Year: 2001
Paper: 3
Question Number: 10
Course: LFM Pure and Mechanics
Section: Vectors
No solution available for this problem.
Difficulty Rating: 1700.0
Difficulty Comparisons: 0
Banger Rating: 1516.0
Banger Comparisons: 1
Three ships $A$, $B$ and $C$ move with velocities ${\bf v}_1$,
${\bf v}_2$ and $\bf u$ respectively. The velocities of $A$ and $B$
relative to $C$ are equal in magnitude and
perpendicular. Write down conditions that $\bf u$, ${\bf v}_1$ and ${\bf v}_2$ must satisfy
and show that
\[
\left| {\bf u} -{\textstyle\frac12} \l {\bf v}_1 + {\bf v}_2 \r \right|^2 =
\left|{\textstyle\frac12} \l {\bf v}_1 - {\bf v}_2 \r \right|^2
\]
and
\[
\l {\bf u} -{\textstyle\frac12} \l {\bf v}_1 + {\bf v}_2 \r \r \cdot \l {\bf v}_1 -
{\bf v}_2 \r = 0 \;.
\]
Explain why these equations determine, for given ${\bf v}_1$ and ${\bf v}_2$,
two possible velocities for $C\,$, provided ${\bf v}_1 \ne {\bf v}_2 \,$.
If ${\bf v}_1$ and ${\bf v}_2$ are equal in magnitude and perpendicular,
show that if ${\bf u} \ne {\bf 0}$ then ${\bf u} = {\bf v}_1 + {\bf v}_2\,$.