2.

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)

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 2.5 Dot Products

 Definition:
 Result is a scalar
 sometimes called
scalar product
 Unit = product of the
units of the 2 vectors

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 2.5 Dot Products
 Notice that the dot product of two nonzero
vectors = 0 if & only if the vectors are
perpendicular
 The dot product is commutative:

U∙V = V∙U (2.19)

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 2.5 Dot Products
 The dot product is associative with respect to
scalar multiplication:
a(U∙V) = (aU)∙V = U∙ (aV) (2.20)

 The dot product is associative with respect to

vector addition:
U∙ (V + W) = U∙V + U∙W (2.21)

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 2.5 Dot Products
 Dot Products in Terms of Components:
 Determine the dot products formed from the
unit vectors i, j & k:
i∙i = |i||i| cos (0) = (1)(1)(1) = 1
i∙j = |i||j| cos (90°) = (1)(1)(0) = 0
 Continuing this way:

i∙i = 1, i∙j = 0, i∙k = 0,

j∙i = 0, j∙j = 1, j∙k = 0,
k∙i = 0, k∙j = 0, k∙k = 1. (2.22)
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 2.5 Dot Products
 Dot product of U & V expressed in terms of
their components:
U∙V = (Uxi + Uyj + Uzk) ∙ (Vxi + Vyj + Vzk)
= UxVx(i∙i) + UxVy(i∙j) + UxVz(i∙k)
+ UyVx(j∙i) + UyVy(j∙j) + UyVz(j∙k)
+ UzVx(k∙i) + UzVy(k∙j) + UzVz(k∙k)
 Substituting Eqs. (2.22):
U∙V = UxVx + UyVy + UzVz (2.23)

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 2.5 Dot Products
 Equate the expression for dor product given by
Eq. (2.23) to the definition of dot product, Eq.
(2.18) to solve for cos  :
U  V U xVx  U yV y  U zVz
cos θ  
UV UV (2.24)

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 2.5 Dot Products
 Vector Components Parallel & Normal to a
Line:
 Projection of vector : component of vector
parallel to a line
 Consider a vector U & a straight line L :
 Express U as the sum of vector components Up
& Un that are parallel & normal to L

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 2.5 Dot Products
 Parallel Component:
 Magnitude of Up is:
|Up| = |U| cos  (2.25)

 Let e be a unit vector parallel to L:

e∙U = |e||U| cos  = |U| cos 

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 2.5 Dot Products
 Parallel Component:
 Comparing with Eq. (2.25):
|Up| = e∙U

 Therefore, the parallel vector or

projection of U onto L is:
Up = (e∙U) e (2.26)
(This equation holds even if e doesn’t point in the
direction of Up. In that case,  >90° & e∙U is
negative.)
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 2.5 Dot Products
 Normal Component:
 Once the parallel component has been
determined, we can obtain the normal vector
component:
U = Up + Un
Un = U  Up (2.27)

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 Example 2.12 Using the Dot Product to
Determine an Angle
What is the angle  between the lines AB & AC
in Fig. 2.35?

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

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 Example 2.12 Using the Dot Product to
Determine an Angle
Critical Thinking
 What does it mean if the dot product of 2
vectors is negative?
 From Eq. (2.18) & graph:
 Dot product is negative
only if the enclosed
angle between
the 2 vectors > 90°

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 Example 2.13 Vector Components
Parallel & Normal to a Line
Suppose that you pull on the cable OA in Fig. 2.36,
exerting a 50-N force F at O. What are the vector
components of F parallel & normal to the cable
OB?

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)

Position vectors from O to B:

rOB = 10i  2j + 3k (m)

Magnitudes: |rOA| = 9 m & |rOB| = 10.6 m

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 Example 2.13 Vector Components
Parallel & Normal to a Line
Solution
Divide these vectors by their magnitude  unit
vectors that point from origin toward A:
rOA 6i  6 j  3k (m)
eOA  
rOA 9 (m)
 0.667i  0.667 j  0.333k

rOB 10i  2 j  3k (m)

eOB  
rOB 10.6 (m)
 0.941i  0.188 j  0.282k
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 Example 2.13 Vector Components
Parallel & Normal to a Line
Solution
Force F in terms of scalar components:
F  F eOA   50 N   0.667i  0.667 j  0.333k 
 33.3i  33.3 j  16.7k

