Geometry · Guided Practice

Vectors

15 questions with answers and video solutions. Try each one before revealing the answer.

1
In the diagram below, u\displaystyle \boldsymbol u, v\displaystyle \boldsymbol v and w\displaystyle \boldsymbol w represent AB→\displaystyle \overrightarrow{\textsf{AB}},  BC→\displaystyle \overrightarrow{\textsf{BC}} and AC→\displaystyle \overrightarrow{\textsf{AC}} respectively.

Vector diagram of triangle ABC

Express v\displaystyle \boldsymbol v in terms of u\displaystyle \boldsymbol u and w.\displaystyle \boldsymbol w .

No hints on this one — its full written solution is with the answer.

2
PQRS is a trapezium with RQ→=2SP→.\displaystyle \overrightarrow{\textsf{RQ}} = 2\overrightarrow{\textsf{SP}} .

PQ→\displaystyle \overrightarrow{\textsf{PQ}} and RQ→\displaystyle \overrightarrow{\textsf{RQ}} represent vectors u\displaystyle \boldsymbol u and v\displaystyle \boldsymbol v respectively.

Trapezium PQRS with vectors u and v

(a)  Express RP→\displaystyle \overrightarrow{\textsf{RP}} in terms of u\displaystyle \boldsymbol u and v.\displaystyle \boldsymbol v .
(b)  Express RS→\displaystyle \overrightarrow{\textsf{RS}} in terms of u\displaystyle \boldsymbol u and v.\displaystyle \boldsymbol v . Give your answer in its simplest form.

No hints on this one — its full written solution is with the answer.

3
Given u=(−4−5)\displaystyle \boldsymbol u = \left( \begin{matrix} -4 \\ \phantom{-}5 \end{matrix} \right) and  v=(−3−1)\displaystyle \boldsymbol v = \left( \begin{matrix} \phantom{-}3 \\ -1 \end{matrix} \right), find:
  (a)   u+vG\displaystyle \:\:\ \boldsymbol u + \boldsymbol v \LARGE \phantom{G} \normalsize
  (b)   u−vG\displaystyle \:\:\ \boldsymbol u - \boldsymbol v \LARGE \phantom{G} \normalsize
  (c)   2u−3vG\displaystyle \:\:\ 2\boldsymbol u - 3\boldsymbol v \LARGE \phantom{G} \normalsize
  (d)   12u+vG\displaystyle \:\:\ \frac{1}{2} \boldsymbol u + \boldsymbol v \LARGE \phantom{G} \normalsize

No hints on this one — its full written solution is with the answer.

4
Given p=(−3−2−1)\displaystyle \boldsymbol p = \left( \begin{matrix} \phantom{-}3 \\ -2 \\ \phantom{-}1 \end{matrix} \right) and  q=(−5−0−3)\displaystyle \boldsymbol q = \left( \begin{matrix} \phantom{-}5 \\ \phantom{-}0 \\ -3 \end{matrix} \right), find:
  (a)   2p−qG\displaystyle \:\:\ 2\boldsymbol p - \boldsymbol q \LARGE \phantom{G} \normalsize
  (b)   12(p−q)G\displaystyle \:\:\ \frac{1}{2}\left(\boldsymbol p - \boldsymbol q \right) \LARGE \phantom{G} \normalsize

No hints on this one — its full written solution is with the answer.

5
Find ∣v∣\displaystyle \vert \boldsymbol v \vert, the magnitude of vector v=(−45−28).\displaystyle \boldsymbol v = \left( \begin{matrix} \phantom{-}45 \\ -28 \end{matrix} \right) .

No hints on this one — its full written solution is with the answer.

6
Find ∣r∣\displaystyle \vert \boldsymbol r \vert, the magnitude of vector r=(−8−19−4).\displaystyle \boldsymbol r = \left( \begin{matrix} \phantom{-}8 \\ -19 \\ -4 \end{matrix} \right) .

No hints on this one — its full written solution is with the answer.

7
Find ∣a−b∣\displaystyle \vert \boldsymbol a - \boldsymbol b \vert, where a=(.5..6.)\displaystyle \boldsymbol a = \left( \begin{matrix} \phantom{.}5\phantom{.} \\ \phantom{.}6\phantom{.} \\ \end{matrix} \right) and b=(.9..4.).\displaystyle \boldsymbol b = \left( \begin{matrix} \phantom{.}9\phantom{.} \\ \phantom{.}4\phantom{.} \\ \end{matrix} \right) . Express your answer as a surd in its simplest form.

