midpoint of CD. N is the midpoint of AD.
AK a, AN b and DM c
a) Find, in terms of a, b and c, the vectors:
(ii) AC
(iii) BC
(iv) LM
(i) KN
b) Write down two geometrical facts about the lines KN and LM which could be deduced
from your answers to part a).
[Edexcel]
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Review exercise 30
9 The diagram shows a regular hexagon ABCDEF with centre O.
A
6a
F
Diagram not
accurately drawn
X
6b
OA 6a and OB 6b.
a) Express in terms of a and/or b.
(i) AB
(ii) EF
X is the midpoint
of BC.
b) Express EX in terms of a and/or b.

Y is the point on AB extended, such that AB : BY 3 : 2.
c) Prove that E, X and Y lie on the same straight line.
[Edexcel]
10 OPQR is a trapezium. PQ is parallel to OR. OP b, PQ 2a, OR 6a.

M is the midpoint of PQ. N is the midpoint of OR.
2a
Diagram not
accurately drawn
M
b
N
O
6a
a) Find, in terms of a and b, the vectors:
(i) OM
(ii) MN
X is the midpoint of MN.
b) Find, in terms of a and b, the vector OX.

The lines OX and PQ are extended to meet at the point Y.
c) Find, in terms of a and b, the vector NY.

11 The vector a
2 and the vector b 4a.

1.5
a) Work out the magnitude of vector a.

b) Hence write down the magnitude of vector b.
12 PQ has magnitude 6 cm, and PR 3 PQ.
a) What can you deduce about the directions of the vectors PQ and PR?
b) Find the magnitude of the vector PR.
[Edexcel]
559
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Chapter 30: Vectors
Key points
1 A vector has a direction and a length, or magnitude. Vectors are usually written in
4
, which represents a translation of 4 units in the
column form, such as
6
x direction and 6 in the y direction.
2 Vectors are often used in examination questions to prove geometric theorems. The
method is to use given base vectors a, b, c, etc. and then express other lines in
terms of these, for example 2a b.
3 Two vectors will be parallel if one is a scalar multiple of the other. For example,
6a 3b is parallel to 2a b, since 6a 3b 3 (2a b)
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Internet Challenge 30
Internet Challenge 30
Queens on a chessboard
Here is another chessboard problem.
The Queen is the most powerful piece on a chessboard. A Queen can attack any squares in a straight line
from it, forwards, backwards, left, right or diagonal. The diagram below shows this in green for one
position of the Queen:
Place eight Queens on a chessboard so that no two Queens attack each other.
You may want to use squared paper to record your attempts. This problem does have more than one solution.
Once you have solved it, you might want to use the internet to help answer the following questions.
1
How many different distinct solutions does this problem have?
How many solutions are there in which no three Queens lie on an oblique line?
What is a Latin square? Is this a Latin square problem?
How many knights can be placed on a chessboard so that no knight attacks any other?
How about bishops?
Obviously it is not possible to place nine Queens on a board without at least two Queens attacking each
other. (Why not?) There is, however, a nine Queens problem:
Place nine Queens and one pawn on a chessboard so that no two Queens attack each other.
6
Try to solve the nine Queens problem. Use the internet if you get stuck.
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30.1 Introducing vectors

30.1 Introducing vectors

The column vector

y means that the vector

can be drawn by going x units to the right

The magnitude, or modulus, of a vector is simply its length, regardless of

8 on a square grid.

b) Work out the magnitude of the vector a.

means 6 units to the right (in the x direction)

The magnitude of a is its length, so we

Chapter 30: Vectors

2 Draw a sketch of each of these vectors on squared paper.

3 Calculate the magnitude of each of the following vectors:

30.2 Adding and subtracting vectors

30.2 Adding and subtracting vectors

Subtraction is done in a similar way. For example:

4 3 4 3 7

The sum of the two vectors is called

1, b 3 and c 2

1 3 1 3 2

1 2 1 2 1

1 3 2 1 3 2 0

Chapter 30: Vectors

2 then a 2

1 and q 1, work out:

1 1 0

1 1 2

5, b 8 and c 2.

6 The vectors p, q and r are given by p

1, q 4 and r 5.

13 You are given that

6 x 9. Find the value of x.

14 You are given that

6 1 y. Find the values of x and y.

15 You are given that

y 3 12. Find the values of x and y.

30.3 Multiplying a vector by a number (scalar multiplication)

30.3 Multiplying a vector by a number (scalar multiplication)

Questions about multiplication are often combined with addition and

1, b 2 and c 5

a) Work out 3a. Give your answer as a column vector.

1 3  1 3

1 32 25 4 6 10 0

Chapter 30: Vectors

2, b 5 and c 1

The vectors p, q and r are given by p

5, q 4 and r 1

13 You are given that 3

3 x 6. Find the value of x.

14 You are given that 3

4 25 y. Find the values of x and y.

15 You are given that 4

5 2y 18. Find the values of x and y.

30.4 Using vectors

30.4 Using vectors

Find, in terms of p and q, expressions for:

The diagram shows a triangle ABC.

a) Find an expression for MN in terms of p and q.

b) Find an expression for BC in terms of p and q.

To get MN in terms of p and q, go from

MA has the same length as AM

in the opposite direction, so MA AM

1 3 1 3

Thus AC 1.5 XY, and therefore AC is parallel to XY

12 PQ has magnitude 6 cm, and PR 3 PQ.