Basic Vectors (Cambridge International A-Level Mathematics)

Basic vectors

What is a vector?

• Vectors represent a movement of a certain magnitude (size) in a given direction
• You should have already come across vectors when translating functions of graphs
• They appear in many contexts of maths including mechanics for modelling forces
• Vectors can be represented in different ways such as a column vector or as an i and j unit vector

Exam Hint

• Think of vectors like a journey from one place to another.
• Diagrams can help, if there isn’t one, draw one.
• In your exam you can’t write in bold so should underline your vector notation.

Worked Example