Chapter 3

Vectors
Multiple Choice


On occasion, the notation A
 = [A, ] will be a shorthand notation for


ˆ ˆ
A  A cos  i  A sin j .


 
  
 
1. A 
If  B  12 ˆ
= [15, 80] and  i  16 ˆj , what is the magnitude of 
A  B?
 a. 15
b. 35
  
c. 32
d. 5.0
e. 23

 
 

2.
 
  A
Vectors 
 B
and  C
are shown. What is the magnitude of a vector  if
CA B
 ?

  


a. 46
b. 10
c. 30
d. 78
e. 90

 

3. A  12 ˆ
If  i  16 ˆj and 
B  24 ˆ
i  10 ˆj , what is the magnitude of the

  
 
C  2A  B ?
vector 
a. 42
 
b. 22
 c. 64
d. 90
e. 13

27
 28  CHAPTER 3


 

4. A  12 ˆ
If  i  16 ˆj and 
B  24 ˆ
i  10 ˆj , what is the direction of the

  
 
C  2A  B ?
vector 
a. –49
 
b. –41
 c. –90
d. +49
e. +21

 

5. C = [10 m, 30] and 
If  D = [25 m, 130], what is the magnitude of the sum of
these two vectors?
a. 20 m
 b. 
35 m
c. 15 m
d. 25 m
e. 50 m

 

6. C = [10 m, 30] and 
If  D = [25 m, 130], what is the direction of the sum of
these two vectors?
a. 17
 b. 73 
c. 107
d. 163
e. 100

 

7. B , when added to the vector 
A vector,  C  3ˆi  4 ˆj yields a resultant vector


which is in the positive y direction and has a magnitude equal to that of 

 C.
What is the magnitude of  B?
 a. 
3.2
b. 6.3 
c. 9.5 
d. 18
e. 5

 
 
 

8. B is added to vector 
If vector  A , the result is 6i + j.

 B
If  A
is subtracted from 
, the result is 4 ˆi  7 ˆj . What is the magnitude of  A?
a. 5.1
 b. 4.1   
 
c. 5.4
d. 5.8
e. 8.2
 Vectors  29


 

9.
 C
If 

= [2.5 cm, 80], i.e., the magnitude and direction of 
 
  
 C are 2.5 cm and 80,


D  = [3.5 cm, 120], and 
 E  D  2C , what is the direction of 
E (to the nearest
degree)?
 a. 247 
 b. 235  
c. 243
d. 216
e. 144

 
 

10.
 C
If vector 

is added to vector  B , the result is 9 ˆi  8
ˆj . If B
 is subtracted
from C , the result is 5 ˆi  4 ˆj . What is the direction of B (to the nearest
degree)?
 a.   
225
  
b. 221
c. 230
d. 236
e. 206

 

11. A vector  B  6 ˆi  8 ˆj . The resultant vector is in the positive x
A is added to  
 

direction and has a magnitude equal to  A . What is the magnitude of  A?
a. 11
 b. 
5.1
c. 7.1  
d. 8.3
e. 12.2

 

12. A vector  B  6 ˆi  8 ˆj . The resultant vector is in the positive x
A is added to  
 

direction and has a magnitude equal to that of  A . What is the direction of  A?
a. 74
 b. 
100
c. –81  
d. –62
e. 106

 

13.

 A and 
If two collinear vectors  B are

added, the resultant has a magnitude
B is subtracted
equal to 4.0. If  A , the resultant has a magnitude equal to
from 

8.0. What is the magnitude of B ?
a. 2.0  

b. 3.0 
c. 4.0 
d. 5.0
e. 6.0
30  CHAPTER 3


 

14.

 A
If two collinear vectors  B
and  are added, the resultant has a magnitude


B is subtracted
equal to 4.0. If 
 A
from  , the resultant has a magnitude equal to
8.0. What is the magnitude of A?
a. 2.0  

b. 3.0 
c. 4.0 
d. 5.0
e. 6.0

 

15. When vector A is added to vector 
B , which

has a magnitude of 5.0, the vector
 A
representing their sum is perpendicular to  and has a magnitude that is twice

 
A . What is the magnitude of 
that of  A?

