Add, subtract and scale vectors
Grade 10 Math Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.
Ground velocity is their sum. Noah's plane has airspeed vector ⟨240, 0⟩ km/h. The wind adds ⟨-70, 168⟩ km/h (182 km/h in all). Which statement about the plane's motion over the ground is correct?
- About 239 km/h, nearly its airspeed, but heading about 45° north of east
- It moves at 422 km/h, since the plane's 240 and the wind's 182 add
- It moves at about 353 km/h, and it heads about 28° south of east
- It moves at 170 km/h and keeps heading east, since just the headwind part counts
A student claims |u − v| = |u| − |v|. With u = ⟨12, 5⟩ and v = ⟨3, 4⟩ that gives 13 − 5 = 8. Kira checks it. What does Kira find?
u = ⟨12, 5⟩ has length 13. v = ⟨3, 4⟩ has length 5. The claim says |u − v| = 8. u = ⟨12, 5⟩ has length 13. v = ⟨3, 4⟩ has length 5. The claim says |u − v| = 8. u = ⟨12, 5⟩ v = ⟨3, 4⟩ x y u has length 13 v has length 5 claim: |u - v| = 8 - The claim fails: u − v = ⟨9, 1⟩ has length √82, about 9.1, not 8
- The claim holds: 13 − 5 = 8, and both lengths are exact whole numbers
- The claim fails: u − v = ⟨9, 1⟩ has length 82, not 8
- The claim fails: u − v = ⟨15, 9⟩ has length about 17.5
One knot is one nautical mile per hour. Luz tracks two ferries leaving one dock: A at ⟨12, 5⟩ knots and B at ⟨-4, -7⟩ knots. How far apart are they after 2 hours?
Both ferries leave the dock at the same time. A moves at ⟨12, 5⟩ knots and B moves at ⟨-4, -7⟩ knots. One knot is one nautical mile per hour. Both ferries leave the dock at the same time. A moves at ⟨12, 5⟩ knots and B moves at ⟨-4, -7⟩ knots. One knot is one nautical mile per hour. dock A (12, 5) knots B (-4, -7) knots - 1,600 nautical miles
- About 42.1 nautical miles
- 40 nautical miles
- 20 nautical miles
A sled track passes through P(1, 2) and Q(7, 5). Ari places flag R(13, k) on the same straight line. Which k works?
Points P(1, 2) and Q(7, 5) lie on one straight line. R(13, k) is also on it. Points P(1, 2) and Q(7, 5) lie on one straight line. R(13, k) is also on it. R(13, k) is also on it. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 P Q - k = 10
- k = 8
- k = 6
- k = 11
Tala's quilt has corners A(0, 0), B(6, 2), C(10, 7) and D(3, 5) in order. Tala asks if ABCD is a parallelogram. Which reasoning is correct?
Quadrilateral ABCD with A(0, 0), B(6, 2), C(10, 7), D(3, 5). A parallelogram needs AB = DC and AD = BC as vectors. Quadrilateral ABCD with A(0, 0), B(6, 2), C(10, 7), D(3, 5). A parallelogram needs AB = DC and AD = BC as vectors. A parallelogram needs AB = DC and AD = BC as vectors. −1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 −1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 0 A B C D - No: the diagonals AC and BD have different lengths, and a parallelogram's must match
- Yes: AB + BC = AD + DC = ⟨10, 7⟩, so the sides add the same
- No: AB = ⟨6, 2⟩ but DC = ⟨7, 2⟩, so opposite sides are not equal vectors
- Yes: AB and DC both rise 2 units, so those two sides must be parallel
Zee's quilt is parallelogram ABCD with A at the origin, AB = u = ⟨6, 0⟩ and AD = v = ⟨2, 4⟩. M is the midpoint of side DC. Which vector is AM?
Parallelogram ABCD with A(0, 0), B(6, 0), D(2, 4) and C(8, 4). M is the midpoint of DC. Parallelogram ABCD with A(0, 0), B(6, 0), D(2, 4) and C(8, 4). M is the midpoint of DC. M is the midpoint of DC. −1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 −1 1 2 3 4 5 0 A B D C - ⟨4, 2⟩, which is ½(u + v)
- ⟨-1, 4⟩, which is v − ½u
- ⟨5, 4⟩, which is v + ½u
- ⟨7, 2⟩, which is u + ½v
Milo's drone log shows positions from the start of (4, 3), (8, 6) and (12, 10) km after 1, 2 and 3 hours. Milo claims constant velocity. What does the log show?
Positions in km from the start (0, 0): after 1 hour (4, 3); after 2 hours (8, 6); after 3 hours (12, 10). Positions in km from the start (0, 0): after 1 hour (4, 3); after 2 hours (8, 6); after 3 hours (12, 10). Positions in km from the start 0 4 8 12 3 6 10 km from start km (0, 0) after 1 hour (4, 3) after 2 hours (8, 6) after 3 hours (12, 10) - Not constant: the distances from the start are 5, 10 and about 15.6 km, so they grow
- Constant: the first two hours match, so the third reading must be a small error
- Not constant: the hourly slides are ⟨4, 3⟩, ⟨4, 3⟩ and ⟨4, 4⟩, so hour 3 differs
- Constant: the run grows by exactly 4 km in each hour
Kira's triangle has corners P(0, 0), Q(9, 3) and R(3, 6). Kira says G(4, 3) is two-thirds of the way along the median from P. Which check settles it?
Triangle PQR with P(0, 0), Q(9, 3), R(3, 6). The median from P goes to M, the midpoint of QR. Triangle PQR with P(0, 0), Q(9, 3), R(3, 6). The median from P goes to M, the midpoint of QR. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 P Q R Triangle PQR. The median from P goes to M, the midpoint of QR. - Find M = (6, 4.5); ½ of that is (3, 2.25), not G, so the claim fails
- ½ of side PQ is ⟨4.5, 1.5⟩, which is not G, so the claim fails
- Add the corners: P + Q + R = (12, 9), which is not G, so the claim fails
- Find M = ½(Q + R) = (6, 4.5); then ⅔ of ⟨6, 4.5⟩ is ⟨4, 3⟩, so the claim holds
Bo's robot slides u = ⟨3, 4⟩, then turns a quarter turn left and slides the same distance. Where does it finish, as one slide from the start?
First slide u = ⟨3, 4⟩ (length 5). A quarter turn left of ⟨a, b⟩ is ⟨-b, a⟩. East is the positive run and north is the positive rise. First slide u = ⟨3, 4⟩ (length 5). A quarter turn left of ⟨a, b⟩ is ⟨-b, a⟩. East is the positive run and north is the positive rise. First slide u = ⟨3, 4⟩ (length 5). u = ⟨3, 4⟩ (length 5) north is the positive rise. East is the positive run. A quarter turn left of ⟨a, b⟩ is ⟨-b, a⟩. - ⟨7, 1⟩
- ⟨-1, 7⟩
- ⟨6, 8⟩
- ⟨7, 7⟩
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Use this
|u| = 5, |v| = 10. u + v = ⟨-2, 11⟩, so |u + v|² = 4 + 121 = 125.
Luz tests u = ⟨4, 3⟩ and v = ⟨-6, 8⟩. Their lengths are 5 and 10, and |u + v| = √125. What does 5² + 10² = 125 show?
- Nothing: 125 is a coincidence that depends on these particular numbers
- u and v point the same way, so the lengths add and |u + v| = 15
- u and v point opposite ways, so |u + v| = 10 − 5 = 5, the lengths' difference
- u and v are perpendicular, so u + v closes a right triangle with legs 5 and 10