Vectors

OCR Stage 10
 A VECTOR?
□ Describes the motion of an object
□ A Vector comprises
□ Direction
□ Magnitude Size
□ We will consider
□ Column Vectors
□ General Vectors
□ Vector Geometry
 Column Vectors
NOTE!
Vector a
Label is in BOLD.

2 up When handwritten,
a draw a wavy line
under the label
a
i.e. ~
4 RIGHT

 4
 
 2
COLUMN Vector
 Column Vectors
Vector b

2 up b

3 LEFT

 3 
2
 

COLUMN Vector?
 Column Vectors
Vector u

n 2 down

4 LEFT

 4 
 2 
 
COLUMN Vector?
 Describe these vectors
 4
1
 
c
b
1
a
 3  2 
   3
 
d
 4 
 3 
 
 Alternative labelling
 F
B D EF
E

AB CD
G
C
A 
GH
H
 General Vectors
A Vector has BOTH a Length & a Direction

All 4 Vectors here are EQUAL in Length and

Travel in SAME Direction. All called k

k can be in any position

 General Vectors

Line CD is Parallel to AB
B
CD is TWICE length of AB
k
A D

2k Line EF is Parallel to AB
E EF is equal in length to AB
C
-k EF is opposite direction to AB
F
 Write these Vectors in terms of k

k B

2k F G
1½k ½k

A C -2k

H
Combining Column Vectors
 2
k   
B 1

CD  3k
AB 2k
AB
k D 
  3 22
AB
CD  21 
1
  64
AB   
CD
 32
A
C
AB
 Simple combinations
C 4
AB   
1 
1 
BC  
3
 
 5
B AC =  
4
A

a  c   a  c 
       
b   d  b  d 
 Vector Geometry
Consider this parallelogram
Q
 
OP  a  RQ
 
P OR  b  PQ
a R Opposite sides are Parallel
  
b OQ  OP  PQ  a+b
O   
OQ  OR  RQ  b+a

a+b  b +a
OQ is known as the resultant of a and b
 Resultant of Two Vectors
□ Is the same, no matter which route is followed
□ Use this to find vectors in geometrical figures
 Example
S is the Midpoint of PQ.
Q

P
.
S
Work out the vector OS

OS  OP  ½ PQ
a R
= a + ½b
b
O
 Alternatively
S is the Midpoint of PQ.
Q

P
.
S
Work out the vector

   

OS

OS  OR  RQ  QS
a R

b
=b +a - ½b
O
= ½b + a
= a + ½b
 C
Example
AC= p, AB = q
p M M is the Midpoint of BC

A q B

Find BC BC = BA + AC
= -q + p
=p-q
 C
Example
AC= p, AB = q
p M M is the Midpoint of BC

A q B

Find BM BM = ½BC

= ½(p – q)
 C
Example
AC= p, AB = q
p M M is the Midpoint of BC

A q B

Find AM AM = AB + ½BC

= q + ½(p – q)
= q +½p - ½q
= ½q +½p = ½(q + p) = ½(p + q)
 Alternatively
C

AC= p, AB = q
p M M is the Midpoint of BC

A q B

Find AM AM = AC + ½CB

= p + ½(q – p)
= p +½q - ½p
= ½p +½q = ½(p + q)