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Math241 12.3

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7 views16 pages

Math241 12.3

Uploaded by

Lemona Thompson
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
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12.

3 : The Dot Product

12.3 : The Dot Product


Dot Product of Two Vectors

Goal Define multiplication of two vectors in such a way that the


product has meaning.
One way to to this is the dot product.

Definition
If a = ha1 , a2 i and b = hb1 , b2 i, the dot product of a and b is

a · b = a1 b1 + a2 b2 .

If a = ha1 , a2 , a3 i and b = hb1 , b2 , b3 i, the dot product is

a · b = a1 b1 + a2 b2 + a3 b 3 .

Note The dot product of two vectors is a scalar (real number),


not a vector.

12.3 : The Dot Product


Examples

1 h2, 4i · h3, 1i = (2)(3) + (4)( 1) = 2.

2 h1, 2, 3i · h1, 2, 1i = 1 4 + 3 = 0.

3 (i + 2j 3k) · ( 2j + k) = (1)(0) + (2)( 2) + ( 3)(1) = 7.

12.3 : The Dot Product


Properties of the Dot Product

If a, b, and c are vectors in V2 or V3 and c is a real number, then

1 a · a = |a|2

2 a·b=b·a

3 a · (b + c) = a · b + a · c

4 (ca) · b = c(a · b) = a · (cb)

5 0 · a = 0.

12.3 : The Dot Product


Theorem
If ✓ is the angle between the vectors a and b, then

a · b = |a||b| cos ✓.

12.3 : The Dot Product


Corollary
If ✓ is the angle between the nonzero vectors a and b,
a·b
cos ✓ = .
|a||b|

We can use the dot product to determine whether the angle ✓ is


acute, right, or obtuse:

12.3 : The Dot Product


Definition
Two vectors a and b are orthogonal if and only if a · b = 0.

Example We have shown that the vectors a = h1, 2, 3i and


b = h1, 2, 1i are orthogonal:

h1, 2, 3i · h1, 2, 1i = 1 4 + 3 = 0.

12.3 : The Dot Product


Exercises

1 Find a unit vector that is orthogonal to both i + j and i + k.

2 Find two unit vectors that make an angle of 60 with the


vector v = h3, 4i.

12.3 : The Dot Product


Direction Angles and Direction Cosines

Let a = ha1 , a2 , a3 i be a nonzero vector. The direction angles of


a are the angles ↵, , and that a makes with the positive x-, y -,
and z-axes. The direction cosines of a are cos ↵, cos , and cos .

12.3 : The Dot Product


To find the angle a = ha1 , a2 , a3 i makes with the positive x-axis,
we can find the angle ↵ between the vector ↵ and the standard
basis vector i = h1, 0, 0i.
Corollary
If ✓ is the angle between the nonzero vectors a and b,
a·b
cos ✓ = .
|a||b|

Therefore we have
a·i a1
cos ↵ = =
|a||i| |a|
and we can also show that
a2 a3
cos = and cos =
|a| |a|

12.3 : The Dot Product


Fact
cos2 ↵ + cos2 + cos2 =1

Example Find the direction angles of a = h 6, 2, 9i to the


nearest tenth of a degree.

12.3 : The Dot Product


Vector Projections

Let a and b be vectors with the same initial point P.


proja b = vector projection of b onto a

We can think of proja b as the “shadow” of b.

12.3 : The Dot Product


compa b = scalar projection of b onto a (component of b along a)
compa b = signed magnitude of proja b

12.3 : The Dot Product


Work

Goal Calculate work done by a constant force in moving an object


through a distance along a straight line.
work = force ⇥ distance
when the force is directed along the line of motion of the object.
Suppose the force F is directed in another direction.

magnitude of force directed along line of motion =


! !
scalar projection of PR onto PQ = |F| cos ✓
work = |F||D| cos ✓ = F · D

12.3 : The Dot Product


Example

Find the work done by a force F = 8i 6j + 9k that moves an


object from the point (0, 10, 8) along a straight line to the point
(6, 12, 20). The distance is measured in meters and the force in
newtons.

12.3 : The Dot Product

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