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MIT18 02SC PB 3 Comb

The document provides three examples using the dot product. The first finds the angle between two vectors. The second finds values of a such that three points form a right triangle. The third shows diagonals of a parallelogram are perpendicular if and only if it is a rhombus.

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Mohd Uvais
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67 views2 pages

MIT18 02SC PB 3 Comb

The document provides three examples using the dot product. The first finds the angle between two vectors. The second finds values of a such that three points form a right triangle. The third shows diagonals of a parallelogram are perpendicular if and only if it is a rhombus.

Uploaded by

Mohd Uvais
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Uses of the Dot Product

1. Find the angle between the vectors A = i + 8j and B = i + 2j.

Answer: As usual, call the angle in question θ. Since A · B = |A||B| cos θ we have

A·B (1, 8) · (1, 2) 17


cos θ = = √ √ = √
|A||B| 65 5 5 13
� �
−1 17
Thus, θ = cos √ .
5 13

2. Take points P = (a, 1, −1), Q = (0, 1, 1), R = (a, −1, 3). For what value(s) of a is P QR
a right angle?
−−→ −−→
Answer: We need QP · QR = 0 ⇒ (a, 0, −2) · (a, −2, 2) = a2 − 4 = 0 ⇒ a = ±2.

3. Show that the diagonals of a parallelogram are perpendicular if and only if it is a


rhombus, i.e., its four sides have equal lengths.
Answer: Let two adjacent sides of the parallelogram be the vectors A and B (as shown in
the figure). Then we have the two diagonals are A + B and A − B. We have

(A + B) · (A − B) = A · A − B · B.

Therefore,
(A + B) · (A − B) = 0 ⇔ A · A = B · B.
I.e., the diagonals are perpendicular if and only if two adjacent edges have equal lengths.
In other words, if the parallelogram is a rhombus.

MIT OpenCourseWare
http://ocw.mit.edu

18.02SC Multivariable Calculus


Fall 2010

For information about citing these materials or our Terms of Use, visit: http://ocw.mit.edu/terms.

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