DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS

TMA105C : TECHNICAL MATHEMATICS

LECTURER : MR MUDAU
CATCH-UP NOTES: SCALAR/ DOT PRODUCT

If the product of two vectors � and � gives a scalar, it is called scalar product of the
vectors � and � and is denoted as � ∙ � (pronounce � dot � )

How to find a dot/scalar product?

Lets look at �, � and � unit vectors along the x, y and z axes respectively, Then the dot
of:

�∙�=1 �∙�=�∙�=0
� ∙ � =1 �∙�=�∙�=0
�∙� =1 �∙� = �∙�=0

In terms of vectors, if � = �1 � + �2 � + �3 � and � = �1 � + �2 � + �3 �, what is � ∙ �?

� ∙ � = �1 �1 + �2 �2 + �3 �3
Problem 1: Find the scalar product of the two vectors 3� + 4� + 5� and 2� + 3� + �

Solution:
Let � = 3� + 4� + 5� and � = 2� + 3� + �
� ∙ � = (3� + 4� + 5�) ∙ (2� + 3� + �)
= 3(2) + 4(3) + 5(1)
= 6 + 12 + 5
= 23
Problem 2: Calculate the dot product if:

i. � = 1; 3 and � = 4; − 2

Solution:
� ∙ � = 1; 3 ∙ 4; − 2
= 1(4) + 3( − 2)
=4−6
=− 2
ii. � = 1; 3; 2 and � = 4; − 2; 1

Solution:
� ∙ � = 1; 3; 2 ∙ 4; − 2; 1
= 1(4) + 3( − 2) + 2(1)
=4−6+2
=0
 Try this, Calculate the dot product if:

i. � = 5; 3; − 2 and � = 8; − 9; 11
ii. � = 4; − 3; 7 and � = 6; − 1; 2
iii. � = 3; 3 and � = 8; − 2
iv. � = 7� + � and � =− 2� + 5�
v. � =− � + 2� + 3� and � = 3� + 7� + 4�

How to find angle between two vectors?

Let � = �1 � + �2 � + �3 � and � = �1 � + �2 � + �3 �, then the angle between two vectors

is calculated using this formula:
� ∙ � = � � ����
�∙�
cosθ = � �
�∙�
∴ θ = cos−1 � �

Problem 1: Find the angle between the two vectors � = � + � + � and � = 3� − � + 2�

Solution:
� ∙ � = (� + � + �) ∙ (3� − � + 2�)
= 1(3) + 1( − 1) + 1(2)
= 3−1+2
=4
The magnitude of each vector (� and �)
� = 12 + 12 + 12 = 3
� = 32 + ( − 1)2 + 22 = 14
Let θ be the angle between � and �
�∙�
cosθ = � �
4
cosθ = 3 14
4
θ = cos−1 3 14
θ= 51.89°
Problem 2: Calculate the scalar product of two vectors � and � with magnitudes 5
and 7 respectively. The angle between the vectors is 50° .

Solution:
� ∙ � = � � ����
= (5)(7)cos 50°
= 22.5
Problem 3: Calculate the angle, in radians between � = 8; 5 and � = −11; 17

Solution:
� ∙ � = 8; 5 ∙ −11; 17
= 8( − 11) + 5(17)
=− 3

The magnitude of each vector (� and �)

� = 82 + 52 = 89
� = ( − 11)2 + 172 = 410
Let θ be the angle between � and �
�∙�
cosθ = � �
−3
cosθ = 89 410
−3
θ = cos−1 89 410
θ = 1.59
Try this, Determine the angle between the following pairs of vectors

i. � = 1; − 2 and � = 5; 1
ii. � = −1; 2; 1 and � = 0; 2; 3
iii. � = 2� − 3� + 2� and � =− � + � + �
iv. � = 3� − 2� + � and � = 2� + � − 4�

Orthogonal and Parallel vectors

We normally use this formula: � ∙ � = � � ���� to check parallel and orthogonal

vectors

i. Orthogonal vectors - If � and � are orthogonal / perpendicular vectors, then

the angle between them is 90°

� ∙ � = � � ����
� ∙ � = � � ���90°
�∙�=0
Problem 1: Prove that the vectors � = 3� − � + 5� and � =− 6� + 2� + 4� are
orthogonal.

Solution:
� ∙ � = (3� − � + 5�) ∙ ( − 6� + 2� + 4�)
= 3( − 6) + ( − 1)(2) + 5(4)
−18 − 2 + 20
=0
∴ The vectors � and � are orthogonal/ perpendicular vectors

3 1
Problem 2: Determine whether � = 2; 18 and � = 2
; − 6 are orthogonal or not.

