GCSE Vectors 4. Write each vector in terms of 𝑎 and/or 𝑏.

Test Your Understanding

𝑋 𝑌
Exercise 1 (Basic Addition/Subtraction) 𝒃
2𝒃
1. State the value of each vector. 𝑊
𝒂
𝑍
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
a. 𝑍𝑋
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
b. 𝑌𝑊
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
c. 𝑋𝑌
d. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑋𝑍 ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ in terms of 𝒂 and 𝒃.
a) Find 𝐴𝐵
5. 𝐴𝐵𝐶𝐷𝐸𝐹 is a regular hexagon with centre b) 𝑃 is a point on 𝐴𝐵 such that 𝐴𝑃: 𝑃𝐵 = 3: 1.
𝑂. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ = 𝒃.
𝐹𝐴 = 𝒂 and 𝐹𝐵 Find ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑂𝑃 in terms of 𝑎 and 𝑏, giving your
𝐴 𝐵 answer in its simplest form.

𝒂 𝒃
Further Examples
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
A) Determine 𝐴𝑋
𝐹 𝑂 𝐶
2. Write each vector in terms of 𝑎 and/or 𝑏.
𝑎 𝐵
𝐴
𝐸 𝐷
𝑏
Express in terms of 𝒂 and/or 𝒃:

𝐶 a. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐴𝐵 b. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐹𝑂 c. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐴𝑂 d. 𝐹𝐷
𝐷 2𝑎
Lesson 2 Examples
a. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐵𝐴 ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
b. 𝐴𝐶 c. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐷𝐵 d. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐴𝐷 ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
B) Determine 𝑂𝑌

3. Write each vector in terms of 𝑎 and/or 𝑏.

𝐾 𝐿
𝑎
𝑏
𝑃𝑄𝑅𝑆 is a parallelogram. 𝑁 is on 𝑆𝑄 such that
𝑁 𝑀 𝑆𝑁: 𝑁𝑄 = 3: 2.
3𝑎
a. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑀𝐾 b. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑁𝐿 c. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑁𝐾 d. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐾𝑁 a) Write an expression for ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑆𝑄 in terms of 𝒂, 𝒃.
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ in terms of 𝒂 and 𝒃.
b) Express 𝑁𝑅

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Exercise 2 (Using Ratios) 4. [Nov 2010 1H Q27] 𝑀 is the midpoint of 𝑂𝑃. 7. 𝑂𝐴𝐶𝐵 is a parallelogram. 𝑀 is the midpoint of
𝐴𝐵. 𝑋 is a point such that 𝐵𝑋: 𝑋𝐶 = 1: 2.
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ = 𝑎 and 𝑂𝐵
1. In the following diagram 𝑂𝐴 ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ = 𝑏.
Determine:
𝑋 is a point such that 𝐴𝑋: 𝑋𝐵 = 1: 4 𝐴 𝐶
𝐴 𝒂 𝑀
𝑋
𝒂 𝑋
𝒃 𝐵
a) Express ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑂𝑀 in terms of 𝒂 and 𝒃. 𝑂
𝑂 𝐵 ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ in terms of 𝒂 and 𝒃 giving your
𝒃 b) Express 𝑇𝑀
a. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐴𝐵 b. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐵𝐶 c. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑀𝐵 d. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑀𝑋
What is: answer in its simplest form.
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ f. 𝐶𝑀
e. 𝑋𝐴 ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ g. 𝑋𝑂
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ b. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
a. 𝐴𝐵 𝐴𝑋 c. 𝑂𝑋 ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ d. 𝐵𝑋
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ 5. 𝑂𝐴𝐶𝐵 is a parallelogram. 𝑅 is a point such that 8. 𝑀 is the midpoint of 𝐵𝐶.
2. Again 𝑂𝐴⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ = 𝑎 and 𝑂𝐵
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ = 𝑏. 𝑌 is a point such 𝐴𝑅: 𝑅𝐵 = 2: 3. 𝑆 is a point such that 𝐵𝑆: 𝑆𝐶 = 𝒂+𝒃 𝐶
that 𝑌𝐵 = 2𝐴𝑌 1: 3. Determine: 𝐴
𝐴 𝐴 𝐶
𝑌 𝑅 𝑀
𝒂 𝒂 𝒂
𝑆 𝟐𝒃
𝑂 𝐵
𝑂 𝐵 𝑂 𝐵
𝒃 𝒃 Determine the vectors:
What is: ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ b. 𝐵𝑆
a. 𝑂𝑅 ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ c. 𝑂𝑆
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ d. 𝑅𝑆
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ a. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑂𝐵 b. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ d. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐵𝐶 c. 𝐴𝑀 𝑂𝑀
a. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐴𝑌 c. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑂𝑌 d. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑌𝑂 6. In the diagram, 𝑀 is the midpoint of 𝐶𝐷,
3. [June 2009 2H Q23] 𝐵𝑃: 𝑃𝑀 = 2: 1, ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗𝐴𝐵 = 𝑥, and 𝐴𝐶⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ = 𝑦 and 9. In the following diagram, 𝑋 is a point such that
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ in terms of 𝒂 and 𝒃.
a) Find 𝐴𝐵 ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ = 𝑧. Express each of (a) to (f) in terms of 𝑥,
𝐴𝐷 𝑂𝑋: 𝑋𝐵 = 1: 3.
b) 𝑃 is on 𝐴𝐵 such that 𝐴𝑃: 𝑃𝐵 = 3: 2. 𝑦 and 𝑧. 𝐵 𝐴
2𝒃 − 2𝒂
1
Show that ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑂𝑃 = (2𝒂 + 3𝒃) 𝐵 𝐶
5 𝒂
𝒃
𝑃
𝒙 𝒚 𝑀 𝑋

