Kinematics with position vectors

Questions involving particles moving with constant velocity, where position vectors are functions of time and collision or closest approach must be determined.

10 questions · Standard +0.6

1.10h Vectors in kinematics: uniform acceleration in vector form
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OCR MEI M1 2015 June Q3
7 marks Moderate -0.3
3 The map of a large area of open land is marked in 1 km squares and a point near the middle of the area is defined to be the origin. The vectors \(\binom { 1 } { 0 }\) and \(\binom { 0 } { 1 }\) are in the directions east and north. At time \(t\) hours the position vectors of two hikers, Ashok and Kumar, are given by: $$\begin{array} { l l } \text { Ashok } & \mathbf { r } _ { \mathrm { A } } = \binom { - 2 } { 0 } + \binom { 8 } { 1 } t , \\ \text { Kumar } & \mathbf { r } _ { \mathrm { K } } = \binom { 7 t } { 10 - 4 t } . \end{array}$$
  1. Prove that the two hikers meet and give the coordinates of the point where this happens.
  2. Compare the speeds of the two hikers.
Edexcel AEA 2022 June Q5
11 marks Challenging +1.8
  1. An aeroplane leaves a runway and moves with a constant speed of \(V \mathrm {~km} / \mathrm { h }\) due north along a straight path inclined at an angle \(\arctan \left( \frac { 3 } { 4 } \right)\) to the horizontal.
A light aircraft is moving due north in a straight horizontal line in the same vertical plane as the aeroplane, at a height of 3 km above the runway. The light aircraft is travelling with a constant speed of \(2 V \mathrm {~km} / \mathrm { h }\).
At the moment the aeroplane leaves the runway, the light aircraft is at a horizontal distance \(d \mathrm {~km}\) behind the aeroplane. Both aircraft continue to move with the same trajectories due north.
  1. Show that the distance, \(D \mathrm {~km}\), between the two aircraft \(t\) hours after the aeroplane leaves the runway satisfies $$D ^ { 2 } = \left( \frac { 6 } { 5 } V t - d \right) ^ { 2 } + \left( \frac { 3 } { 5 } V t - 3 \right) ^ { 2 }$$ Given that the distance between the two aircraft is never less than 2 km ,
  2. find the range of possible values for \(d\).
AQA M3 2007 June Q2
10 marks Standard +0.3
2 The unit vectors \(\mathbf { i } , \mathbf { j }\) and \(\mathbf { k }\) are directed due east, due north and vertically upwards respectively. Two helicopters, \(A\) and \(B\), are flying with constant velocities of \(( 20 \mathbf { i } - 10 \mathbf { j } + 20 \mathbf { k } ) \mathrm { ms } ^ { - 1 }\) and \(( 30 \mathbf { i } + 10 \mathbf { j } + 10 \mathbf { k } ) \mathrm { m } \mathrm { s } ^ { - 1 }\) respectively. At noon, the position vectors of \(A\) and \(B\) relative to a fixed origin, \(O\), are \(( 8000 \mathbf { i } + 1500 \mathbf { j } + 3000 \mathbf { k } ) \mathrm { m }\) and \(( 2000 \mathbf { i } + 500 \mathbf { j } + 1000 \mathbf { k } ) \mathrm { m }\) respectively.
  1. Write down the velocity of \(A\) relative to \(B\).
  2. Find the position vector of \(A\) relative to \(B\) at time \(t\) seconds after noon.
  3. Find the value of \(t\) when \(A\) and \(B\) are closest together.
AQA M3 2010 June Q4
15 marks Standard +0.3
4 The unit vectors \(\mathbf { i } , \mathbf { j }\) and \(\mathbf { k }\) are directed east, north and vertically upwards respectively. At time \(t = 0\), the position vectors of two small aeroplanes, \(A\) and \(B\), relative to a fixed origin \(O\) are \(( - 60 \mathbf { i } + 30 \mathbf { k } ) \mathrm { km }\) and \(( - 40 \mathbf { i } + 10 \mathbf { j } - 10 \mathbf { k } ) \mathrm { km }\) respectively. The aeroplane \(A\) is flying with constant velocity \(( 250 \mathbf { i } + 50 \mathbf { j } - 100 \mathbf { k } ) \mathrm { km } \mathrm { h } ^ { - 1 }\) and the aeroplane \(B\) is flying with constant velocity \(( 200 \mathbf { i } + 25 \mathbf { j } + 50 \mathbf { k } ) \mathrm { km } \mathrm { h } ^ { - 1 }\).
