Slide 4
Slide 4
5 Dot Products
Definition:
Consider 2 vectors U & V:
Denoted by U∙V
Defined to be the product of the
magnitude of U, the magnitude
of V & the cosine of the angle
between U & V when they are
placed tail to tail
U∙V = |U||V| cos (2.18)
Definition:
Result is a scalar
sometimes called
scalar product
Unit = product of the
units of the 2 vectors
Fig. 2.35
Strategy
Coordinates of A, B & C components of
vector rAB & rAC
Use Eq. (2.24) to determine
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Example 2.12 Using the Dot Product to
Determine an Angle
Solution
Vectors rAB & rAC :
rAB = (6 4) i + (1 3)j + (2 2)k
= 2i 2j 4k (m)
rAC = (8 4) i + (8 3)j + (4 2)k
= 4i + 5j + 2k (m)
Magnitudes:
rAB 2 m 2 2 m 2 4 m 2 4.90 m
rAC 4 m 2 5 m 2 2 m 2 6.71 m
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Example 2.12 Using the Dot Product to
Determine an Angle
Solution
Dot product of rAB & rAC :
rAB∙rAC = (2 m) (4 m) + (2 m) (5 m) + (4 m) (2 m)
= 10 m2
Therefore,
2
rAB rAB 10 m
cos 0.304
rAB rAC 4.90 m 6.71 m
arccos 0.304 107.7
Fig. 2.36
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Example 2.13 Vector Components
Parallel & Normal to a Line
Strategy
Express F as the sum of vector
components parallel & normal to OB
Determine vector components using
Eqs. (2.26) & (2.27):
First,express F in terms of scalar components
Determine scalar components of unit vector
parallel to OB
Determine components of unit vector pointing from
O toward A & multiply them by |F| components
of F
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Example 2.13 Vector Components
Parallel & Normal to a Line
Solution
Position vectors from O to A:
rOA = 6i + 6j 3 k (m)
U (V + W) = (U V) + (U W) (2.31)
e = k or e = k
ij=k
i j k
U yV zi U zV xj U xV yk
Ux Uy Uz
U yV xk U zV yi U xV zj
Vx Vy Vz
i j k
Uy Uz Ux Uz Ux Uy
Ux Uy Uz i j k
Vy Vz Vx Vz Vx Vy
Vx Vy Vz
U yV zU zV y i U xV zU zV x j
U xV yU yV x k
Fig. 2.42
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Example 2.14 Calculating the Cross
Product
Strategy
(a) The magnitudes of r & F & the angle between
them when placed tail to tail are known. Since
both vectors r & F lie in the x-y plane, the unit
vector is perpendicular to both r & F.
(b) Determine the components of r & F & use
Eq. (2.34) to determine r F.
Fig. 2.43
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Example 2.15 Minimum Distance from a
Point to a Line
Strategy
(a) Let rOA & rOB be the position vectors from O to A
& from O to B. Since the cross product rOA rOB
is perpendicular to rOA & rOB, determine it & divide
by its magnitude unit vector perpendicular to
the lines OA & OB.
12 m 48 m 72 m
2 2 2 2 2 2
9.71 m
6 m 6 m 3 m
2 2 2 2 2 2
Fig. 2.44