a. 2.2 
b. 2.5 
 c. 4.5 
d. 5.0
e. 7.0

16. Starting from one oasis, a camel walks 25 km in a direction 30 south of west and
then walks 30 km toward the north to a second oasis. What distance separates
the two oases?
a. 15 km
b. 48 km
c. 28 km
d. 53 km
e. 55 km

17. Starting from one oasis, a camel walks 25 km in a direction 30 south of west and
then walks 30 km toward the north to a second oasis. What is the direction from
the first oasis to the second oasis?
a. 21 N of W
b. 39 W of N
c. 69 N of W
d. 51 W of N
e. 42 W of N
 Vectors  31

18. The three forces shown act on a particle. What is the magnitude of the resultant
of these three forces?

a. 27.0 N
b. 33.2 N
c. 36.3 N
d. 23.8 N
e. 105 N

19. The three forces shown act on a particle. What is the direction of the resultant of
these three forces?

a. 35
b. 45
c. 65
d. 55
e. 85

 

20. C is added
If vector 

 D
to vector  , the result is a third vector that is


 D D . What is the ratio of the
perpendicular to  and has a magnitude equal to 3
 

C to that of 
magnitude of  D?
 a. 1.8 
b. 2.2 
 3.2
c. 
d. 1.3
e. 1.6
32  CHAPTER 3

21. A child starts at one corner of a cubical jungle gym in a playground and climbs
up to the diagonally opposite corner. The original corner is the coordinate origin,
and the x-, y- and z-axes are oriented along the jungle gym edges. The length of
each side is 2m. The child's displacement is:

a. 2 ˆi  2 ˆj  2k
ˆ.
b. 2.8 ˆi  2.8 ˆj  2kˆ
c. 2 ˆi  2 ˆj  2.8kˆ
 d. ˆ ˆ
2 i  2 j  3.5k ˆ
 e. 3.5 ˆi  3.5 ˆj  3.5kˆ

22. The displacement of the tip of the 10 cm long minute hand of a clock between
 12:15 A.M. and 12:45 P.M. is:
a. 10 cm, 90
b. 10 cm, 180
c. 10 cm, 4500
d. 20 cm, 180
e. 20 cm, 540

23. A student decides to spend spring break by driving 50 miles due east, then 50
miles 30 degrees south of east, then 50 miles 30 degrees south of that direction,
and to continue to drive 50 miles deviating by 30 degrees each time until he
returns to his original position. How far will he drive, and how many vectors
must he sum to calculate his displacement?
a. 0, 0
b. 0, 8
c. 0, 12
d. 400 mi, 8
e. 600 mi, 12
 Vectors  33

24. Jane plans to fly from Binghampton, New York, to Springfield, Massachusetts,
about 280 km due east of Binghampton. She heads due east at 280 km/h for one
hour but finds herself at Keene, which is 294 km from Binghampton in a
direction 17.8 degrees north of due east. What was the wind velocity?
a. 14 km/h, E
b. 14 km/h, W
c. 14 km/h, N
d. 90 km/h, S
e. 90 km/h, N

 
  
  

25. A  2B  x1ˆi  y1ˆj and 
Given that  2A  B  x 2 ˆi  y 2 ˆj , what is 
A?
 1
 1
a. A  x1  2x 2 ˆi  y1  2y 2 ˆj .
 5 5
 1

 A  x  2x ˆi   1 
b. 1 2 y1  2y 2 ˆj
 5 5
 1
 1
 c. A  x1  4 x 2 ˆi  y1  2y 2 ˆj
 5 5
 1
 1
 d. A  x1  4 x 2 ˆi  y1  4 y 2 ˆj
 5 5
 1
 1
 e. A  x1  4 x 2 ˆi  y1  4 y 2 ˆj
 5 5
  
   
  

26. A  B  x1ˆi  y1ˆj and 
Given that  A  B  x 2 ˆi  y 2 ˆj , what is 
A?
  1
 1
a. A  x1  x 2 ˆi  y1  y 2 ˆj
 2 2
 1
 1
 A  x  x ˆi  y  y ˆj 
b. 1 2 1 2
 2 2
 1
 1
 c. A  x1  x 2 ˆi  y1  y 2 ˆj
 2 2
 1
 1
 d. A  x1  x 2 ˆi  y1  y 2 ˆj
 2 2
 1

 e. A  x1  x 2 ˆi
 2



 34  CHAPTER 3

 
   
  