No hints on this one — its full written solution is with the answer.

8
The diagram shows a rectangular-based pyramid, relative to the coordinate axes.

Rectangular-based pyramid in 3D coordinates

B is the point (8,6,0).

The apex D is directly above the centre of the base.

The height of the pyramid is 7 units.

(a) Express AC→\displaystyle \overrightarrow{\textsf{AC}} in component form.
(b) Express AD→\displaystyle \overrightarrow{\textsf{AD}} in component form.
(c) Determine the exact value of ∣AD→∣.\displaystyle \vert \overrightarrow{\textsf{AD}} \vert.

No hints on this one — its full written solution is with the answer.

9
2016 P2 Q3
1 Mark

The diagram below shows parallelogram ABCD.

Parallelogram ABCD with vectors u and v

AB⃗\displaystyle \vec{AB} represents vector u\displaystyle \mathbf{u} and BC⃗\displaystyle \vec{BC} represents vector v\displaystyle \mathbf{v}.
Express BD⃗\displaystyle \vec{BD} in terms of u\displaystyle \mathbf{u} and v\displaystyle \mathbf{v}.

10
2018 P2 Q10
2 Marks

In the diagram below, AB→\displaystyle \overrightarrow{AB} and EA→\displaystyle \overrightarrow{EA} represent the vectors u\displaystyle \mathbf{u} and w\displaystyle \mathbf{w} respectively.

Vector diagram

∙ED→=2AB→\displaystyle \bullet \quad \overrightarrow{ED}=2\overrightarrow{AB}
∙EA→=2DC→\displaystyle \bullet \quad \overrightarrow{EA}=2\overrightarrow{DC}
Express BC→\displaystyle \overrightarrow{BC} in terms of u\displaystyle \mathbf{u} and w\displaystyle \mathbf{w}.
Give your answer in its simplest form.

11
2019 P1 Q10
(1, 2)3 Marks

In triangle PQR, PR→=(6−4)\displaystyle \overrightarrow{PR}=\begin{pmatrix}6\\ -4\end{pmatrix} and RQ→=(−18).\displaystyle \overrightarrow{RQ}=\begin{pmatrix}-1\\ 8\end{pmatrix}.

Triangle PQR vector diagram

(a)  Express PQ→\displaystyle \overrightarrow{PQ} in component form.

M is the midpoint of PR.
(b)  Express MQ→\displaystyle \overrightarrow{MQ} in component form.

12
2021 P2 Q5

The vectors u\displaystyle \boldsymbol u and v\displaystyle \boldsymbol v are shown in the diagram below.

Vectors u and v on a grid

Find the resultant vector u−v.\displaystyle \boldsymbol u - \boldsymbol v.
Express your answer in component form.

No hints on this one — its full written solution is with the answer.

13
2021 P2 Q17

The triangle ABC is shown below

Triangle ABC with point G

AB→=u\displaystyle \overrightarrow{\textsf{AB}} =\boldsymbol u and AC→=t.\displaystyle \overrightarrow{\textsf{AC}}=\boldsymbol t.
G is the point such that CG = 13\displaystyle \large\frac{1}{3}CB.
Express AG→\displaystyle \overrightarrow{\textsf{AG}} in terms of u\displaystyle \boldsymbol u and t.\displaystyle \boldsymbol t.
Give your answer in simplest form.

No hints on this one — its full written solution is with the answer.

14
2024 P1 Q4
2 Marks

Given a=(34−1)\displaystyle \mathbf{a}=\begin{pmatrix}3\\ 4\\ -1\end{pmatrix} and b=(532)\displaystyle \mathbf{b}=\begin{pmatrix}5\\ 3\\ 2\end{pmatrix}, find the resultant vector 3a+b.\displaystyle 3\mathbf{a}+\mathbf{b}.
Express your answer in component form.

15
2026 P1 Q7
3 Marks
Find ∣d∣\displaystyle |\mathbf{d}|, the magnitude of vector d=(4−57).\displaystyle \mathbf{d}=\begin{pmatrix}4\\ -5\\ 7\end{pmatrix}.
Express your answer as a surd in its simplest form.

Keep practising

More vectors questions

New questions, modelled on past paper questions and checked against their marking instructions. Not reprints — you have not seen these before.

Practice questions courtesy of Maths.scot. Full written solutions are on his site — the links above go straight to them.