C4 Vectors Exam Questions

[C4 June 2014(R) Q6]

1. With respect to a fixed origin, the point A with position vector i + 2j + 3k lies on the line l1
with equation
1 0

r 2 2 , where is a scalar parameter,

3 1

and the point B with position vector 4i + pj + 3k, where p is a constant, lies on the line l2 with
equation

7 3

r 0 5 , where is a scalar parameter.

7 4

(a) Find the value of the constant p. (1)

(b) Show that l1 and l2 intersect and find the position vector of their point of
intersection, C. (4)
(c) Find the size of the angle ACB, giving your answer in degrees to 3 significant figures.(3)
(d) Find the area of the triangle ABC, giving your answer to 3 significant figures. (2)

[C4 Jan 2014(I) Q8]

2. With respect to a fixed origin O, the lines l1 and l2 are given by the equations

2 1 2 5

l1 : r 3 2 , l2 : r 3 2
4 1 4 5

where and are scalar parameters.

(a) Find, to the nearest 0.1, the acute angle between l1 and l2. (3)
0
The point A has position vector 1 .
6

(b) Show that A lies on l1. (1)

The lines l1 and l2 intersect at the point X.

(c) Write down the coordinates of X. (1)
(d) Find the exact value of the distance AX. (2)

The distinct points B1 and B2 both lie on the line l2.

Given that AX = XB1 = XB2,

(e) find the area of the triangle AB1B2 giving your answer to 3 significant figures. (3)

Given that the x coordinate of B1 is positive,

(f) find the exact coordinates of B1 and the exact coordinates of B2. (5)
[C4 June 2013 Q8]
3. With respect to a fixed origin O, the line l has equation

13 2

r 8 2 , where is a scalar parameter.

1 1

The point A lies on l and has coordinates (3, 2, 6).

The point P has position vector (pi + 2pk) relative to O, where p is a constant.

Given that vector PA is perpendicular to l,

(a) find the value of p. (4)

Given also that B is a point on l such that <BPA = 45,

(b) find the coordinates of the two possible positions of B. (5)

[C4 June 2013(R) Q6]

4. Relative to a fixed origin O, the point A has position vector 21i 17j + 6k and the point B has
position vector 25i 14j + 18k.
The line l has vector equation

a 6

r b c

10 1

where a, b and c are constants and is a parameter.

Given that the point A lies on the line l,

(a) find the value of a. (3)

Given also that the vector AB is perpendicular to l,

(b) find the values of b and c, (5)

(c) find the distance AB. (2)

The image of the point B after reflection in the line l is the point B.
(d) Find the position vector of the point B. (2)

[C4 June 2012 Q8]

5. Relative to a fixed origin O, the point A has position vector (10i + 2j + 3k), and the point B has
position vector (8i + 3j + 4k).

The line l passes through the points A and B.

(a) Find the vector AB . (2)

(b) Find a vector equation for the line l. (2)

The point C has position vector (3i + 12j + 3k).

The point P lies on l. Given that the vector CP is perpendicular to l,
 (c) find the position vector of the point P. (6)
[C4 Jan 2012 Q7]
6. Relative to a fixed origin O, the point A has position vector (2i j + 5k),
the point B has position vector (5i + 2j + 10k),
and the point D has position vector (i + j + 4k).

The line l passes through the points A and B.

(a) Find the vector AB . (2)
(b) Find a vector equation for the line l. (2)
(c) Show that the size of the angle BAD is 109, to the nearest degree. (4)
The points A, B and D, together with a point C, are the vertices of the parallelogram ABCD,
where AB = DC .
(d) Find the position vector of C. (2)
(e) Find the area of the parallelogram ABCD, giving your answer to 3 significant figures. (3)
(f) Find the shortest distance from the point D to the line l, giving your answer to 3 significant
figures. (2)

[C4 June 2011 Q6]

7. With respect to a fixed origin O, the lines l1 and l2 are given by the equations

6 1 5 2

l1 : r = 3 + 2 , l2: r = 15 + 3 ,
2 3 3 1

where and are scalar parameters.

(a) Show that l1 and l2 meet and find the position vector of their point of intersection A. (6)
(b) Find, to the nearest 0.1, the acute angle between l1 and l2. (3)
5

The point B has position vector 1 .
1

(c) Show that B lies on l1. (1)

(d) Find the shortest distance from B to the line l2, giving your answer to 3 significant
figures. (4)

[C4 Jan 2011 Q4]

8. Relative to a fixed origin O, the point A has position vector i 3j + 2k and the point B has
position vector 2i + 2j k. The points A and B lie on a straight line l.

(a) Find AB . (2)

(b) Find a vector equation of l. (2)

The point C has position vector 2i + pj 4k with respect to O, where p is a constant.

Given that AC is perpendicular to l, find

(c) the value of p, (4)

(d) the distance AC. (2)
[C4 June 2010 Q7]
2 1

9. The line l1 has equation r = 3 2 , where is a scalar parameter.
4 1

0 5

The line l 2 has equation r = 9 0 , where is a scalar parameter.
3 2

Given that l1 and l 2 meet at the point C, find
(a) the coordinates of C. (3)

The point A is the point on l1 where = 0 and the point B is the point on l 2 where = 1.

(b) Find the size of the angle ACB. Give your answer in degrees to 2 decimal places. (4)
(c) Hence, or otherwise, find the area of the triangle ABC. (5)

[C4 Jan 2010 Q4]

10. The line l1 has vector equation
6 4

r = 4 + 1
1 3

and the line l2 has vector equation
6 3

r = 4 + 4
1 1

where and are parameters.

The lines l1 and l2 intersect at the point A and the acute angle between l1 and l2 is .