27. A  B  x1ˆi  y1ˆj and 
Given that  A  B  x 2 ˆi  y 2 ˆj , what is 
B?
 1
 1
a. B  x1  x 2 ˆi  y1  y 2 ˆj
 2 2
 1
 1
 B  x  x ˆi  y  y ˆj 
b. 1 2 1 2
 2 2
 1
 1
 c. B  x1  x 2 ˆi  y1  y 2 ˆj
 2 2
 1
 1
 d. B  x1  x 2 ˆi  y1  y 2 ˆj
 2 2
 1

 e. B  y1  y 2 ˆj
 2

28. The diagram below shows 3 vectors which sum to zero, all of equal length.
Which statement below is true?


 
     
a. A
 
 
 B 
  A
  C

AB   BC 
b. 
   
c. A

 
  B
  2 A
 
  C

 d. A
 
 B 
2A 
 C
 e. 2A  2B  2C


29. Which statement is true about the unit vectors ˆ ˆ?
i , ˆj and k

 a. Their directions are defined by a left-handed coordinate system.
b. The angle between any two is 90 degrees.

c. Each has a length of 1 m.  
d. If ˆ
i is directed east and ˆj is directed ˆ points up out of the
south, k
surface.
e. All of the above.

   
 
30. A and 
Vectors  
B have equal magnitudes. Which statement is always true?
 
 
AB 0
a.  .
 
A  B
 0
b.  .

 c.   
 
 B
A A  B
is perpendicular to  .
 
  
 d. B  A is perpendicular
 

to A  B .
   
 
 e. The magnitude of A  B equals the magnitude of 
 A  B.
 
 
 
 Vectors  35

 
  

31. When three vectors, 
 
    A B
,  C
, and  are placed head to tail, the vector sum
A  B  C  0 . If the vectors all have the same magnitude, the angle between the

directions of any two adjacent vectors is
a.  
30 
 b. 60
c. 90
d. 120
e. 150
 
  

32. A , 
The vectors  B , and 
C are shown below.

  

 
   
A  B  C?
Which diagram below correctly represents 


36  CHAPTER 3

 
  

33. A , 
The vectors  B , and 
C are shown below.

  

 
  

A  B  2C ?
Which diagram below correctly represents 



34. The diagram below shows the path taken by a sailboat tacking sideways because
it cannot sail directly into the wind.

The total distance it travels is

35. The diagram below shows the path taken by a sailboat tacking sideways because
it cannot sail directly into the wind.

The total displacement of the sailboat, the vector sum of its displacements OB,
BC, CD and DE, is
a. 1 732 m, East.
b. 2 000 m, Northeast.
c. 6 298 m, East.
d. 8 000 m, Southeast.
e. 8 000 m, East.

 

36. Each of two vectors, D1 and  D 2 , lies along a coordinate axis in the x-y plane.
Each vector has its tail at the origin, and the dot product of the two vectors is
 
 
D1  D2  0 . Which possibility is correct?


 

a. 
D1 and  D2 both lie along the positive x-axis.

 

b. D1 lies along the positive x-axis.  D 2 lies along the negative x-axis.
 
 

c. D1 and  D 2 both lie along the positive y-axis.

 

  
d. D1 lies along the negative x-axis.  D 2 lies along the negative y-axis.

 

 e.  
D1 lies along the positive D 2 lies along the negative y-axis.
y-axis. 
  
 

37. Each of two vectors, D1 and D
 2 , lies along a coordinate axis in the x-y plane.
 Each vector has its tail at the
 origin, and the dot product of the two vectors is

 
  
 
D1  D 2   D1 D 2 . Which possibility is correct?


 

a. 
D1 and  D2 both lie along the positive x-axis.

 

 b. D1 lies along the positive x-axis.  D 2 lies along the negative x-axis.

 

c. D1 and  D 2 both lie along the positive y-axis.

 

  
d. D1 lies along the negative x-axis.  D 2 lies along the negative y-axis.

 

 e.  
D1 lies along the positive D 2 lies along the negative y-axis.
y-axis. 
 
 
 
 38  CHAPTER 3



38. Dana says any vector 
 
    R can be represented as the sum of two vectors:


RAB
  
    R
. Ardis says any vector  can be represented as the difference of two
R  A  B . Which one, if either, is correct?
vectors: 
a. Theyare both wrong: every vector is unique.
 b. Dana is correct:
Any vector can be represented as a sum of components and
 not as a difference.
c. Ardis is correct: Any vector can be represented as a difference of vector
components and not as a sum.
 