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 Example 2.13 Vector Components
Parallel & Normal to a Line
Solution
Taking dot product of eOB & F:
eOB∙F = (0.941)(33.3 N) + (0.188)(33.3 N)
+ (0.282)(-16.7 N)
= 20.4 N
Parallel vector component:
Fp = (eOB∙F) eOB = (20.4 N)(0.941i  0.188j +0.282k)
= 19.2i  3.83j + 5.75k (N)
Normal vector component:
Fn = F  Fp = 14.2i + 37.2j  22.4k (N)
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 Example 2.13 Vector Components
Parallel & Normal to a Line
Critical Thinking
 To confirm that 2 vectors are perpendicular:
 From Eq. (2.18): dot product of 2 nonzero
vectors = 0 if & only if the vectors are
perpendicular
 We can use this diagnostic test to confirm that
the 2 components of F are perpendicular:
Fp ∙Fn = (19.2)(14.2) + (3.83)(37.2) + (5.75)(22.4)
=0

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 2.6 Cross Products
 Definition:
 Consider 2 vectors U & V:
 Denoted by U V
 Defined by:
U  V = |U||V| sin  e (2.28)

where  = angle between U & V

e = unit vector defined to be
perpendicular to both U & V

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 2.6 Cross Products
 Definition:
 U,V & e are defined to be a right-
handed system
 Right-hand rule

 Result is a vector  sometimes called

vector product

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 2.6 Cross Products
 Unit = product of the units of the 2 vectors
 Notice that the cross product
of 2 nonzero vectors = 0 if &
only if the vectors are parallel
 The dot product is not
commutative:
U  V = V  U (2.29)

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 2.6 Cross Products
 The dot product is associative
with respect to scalar multiplication:

a(U  V) = (aU)  V = U  (aV) (2.30)

 The dot product is distributive

with respect to vector addition:

U  (V + W) = (U  V) + (U  W) (2.31)

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 2.6 Cross Products
 Cross Products in Terms of Components:
 Determine the cross products formed from the
unit vectors i, j & k:
i  i = |i||i| sin (0) e = 0
i  j = |i||j| sin (90°) e = e
 e = unit vector perpendicular to i & j

 e = k or e = k

 Applying right-hand rule, e = k

ij=k

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 2.6 Cross Products
 Continuing this way:
i  i = 0, i  j = k, i  k = j,
j  i = k, j  j = 0, j  k = i,
k  i = j, k  j = i, k  k = 0. (2.32)
 These results can be easily remembered

by arranging the unit vectors in a circle:

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 2.6 Cross Products
 Cross product of U & V expressed in terms of
their components:
U  V = (Uxi + Uyj + Uzk)  (Vxi + Vyj + Vzk)
= UxVx(i  i) + UxVy(i  j) + UxVz(i  k)
+ UyVx(j  i) + UyVy(j  j) + UyVz(j  k)
+ UzVx(k  i) + UzVy(k  j) + UzVz(k  k)

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 2.6 Cross Products
 Substituting Eqs. (2.32):
U  V = (UyVz  UzVy)i (UxVz UzVx)j
+ (UxVy UyVx)k
(2.33)
 This result can be compactly written as the
determinant:
Ux Uy Uz
UV  V x Vy Vz
Wx Wy Wz (2.34)

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 2.6 Cross Products
 Evaluating a 3  3 Determinant:
 Repeat its first 2 columns & evaluate the
products of the terms along the 6 diagonal
lines
i j k i j
Ux Uy UzUx Uy
Vx Vy Vz Vx Vy
() () () (+) (+) (+)

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 2.6 Cross Products
 Value of the determinant:

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

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 2.6 Cross Products
 Alternatively:

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 zU zV y  i   U xV zU zV x  j
 U xV yU yV x k

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 2.7 Mixed Triple Products
 Definition: U∙ (V  W) (2.35)
 In terms of scalar components:
i j k
U   V  W   U x i  U y j  U z k   V x Vy Vz
Wx Wy Wz
 U x i  U y j  U z k   [V yWz  VzWy  i
  VxWz  VzWx  j  VxWy  V yWx k ]
 U x V yWz  VzWy   U y  VxWz  VzWx 
 U z VxWy  V yWx 
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 2.7 Mixed Triple Products
 This result can be expressed as the
determinant:
Ux Uy Uz
U   V  W  V x V y V z
(2.36)
Wx Wy Wz
 Interchanging any 2 vectors in the mixed
triple product changes the sign but not the
absolute value of the result
 E.g. U∙ (V  W) = W∙ (V  U)

