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OCR (not MEI) Further Pure 3 June 2014 help

Couldn't find a thread specific to this module so thought I'd make one.

Anyway, I'm really struggling with the vectors section of this module... there just seems to be so much formulae and methods to remember and I can not remember any of it. The textbook hardly helps either, anyone got any clear notes/good ways to understand the topic? Cheers.
Original post by _JC95
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Is there anything that you're struggling with in particular? I'm finding it kinda tough as well. The content is fairly straightforward, but applying it to a bunch of different scenarios is the hard part.
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Original post by Khallil
Is there anything that you're struggling with in particular? I'm finding it kinda tough as well. The content is fairly straightforward, but applying it to a bunch of different scenarios is the hard part.


Hmm pretty much all of the harder stuff, I understand things like converting between different equation forms for lines and planes, and using the vector product.. But more applied things such as distances, intersections, angles etc.


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Original post by _JC95
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Ah, I get ya!

I've found that the key to understanding shortest distances in general, is that the scalar (dot) product of two vectors is the projection of one onto the other. Most (if not all) of the time, you'll need to find the scalar product of a vector joining two points, one on the plane and another off it, and the unit normal vector to the plane. That'll give the shortest distance between a point and a plane.

The same principle is applied to finding the shortest distance between skew lines.
How did you guys find it?
Original post by Beckseybabes
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I'm not on OCR but the FP1-3 thread has a bunch of people discussing it atm!
Original post by Khallil
I'm not on OCR but the FP1-3 thread has a bunch of people discussing it atm!


Thanks!

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