GCSE Maths Practice: vectors

Question 5 of 10

This question teaches how to find the vector in the opposite direction.

‹ ›

\( \begin{array}{l}\text{If } \overrightarrow{AB} = \begin{pmatrix}4\\-2\end{pmatrix},\ \text{what is } \overrightarrow{BA}?\end{array} \)

Choose one option:

Negate both components to reverse vector direction.

When reversing a vector, the new vector points in the opposite direction. To reverse \(\overrightarrow{AB} = \begin{pmatrix}4\\-2\end{pmatrix}\), negate both components: top: 4 → -4, bottom: -2 → 2, resulting in \(\overrightarrow{BA} = \begin{pmatrix}-4\\2\end{pmatrix}\). Understanding this is essential for vector subtraction, relative position, and motion analysis in physics. Practicing direction reversal helps visualize vectors on a grid and ensures accurate vector addition or subtraction.