  

R  A  (B) .
d. They are both correct: A difference of vectors is a sum 
e. They are both wrong: Vectors can be moved as long as they keep the same
magnitude and direction.

 
39. A has components +5 and +7 along the x- and y-axes respectively.
The vector 
Along a set of axes rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise relative to the original
axes, the vector’s components are
a. –7; –5.
b. 7; –5.
c. –7; 5.
d. 7; 5.
e. 7; 0.

40. Anthony


has added the vectors listed below and gotten the result
R  9 i  4 ˆj  6kˆ . What errors has he made?

ˆ


A  3ˆi  4 ˆj  5k

ˆ


B  3i  2 j  8kˆ

ˆ ˆ


 C  3ˆi  2 ˆj  2k

ˆ
 

a. He lost the minus sign in vector 

 B .
 ˆ in  ˆ.
b. He read the 2k C as 3k
 

c. He lost the minus sign in vector  A.
d. All of the above are correct.
e. Only (a)  and (b) above are correct.
 

    
 
41. A  B  A  C , what can we conclude?
Given the statement that 
 
   
 
C
a.  
 A B
and 
    A .
2
b. 
A  B C. 
 

c.  
C  B and  A  A .
  one of the answers above is correct.
d. Any
 e. Only (a) and (b) may be correct.
 
 Vectors  39



42. Keara says that the


sum of two vectors by the parallelogram method is R  5 ˆi .
ˆ ˆ
R  i  4 j . Both used the parallelogram method, but one used
Shamu says it is 
the wrong diagonal. Which one of the vector pairs below contains the original
two vectors?

 
 
a. A  3 ˆi  2 ˆj ; B  2 ˆi  2 ˆj


 


b. A  3ˆi  2 ˆj ; 
 B  2 ˆi  2 ˆj

 

c. A  3ˆi  2 ˆj ; 
 B  2 ˆi  2 ˆj

 

 d. A 
 3ˆi  2 ˆj ; B  2 ˆi  2 ˆj

 

 e. A  3
  ˆi  2 ˆj ; 
B  2 ˆi  2 ˆj
  
 
 
 

43.
 Given two
 
  non-zero vectors,  A B
and  |
, such that A | A  B | B | , the sum
 A  B satisfies
 
 
 
a. 0 | A
  
  B | 2A .
 
0 | A .  
 B| 2A
b. 
 A | A B | 2A
c.  .

 d. A | A
  B
  | 2A

.
 e. 0 | A  B | 4 A .





Open-Ended Problems
44. A hunter wishes to cross a river that is 1.5 km wide and flows with a velocity of
5.0 km/h parallel to its banks. The hunter uses a small powerboat that moves at a
maximum speed of 12 km/h with respect to the water. What is the minimum time
for crossing?

45. Raindrops are falling straight downward. When observed from a car traveling at
55 mi/h, the drops streak the side window at an angle of 60° with the vertical.
Find the speed with which the drops are falling.

46. A fast duck is flying (20i + 40j) mi/h at the same altitude as a slow airplane flying
with a velocity of (–80i + 40j) mi/h. How fast and in what direction is the duck
moving relative to the airplane?

47. Two vectors starting at the same origin have equal and opposite x-components.
Is it possible for the two vectors to be perpendicular to each other? Justify your
answer.
40  CHAPTER 3
 Vectors  41

Chapter 3
Vectors

1. c 25. a
2. a 26. d
3. c 27. a
4. b 28. d
5. d 29. b
6. c 30. c
7. a 31. d
8. b 32. b
9. d 33. a
10. b 34. e
11. d 35. c
12. a 36. d
13. a 37. b
14. e 38. d
15 a 39. b
16. c 40. e
17. d 41. d
18. d 42. e
19. a 43. a
20. c 44. 0.14 h
21. a 45. 31.8 mi/h
22. d 46. 100 mi/h, along +i
23. e 47. Yes. If the y-components are of
the right magnitudes, the angle
24. e
can be 90 degrees. (This will

occur if  2   1  and
2
B = A tan 1.)
42  CHAPTER 3