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 2.7 Mixed Triple Products
 If the vectors U, V & W form a right-handed
system
 Volume of the parallelepiped = U∙ (V  W)

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 Example 2.14 Calculating the Cross
Product
The magnitude of the force F in Fig. 2.42 is 100
N. The magnitude of the vector r from point O to
point A is 8 m.
(a) Use the definition of the cross product to
determine r  F.
(b) Use Eq. (2.34) to determine r  F.

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.

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 Example 2.14 Calculating the Cross
Product
Solution
(a) Using the definition of cross product:
r  F = | r || F | sin  e
= (8 m) (100 N) sin 60°e
= 693e (N-m)
Since e is defined to be perpendicular to r & F,
e = k or e = k.
Right-hand rule indicates that e = k.
 r  F = 693k (N-m)
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 Example 2.14 Calculating the Cross
Product
Solution
(b) The vector r = 8i (m).
F in terms of scalar components:
F = 100 cos 60°i + 100 sin 60°j (N)
From Eq. (2.34):
i j k i j k
rF  rx ry rz  8 0 0
F x F y F z 100 cos 60 100 sin 60 0
  8 m  100sin60 N  k  693k (N - m)
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 Example 2.14 Calculating the Cross
Product
Critical Thinking
 This example was designed so that the cross
product of r & F could be evaluated by applying
the definition & using Eq. (2.34) to demonstrate
that they yield the same result
 In most applications of the cross product, it is not
practical to use the definition:
 Eq. (2.34) must be used

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 Example 2.15 Minimum Distance from a
Point to a Line
Consider the straight lines OA & OB in Fig. 2.43.

(a) Determine the components of a unit vector

that is perpendicular to both OA & OB.
(b) What is the minimum distance from point A to

the line OB?

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.

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 Example 2.15 Minimum Distance from a
Point to a Line
Strategy
(b) Minimum distance from A to the
line OB = length d of the straight line
from A to OB, perpendicular to OB.
d = |rOA| sin 

Definition of the cross product:

magnitude of rOA  rOB = |rOA||rOB| sin 
Divide the magnitude of rOA  rOB by the
magnitude of rOB  d.
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 Example 2.15 Minimum Distance from a
Point to a Line
Solution
(a) The components of rOA & rOB:
rOA = 10i  2j + 3k (m),
rOB = 6i + 6j  3k (m)
By using Eq. (2.34):
i j k
rOA  rOB  10  2 3  12i  48 j  72k (N 2 )
6 6 3
This vector is perpendicular to rOA & rOB.
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 Example 2.15 Minimum Distance from a
Point to a Line
Solution
(a) Divide rOA  rOB by its magnitude  unit vector e
perpendicular to the lines OA & OB:
rOA  rOB  12i  48 j  72k
e 
rOA  rOB   12 m    48 m   72 m 
2 2 2 2 2 2

 0.137i  0.549 j  0.824k

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 Example 2.15 Minimum Distance from a
Point to a Line
Solution
(b) Minimum distance d:
d = |rOA| sin 
Magnitude of rOA  rOB:
|rOA  rOB|= |rOA||rOB| sin 
 rOA  rOB  rOA  rOB
d  rOA   
 rOA rOB  rOB


  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

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 Example 2.15 Minimum Distance from a
Point to a Line
Critical Thinking
 This example is an illustration of the power of
vector methods
 Determining the minimum distance from point A
to the line OB can be formulated as a
minimization problem in differential calculus
 Vector solution is far simpler

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 Example 2.16 Component of a Vector
Perpendicular to a Plane
The rope CE in Fig. 2.44 exerts a 500-N force T
on the door ABCD. What is the magnitude of the
component of T perpendicular to the door?

Fig. 2.44

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 Example 2.16 Component of a Vector
Perpendicular to a Plane
Strategy
 Coordinates of the corners A, B, C & D of the door
are given
 Cross product of rCB from C to B & rCA from C to A
 vector perpendicular to the door
 Divide the resulting vector by its magnitude 
unit vector perpendicular to the door
 Apply Eq. (2.26)  component of T perpendicular
to the door

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