  1. Write down the position vectors of \(A\) and \(B\) at time \(t\) hours.
  2. Show that the position vector of \(A\) relative to \(B\) at time \(t\) hours is \(( ( - 20 + 50 t ) \mathbf { i } + ( - 10 + 25 t ) \mathbf { j } + ( 40 - 150 t ) \mathbf { k } ) \mathrm { km }\).
  3. Show that \(A\) and \(B\) do not collide.
  4. Find the value of \(t\) when \(A\) and \(B\) are closest together.
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AQA M3 2011 June Q4
15 marks Standard +0.3
4 The unit vectors \(\mathbf { i } , \mathbf { j }\) and \(\mathbf { k }\) are directed due east, due north and vertically upwards respectively. A helicopter, \(A\), is travelling in the direction of the vector \(- 2 \mathbf { i } + 3 \mathbf { j } + 6 \mathbf { k }\) with constant speed \(140 \mathrm {~km} \mathrm {~h} ^ { - 1 }\). Another helicopter, \(B\), is travelling in the direction of the vector \(2 \mathbf { i } - \mathbf { j } + 2 \mathbf { k }\) with constant speed \(60 \mathrm {~km} \mathrm {~h} ^ { - 1 }\).
  1. Find the velocity of \(A\) relative to \(B\).
  2. Initially, the position vectors of \(A\) and \(B\) are \(( 4 \mathbf { i } - 2 \mathbf { j } + 3 \mathbf { k } ) \mathrm { km }\) and \(( - 3 \mathbf { i } + 6 \mathbf { j } + 3 \mathbf { k } ) \mathrm { km }\) respectively, relative to a fixed origin. Write down the position vector of \(A\) relative to \(B , t\) hours after they leave their initial positions.
  3. Find the distance between \(A\) and \(B\) when they are closest together.
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Edexcel M4 2002 June Q5
14 marks Challenging +1.2
5. At time \(t = 0\) particles \(P\) and \(Q\) start simultaneously from points which have position vectors \(( \mathbf { i } - 2 \mathbf { j } + 3 \mathbf { k } ) \mathrm { m }\) and \(( - \mathbf { i } + 2 \mathbf { j } - \mathbf { k } ) \mathrm { m }\) respectively, relative to a fixed origin \(O\). The velocities of \(P\) and \(Q\) are \(( \mathbf { i } + 2 \mathbf { j } - \mathbf { k } ) \mathrm { m } \mathrm { s } ^ { - 1 }\) and \(( 2 \mathbf { i } + \mathbf { k } ) \mathrm { m } \mathrm { s } ^ { - 1 }\) respectively.
  1. Show that \(P\) and \(Q\) collide and find the position vector of the point at which they collide. A third particle \(R\) moves in such a way that its velocity relative to \(P\) is parallel to the vector ( \(- 5 \mathbf { i } + 4 \mathbf { j } - \mathbf { k }\) ) and its velocity relative to \(Q\) is parallel to the vector \(( - 2 \mathbf { i } + 2 \mathbf { j } - \mathbf { k } )\). Given that all three particles collide simultaneously, find
    1. the velocity of \(R\),
    2. the position vector of \(R\) at time \(t = 0\).
WJEC Further Unit 3 2019 June Q3
10 marks Standard +0.8
3. The position vectors \(\mathbf { r } _ { A }\) and \(\mathbf { r } _ { B }\), in kilometres, of two small aeroplanes \(A\) and \(B\) relative to a fixed point \(O\) are given by $$\begin{aligned} & \mathbf { r } _ { A } = ( 60 \mathbf { i } + 2 \mathbf { j } + 4 \mathbf { k } ) + ( 168 \mathbf { i } + 132 \mathbf { j } ) t \\ & \mathbf { r } _ { B } = ( 62 \mathbf { i } + 3 \mathbf { k } ) + ( 160 \mathbf { i } + p \mathbf { j } + q \mathbf { k } ) t \end{aligned}$$ where \(t\) denotes the time in hours after 9:00 a.m. and \(p , q\) are constants.
The aeroplanes \(A\) and \(B\) are on course to collide.
  1. Show that \(p = 140\) and \(q = 4\).
  2. Find an expression for the square of the distance between \(A\) and \(B\) at time \(t\) hours after 9:00 a.m.
  3. Both aeroplanes have systems that activate an alarm if they come within 600 m of each other. Determine the time when the alarms are first activated.