(a) Write down the coordinates of A. (1)

(b) Find the value of cos . (3)

The point X lies on l1 where = 4.

(c) Find the coordinates of X. (1)

(d) Find the vector AX . (2)
(e) Hence, or otherwise, show that AX = 426. (2)

The point Y lies on l2. Given that the vector YX is perpendicular to l1,

(f) find the length of AY, giving your answer to 3 significant figures. (3)
[C4 June 2009 Q7]
11. Relative to a fixed origin O, the point A has position vector (8i + 13j 2k), the point B has
position vector (10i + 14j 4k), and the point C has position vector (9i + 9j + 6k).

The line l passes through the points A and B.

(a) Find a vector equation for the line l. (3)

(b) Find CB . (2)
(c) Find the size of the acute angle between the line segment CB and the line l, giving your
answer in degrees to 1 decimal place. (3)
(d) Find the shortest distance from the point C to the line l. (3)

The point X lies on l. Given that the vector CX is perpendicular to l,

(e) find the area of the triangle CXB, giving your answer to 3 significant figures. (3)

[C4 Jan 2009 Q4]

12. With respect to a fixed origin O the lines l1 and l2 are given by the equations

11 2 5 q

l1 : r = 2 + 1 l2 : r = 11 + 2
17 4 p 2

where and are parameters and p and q are constants. Given that l1 and l2 are perpendicular,

(a) show that q = 3. (2)

Given further that l1 and l2 intersect, find

(b) the value of p, (6)

(c) the coordinates of the point of intersection. (2)

9

The point A lies on l1 and has position vector 3 . The point C lies on l2.
13

Given that a circle, with centre C, cuts the line l1 at the points A and B,
(d) find the position vector of B. (3)

[C4 June 2008 Q6]

13. With respect to a fixed origin O, the lines l1 and l2 are given by the equations
l1 : r = (9i + 10k) + (2i + j k)
l2 : r = (3i + j + 17k) + (3i j + 5k)

where and are scalar parameters.

(a) Show that l1 and l2 meet and find the position vector of their point of intersection. (6)
(b) Show that l1 and l2 are perpendicular to each other. (2)

The point A has position vector 5i + 7j + 3k.

 (c) Show that A lies on l1. (1)

The point B is the image of A after reflection in the line l2.

(d) Find the position vector of B. (3)

[C4 Jan 2008 Q6]

14. The points A and B have position vectors 2i + 6j k and 3i + 4j + k respectively.

The line l1 passes through the points A and B.

(a) Find the vector AB . (2)

(b) Find a vector equation for the line l1 . (2)

A second line l 2 passes through the origin and is parallel to the vector i + k. The line l1 meets
the line l 2 at the point C.
(c) Find the acute angle between l1 and l 2 . (3)
(d) Find the position vector of the point C. (4)

[C4 June 2007 Q5]

1 1

15. The line l1 has equation r = 0 + 1 .
1 0

1 2

The line l2 has equation r = 3 + 1 .
6 1

(a) Show that l1 and l2 do not meet. (4)
The point A is on l1 where = 1, and the point B is on l2 where = 2.

(b) Find the cosine of the acute angle between AB and l1. (6)

[C4 Jan 2007 Q7]

16. The point A has position vector a = 2i + 2j + k and the point B has position vector
b = i + j 4k, relative to an origin O.

(a) Find the position vector of the point C, with position vector c, given by c = a + b. (1)
(b) Show that OACB is a rectangle, and find its exact area. (6)
The diagonals of the rectangle, AB and OC, meet at the point D.

(c) Write down the position vector of the point D. (1)

(d) Find the size of the angle ADC. (6)
[C4 June 2006 Q5]
17. The point A, with coordinates (0, a, b) lies on the line l1, which has equation

r = 6i + 19j k + (i + 4j 2k).

(a) Find the values of a and b. (3)

The point P lies on l1 and is such that OP is perpendicular to l1, where O is the origin.
(b) Find the position vector of point P. (6)

Given that B has coordinates (5, 15, 1),

(c) show that the points A, P and B are collinear and find the ratio AP : PB. (4)

[C4 Jan 2006 Q6]

18. The line l1 has vector equation

r = 8i + 12j + 14k + (i + j k),

where is a parameter.

The point A has coordinates (4, 8, a), where a is a constant. The point B has coordinates
(b, 13, 13), where b is a constant. Points A and B lie on the line l1.

(a) Find the values of a and b. (3)

Given that the point O is the origin, and that the point P lies on l1 such that OP is perpendicular
to l1,

(b) find the coordinates of P. (5)

(b) Hence find the distance OP, giving your answer as a simplified surd. (2)

[C4 June 2005 Q7]

3 1

19. The line l1 has vector equation r = 1 + 1
2 4

0 1

and the line l2 has vector equation r = 4 + 1 , where and are parameters.
2 0

The lines l1 and l2 intersect at the point B and the acute angle between l1 and l2 is .
(a) Find the coordinates of B. (4)
(b) Find the value of cos , giving your answer as a simplified fraction. (4)

The point A, which lies on l1, has position vector a = 3i + j + 2k.

The point C, which lies on l2, has position vector c = 5i j 2k.
The point D is such that ABCD is a parallelogram.
(c) Show that AB = BC . (3)
(d) Find the position vector of the point D. (2)
Solutions
Question 1
Question 2

(Note: Easier alternative for (f): If we convert () into a unit vector, i.e. (), then moving by this vector will




go a distance of 1. That means we want () () to get and .)


Question 3
Question 4
Question 5
Question 6
Question 7
Question 8

Question 9
Question 10
Question 11
Question 12
Question 13
Question 14
Question 15
Question 16
Question 17
Question 18
Question 19