𝐶 𝑂
𝐴 𝒛 𝐷
a. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑂𝐶 b. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑋𝐶 c. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐴𝑋
a. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐷𝐶 b. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ d. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐷𝑀 c. 𝐴𝑀 𝐵𝑀
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
e. 𝐵𝑃 f. 𝐴𝑃

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Lesson 3 Examples Test Your Understanding [June 2011 Q26] Test Your Understanding [Nov 2013 1H Q24]

Example 1: March 2013 1H Q26

a. Find ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐴𝐵 in terms of 𝒂 and 𝒃. ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑂𝐴 = 𝑎 and ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ =
𝑂𝐵 = 𝑏. 𝐷 is the point such that 𝐴𝐶
b. 𝑃 is the point on 𝐴𝐵 such that ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ . The point 𝑁 divides 𝐴𝐵 in the ratio 2: 1.
𝐶𝐷
𝐴𝑃: 𝑃𝐵 = 2: 3. Show that ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑂𝑃 is parallel to
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ in terms of 𝑎 and 𝑏.
(a) Write an expression for 𝑂𝑁
the vector 𝒂 + 𝒃.
(b) Prove that 𝑂𝑁𝐷 is a straight line.

Example 3: [November 2012 1H Q28]

⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ in terms of 𝒂 and 𝒃.

a) Express 𝐴𝐵
b) 𝑋 is a point on 𝐴𝐵 such that 𝐴𝑋: 𝑋𝐵 =
2
1: 2. Prove that ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑂𝑋 = ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑂𝑌 .
5

Example 2:

⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐴𝑁 = 2𝒃, ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑁𝑃 = 𝒃

𝐵 is the midpoint of 𝐴𝐶. 𝑀 is the midpoint of 𝑃𝐵.

𝑋 is a point on 𝐴𝐵 such that 𝐴𝑋: 𝑋𝐵 = 3: 1. 𝑀 is a) Find ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗

𝑃𝐵 in terms of 𝑎 and 𝑏.
the midpoint of 𝐵𝐶. Show that ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑋𝑀 is parallel to b) Show that 𝑁𝑀𝐶 is a straight line.
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ .
𝑂𝐶

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Exercise 3 (Proofs) 3. [November 2015 2H Q20] 5.

1. [Nov 2016 2H Q23]

𝑂𝐴𝐵𝐶 is a parallelogram. 𝑃 is the point on 𝐴𝐶 such

𝐴𝐶𝐸𝐹 is a parallelogram. 𝐵 is the midpoint of 2
that 𝐴𝑃 = 𝐴𝐶.
𝐴𝐶. 𝑀 is the midpoint of 𝐵𝐸. Show that 𝐴𝑀𝐷 3
is a straight line. i) Find the vector ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑂𝑃 . Give your answer in terms of
𝑇 is the point on 𝐴𝐵 such that 𝐴𝑇: 𝑇𝐵 = 5: 1. 𝒂 and 𝒄.
Show that 𝑂𝑇 is parallel to the vector 𝒂 + 2𝒃. 4.
ii) Given that the midpoint of 𝐶𝐵 is 𝑀, prove that
𝐶 𝑎 𝐷 1 𝑂𝑃𝑀 is a straight line.
2. [June 2014 1H Q24] 𝑏
2
𝒂−𝒃 𝑀 ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ = 3𝒂 and 𝐴𝑄
6. 𝑂𝐴 ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ = 𝒂 and 𝑂𝐵
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ = 𝒃 and 𝐵𝐶
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ =
1
𝑏 1
𝑋 2 𝒃. 𝑀is the midpoint of 𝑄𝐵. Prove that 𝐴𝑀𝐶 is
2
𝐹 𝐸 a straight line.
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐶𝐷 = 𝒂, ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐷𝐸 = 𝒃 and ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐹𝐶 = 𝒂 − 𝒃 𝑂 𝒃 𝐵 𝐶
1
𝒃
𝑀 is the midpoint of 𝑂𝐴. 𝑁 is the midpoint of 2
i) Express ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝐶𝐸 in terms of 𝒂 and 𝒃. 3𝒂
𝑂𝐵. Prove that 𝐴𝐵 is parallel to 𝑂𝐵. 𝐴
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ is parallel to 𝐶𝐷
ii) Prove that 𝐹𝐸 ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ . 𝑀
iii) 𝑋 is the point on 𝐹𝑀 such that such that 𝒂
𝑄
𝐹𝑋: 𝑋𝑀 = 4: 1. Prove that 𝐶, 𝑋 and 𝐸 lie
on the same straight line.

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