Edexcel M1 Q7
Moderate -0.3
7. Two ships \(P\) and \(Q\) are travelling at night with constant velocities. At midnight, \(P\) is at the point with position vector \(( 20 \mathbf { i } + 10 \mathbf { j } ) \mathrm { km }\) relative to a fixed origin \(O\). At the same time, \(Q\) is at the point with position vector \(( 14 \mathbf { i } - 6 \mathbf { j } ) \mathrm { km }\). Three hours later, \(P\) is at the point with position vector \(( 29 \mathbf { i } + 34 \mathbf { j } ) \mathrm { km }\). The ship \(Q\) travels with velocity \(12 \mathbf { j } \mathrm {~km} \mathrm {~h} ^ { - 1 }\). At time \(t\) hours after midnight, the position vectors of \(P\) and \(Q\) are \(\mathbf { p } \mathrm { km }\) and \(\mathbf { q } \mathrm { km }\) respectively. Find
  1. the velocity of \(P\), in terms of \(\mathbf { i }\) and \(\mathbf { j }\),
  2. expressions for \(\mathbf { p }\) and \(\mathbf { q }\), in terms of \(t\), i and \(\mathbf { j }\). At time \(t\) hours after midnight, the distance between \(P\) and \(Q\) is \(d \mathrm {~km}\).
  3. By finding an expression for \(\overrightarrow { P Q }\), show that $$d ^ { 2 } = 25 t ^ { 2 } - 92 t + 292$$ Weather conditions are such that an observer on \(P\) can only see the lights on \(Q\) when the distance between \(P\) and \(Q\) is 15 km or less. Given that when \(t = 1\), the lights on \(Q\) move into sight of the observer,
  4. find the time, to the nearest minute, at which the lights on \(Q\) move out of sight of the observer.
    1. In taking off, an aircraft moves on a straight runway \(A B\) of length 1.2 km . The aircraft moves from \(A\) with initial speed \(2 \mathrm {~m} \mathrm {~s} ^ { - 1 }\). It moves with constant acceleration and 20 s later it leaves the runway at \(C\) with speed \(74 \mathrm {~m} \mathrm {~s} ^ { - 1 }\). Find
    2. the acceleration of the aircraft,
    3. the distance \(B C\).
    4. Two small steel balls \(A\) and \(B\) have mass 0.6 kg and 0.2 kg respectively. They are moving towards each other in opposite directions on a smooth horizontal table when they collide directly. Immediately before the collision, the speed of \(A\) is \(8 \mathrm {~m} \mathrm {~s} ^ { - 1 }\) and the speed of \(B\) is \(2 \mathrm {~m} \mathrm {~s} ^ { - 1 }\). Immediately after the collision, the direction of motion of \(A\) is unchanged and the speed of \(B\) is twice the speed of \(A\). Find
    5. the speed of \(A\) immediately after the collision,
    6. the magnitude of the impulse exerted on \(B\) in the collision.
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    \end{figure}
Edexcel M4 2014 June Q1
8 marks Standard +0.8
A particle \(A\) has constant velocity \((3\mathbf{i} + \mathbf{j})\) m s\(^{-1}\) and a particle \(B\) has constant velocity \((\mathbf{i} - \mathbf{k})\) m s\(^{-1}\). At time \(t = 0\) seconds, the position vectors of the particles \(A\) and \(B\) with respect to a fixed origin \(O\) are \((-6\mathbf{i} + 4\mathbf{j} - 3\mathbf{k})\) m and \((-2\mathbf{i} + 2\mathbf{j} + 3\mathbf{k})\) m respectively.
  1. Show that, in the subsequent motion, the minimum distance between \(A\) and \(B\) is \(4\sqrt{2}\) m. [6]
  2. Find the position vector of \(A\) at the instant when the distance between \(A\) and \(B\) is a minimum. [2]
WJEC Further Unit 3 Specimen Q3
9 marks Challenging +1.2
At time \(t = 0\) s, the position vector of an object \(A\) is \(\mathbf{i}\) m and the position vector of another object \(B\) is \(3\mathbf{i}\) m. The constant velocity vector of \(A\) is \(2\mathbf{i} + 5\mathbf{j} - 4k\) ms\(^{-1}\) and the constant velocity vector of \(B\) is \(\mathbf{i} + 3\mathbf{j} - 5k\) ms\(^{-1}\). Determine the value of \(t\) when \(A\) and \(B\) are closest together and find the least distance between \(A\) and \(B\). [9]