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Date May 2016 Marks available 4 Reference code 16M.2.hl.TZ2.9
Level HL only Paper 2 Time zone TZ2
Command term Show that Question number 9 Adapted from N/A

Question

OACB is a parallelogram with OA= a and OB= b, where a and b are non-zero vectors.

Show that

(i)     |OC|2=|a|2+2a  b +|b|2;

(ii)     |AB|2=|a|22a  b +|b|2.

[4]
a.

Given that |OC|=|AB|, prove that OACB is a rectangle.

[4]
b.

Markscheme

METHOD 1

|OC|2=OCOC

= (+ b)  (b)     A1

a  a  b  b  b     A1

|a|2 + 2a  |b|2     AG

METHOD 2

|OC|2=|OA|2+|OB|22|OA||OB|cos(OˆAC)    A1

|OA||OB|cos(OˆAC)=(a  b)     A1

|OC|2=|a|2 + 2a  |b|2     AG

(ii)     METHOD 1

|AB|2=ABAB

= (b a)  (b a)     A1

=  b  a a  b + a  a     A1

= |a|2 – 2a  b + |b|2     AG

METHOD 2

|AB|2=|AC|2+|BC|22|AC||BC|cos(AˆCB)    A1

|AC||BC|cos(AˆCB)= a  b     A1

|AB|2=|a |2 2a  b |b|2     AG

[4 marks]

a.

|OC|=|AB||OC|2=|AB|2|a|2+2a b +|b|2=|a|22a b +|b|2     R1(M1)

Note:     Award R1 for |OC|=|AB||OC|2=|AB|2 and (M1) for |a|2+2a b +|b|2=|a|22a b +|b|2.

a  b =0     A1

hence OACB is a rectangle (a and b both non-zero)

with adjacent sides at right angles     R1

Note:     Award R1(M1)A0R1 if the dot product has not been used.

[4 marks]

b.

Examiners report

In part (a), a significant number of candidates either did not use correct vector notation or simply did not use vector notation at all. A large number of candidates who appeared to adopt a scalar product approach, did not use the scalar product ‘dot’ and represented a  b as ab. A few candidates successfully used the cosine rule with correct vector notation. A small number of candidates expressed a and b in general component form. In part (a) (ii), quite a number of candidates expressed AB as a – b rather than as b – a.

a.

In part (b), some very well structured proofs were offered by a small number of candidates.

b.

Syllabus sections

Topic 4 - Core: Vectors » 4.1 » Algebraic and geometric approaches to the sum and difference of two vectors.
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