CAIE P3 2020 November — Question 11

Exam BoardCAIE
ModuleP3 (Pure Mathematics 3)
Year2020
SessionNovember
TopicVectors: Lines & Planes

11 Two lines have equations \(\mathbf { r } = \mathbf { i } + 2 \mathbf { j } + \mathbf { k } + \lambda ( a \mathbf { i } + 2 \mathbf { j } - \mathbf { k } )\) and \(\mathbf { r } = 2 \mathbf { i } + \mathbf { j } - \mathbf { k } + \mu ( 2 \mathbf { i } - \mathbf { j } + \mathbf { k } )\), where \(a\) is a constant.
  1. Given that the two lines intersect, find the value of \(a\) and the position vector of the point of intersection.
  2. Given instead that the acute angle between the directions of the two lines is \(\cos ^ { - 1 } \left( \frac { 1 } { 6 } \right)\), find the two possible values of \(a\).
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