OCR C4 2008 June — Question 4 7 marks

Exam BoardOCR
ModuleC4 (Core Mathematics 4)
Year2008
SessionJune
Marks7
PaperDownload PDF ↗
TopicVectors 3D & Lines
TypeFoot of perpendicular from origin to line
DifficultyStandard +0.3 This is a standard two-part vectors question requiring routine techniques: finding a line equation from two points (straightforward vector subtraction), then using the perpendicularity condition (dot product = 0) to find a parameter value. While it involves multiple steps, both are textbook procedures with no novel insight required, making it slightly easier than average.
Spec4.04a Line equations: 2D and 3D, cartesian and vector forms4.04c Scalar product: calculate and use for angles

4 Relative to an origin \(O\), the points \(A\) and \(B\) have position vectors \(3 \mathbf { i } + 2 \mathbf { j } + 3 \mathbf { k }\) and \(\mathbf { i } + 3 \mathbf { j } + 4 \mathbf { k }\) respectively.
  1. Find a vector equation of the line passing through \(A\) and \(B\).
  2. Find the position vector of the point \(P\) on \(A B\) such that \(O P\) is perpendicular to \(A B\).

4 Relative to an origin $O$, the points $A$ and $B$ have position vectors $3 \mathbf { i } + 2 \mathbf { j } + 3 \mathbf { k }$ and $\mathbf { i } + 3 \mathbf { j } + 4 \mathbf { k }$ respectively.\\
(i) Find a vector equation of the line passing through $A$ and $B$.\\
(ii) Find the position vector of the point $P$ on $A B$ such that $O P$ is perpendicular to $A B$.

\hfill \mbox{\textit{OCR C4 2008 Q4 [7]}}