Solution:
3 1
� ∙ � = 2; 18 ∙ 2
; −6
 3 1
= 2( 2 ) + 18( − 6 )
=0
Thus, the vectors are orthogonal since are nonzero vectors and their dot product is
zero.

Problem 3: Find the value of p if the vectors � = 2� + �� − � and � = 3� + 4� + 2�

are orthogonal.

Solution:
� and � are orthogonal if � ∙ � = 0
(2� + �� − �) ∙ (3� + 4� + 2�) = 0
2(3) + p(4) + ( − 1)(2) = 0
6 + 4p − 2 = 0
4p =− 4
−4
p = 4 =− 1

Try this, Check if the following pairs of vectors are orthogonal or not

i. � = −6; 3 and � = 1; 2
ii. � = −1; 8; − 9 and � = 5; 3; − 2
iii. � = 8� + 7� − � and � = 3� − 3� + 3�
iv. � = 2� + 3� and � = 4� − 2�

ii. Parallel vectors - - If � and � are parallel vectors, then the angle between
them is 0° or 180°

�∙�= � � ����
�∙�= � � ���0° Hint: cos 0° = 1
�∙�= � �
In case of parallel vectors �∙� = � �

Components/ Projection of vectors

If � and � are given vectors, then

�∙�
The component of � �� � = �
�∙�
Similarly, the component of � �� � = �
Problem 1: Find the component of � = 2� + � + 2� on � = � + 2� + 2�

Solution:
�∙�
the component of � �� � = �
(2�+�+2�)∙(�+2�+2�)
=
12 +22 +22
2(1)+1(2)+2(2)
= 9
8
= 3
Problem 2: Calculate the component of � in the direction of � where � = 3; − 5; 2
and � = 7; 1; − 2
Solution:
� ∙ � = 3; − 5; 2 ∙ 7; 1; − 2
= 3(7) + ( − 5)(1) + 2( − 2) = 12
� = 72 + 12 + ( − 2)2 = 54

�∙� 12
the component of � �� � = �
=
54

Try this, Calculate the component of

i. Vector −1; 2; 7 in the direction of 6; 0; 2

ii. Vector � = 2� + � − 2� on � = 4� + 2� + �
iii. Vector � = 8� + 3� + 2� on � = � + � + �

Application of a Dot product

If �, � are the vectors representing the force and the displacement respectively,
inclined at an angle θ, the measure of workdone is � � ���� = � ∙ �

i.e workdone, W = F ∙ d

Problem 1: 3� + 5� + 7� is the acting on a particle giving the displacement 2� − � + � .

Find the Workdone.

Solution:
The force F = 3� + 5� + 7�
Displacement d = 2� − � + �
Therefore, Workdone, W = F ∙ d = (3� + 5� + 7�) ∙ (2� − � + �)
= 3(2) + 5( − 1) + 7(1)
= 6−5+7
=8
Problem 2: A particle moves from (1, − 2, 5) to the point (3, 4, 6) due to the force 4� +
� − 3� acting on it. Find the workdone.

Solution:
The force F = 4� + � − 3�
The particle moves from A(1, − 2, 5) to B(3, 4, 6)
Displacement vector d = AB
= 0B − 0A
= (3, 4, 6) − (1, − 2, 5)
 = 2� + 6� + �
Therefore, Workdone = F ∙ d = (4� + � − 3�) ∙ (2� + 6� + �)
= 4(2) + 1(6) + ( − 3)(1)
= 11
Problem 3: A force F = 2� + 7� causes a body to move from a point A with
coordinates (1, 1,2) to B(7, 3, 5). Calculate the work done by the force.

Solution:
d = 7 − 1,3 − 1,5 − 2 = 6, 2, 3
W = F ∙ d = 2, 0, 7 ∙ 6, 2, 3
= 2(6) + 0(2) + 7(3)
= 33
Try this,

i. F = 2� − 3� + 4� displaces a particle from origin to (1, 2, − 1). Find the workdone of

the force.
ii. A particle is displaced from A(3, 0, 2) to B( − 6, − 1, 3) due to the force F = 15� +
10� + 15�. Find the workdone.
iii. Two forces 4� + � − 3� and 3� + � − � displaces a particle from the point (1, 2, 3) to
(5, 4, 1) . Find the work done.
iv. A force 2� + � + �� displaces a particle from the point (1, 1, 1) to (2, 2, 2) giving the
workdone 5. Find the value of λ.