MultiplicationofVectors

The vectors cannot be added algebraically, like scalar quantities. The angle between the two vectors
playsanimportantroleinadditionofvectors.Similarly,anglebetweentwovectorsplaysanimportant
rolewhenthetwovectorsaremultipliedtogether.
Consider two quantities having magnitudes 3 and 2 respectively. If the quantities are scalars then
thentheresultoftheirmultiplicationcannotbeanythingotherthan6.Weareatlibertytoexpressthese
product as 3.2 = 6 or 3

2 = 6. If the two quantities are vector quantities, the result of their

multiplication can have any value lying in between 6 and +6. The result depends upon the angle
betweenthem.Moreoverwearenotfreetoputadot(.)oracross(

)inbetween.

Multiplicationofvectorbyascalar:
Let vector a is multiplied by a scalar m. If m is a positive quantity, only magnitude of the vector will
changebyafactormanditsdirectionwillremainsame.Ifmisanegativequantitythedirectionofthe
vectorwillbereversed.

Multiplicationofavectorbyavector:
Therearetwowaysinwhichtwovectorscanbemultipliedtogether.

(A)Dotproductorscalarproduct:
The dot product of two vectors a and b is defined as the
productoftheirmagnitudesandthecosineofthesmallerangle
betweenthetwo.
Itiswrittenbyputtingadot(.)betweentwovectors.Theresult
ofthisproductdoesnotpossessanydirection.So,itisascalar
quantity.Henceitisalsocalledascalarproduct.
=|

||

|cos=abcos

whereaandbarethemagnitudesoftherespectivevectorsandistheanglebetweenthem.Thefinal
product is a scalar quantity. If two vectors are mutually perpendicular then = 900 and cos 90 = 0,

Hence,theirdotproductiszero.

Someexamplesofdotproduct:
Work(W):Workisthedotproductoftheforce(
W=

)anddisplacement(

).Workisscalarquantity.

=Fscos

Power(P):Poweristhedotproductofforce(

)nadvelocity(

).Powerisalsoascalarquantity.

P=

Characteristicsofdotproduct:
Dotproductoftwovectorsobeysthefollowingcharacteristics.
(i)Commutative:
Dotproductbetweentwovectorsiscommutativeinnature.
If

and

aretwovectors,

then,
Itmeansthattheorderofvectorsintheproductcanbechangedwithoutaffectingtheresult.
(ii)Distributive:
Dotproductofvectorwiththesumofanumberofothervectorsisequaltothesumofthedotproducts
ofthevectortakenwithothervectorsseparately.
Mathematically,itcanbeexpressedas

(iii)Dotproductintermsofrectangularcomponent:
Here,

(iv)Perpendicularvectors:

Fortwoperpendicularvectors
=|

||

and

,=90.

|cos=abcos90=0

Thus,theproductoftwononzerovectors,whichareperpendiculartoeachother,isalwayszero.This
statementisknownasconditionofperpendicularity.
(v)Collinearvectors:
(a)Parallelvectors:
Inthiscase,=0,
So,

=|

||

|cos=abcos0=ab

(b)Antiparallelvectors:
Inthiscase,=180,
=|

||

|cos=abcos180=ab

Therefore,thedotproductofcollinearvectorsisequaltotheproductoftheirmagnitudes.Itispositiveif
theyareparallelandnegativeiftheyareantiparallel.Thestatementiscalledconditionofcolinearity.
(vi)Equalvectors:
Vectorsareequaliftheypossesssamemagnitudeanddirection,i.e.,
=0
Sodotproductoftwoequalvectorsisgivenby
=|a||a|cos0=A2
Dotproducttwoequalvectorsisequaltothesquareofthemagnitudeoftheeither.
Thus,

Problem1:
FindtheanglebetweenthevectorsAandBwhere
=2i+3j+3k,

=i+2j3k

Solution:
Weknowthat,
=|A||B|coswhere|A|=(22+32+32)=22
|B|=(12+22+32)=14
Hencecos=(

)/(|A||B|)

=((2i+3j+3k)(i+2j3k))/(2214)

=(2+69)/(277)=(1)/(277)

Thus,=cos1((1)/(277))

Crossproductorvectorproduct:
Cross product of two vectors
vector

and

is defined as a single

whosemagnitudeisequaltotheproductoftheirindividual

magnitudes and the sine of the smaller angle between them and is
directedalongtyhenormaltotheplanecontaining
x

Here

and

=absin

istheunitvectorinadirectionperpendiculartotheplanecontaining

and

Crossproductoftwovectorsbeingavectorquantityisalsoknownasvectorproduct.

Tospecifythesenseofthevectorc,refertothefiguregivenbelow.

Imaginerotatingarighthandscrewwhoseaxisisperpendiculartotheplaneformedbyvectorsaandb
soastoturnitfromvectorsatobtroughtheanglebetweenthem.Thenthedirectionofadvancement
ofthescrewgivesthedirectionofthevectorproductvectors

and

Examples:
Angularmomentum(
)andmomentum(
=

):Angularmomentum(
)isalsoavectorquantity.

)whichisthecrossproductofpositionvector(

Characteristicsofcrossproduct:
(i)Notcommutative:
Crossproductoftwovectorsisnotcommutativeinnature.

Thus,

(ii)Distributive:
Crossproductofavectorwiththesumofanumberofvectorsisequaltothesumofcrossproductof
thevectortakenwithothervectorsseparately.
So,
(iii)Collinearvectors:
(a)Parallelvectors:
Inthiscase,=0,sin=0,
So,

=anullvector

(b)Antiparallelvectors:
Inthiscase,=180,sin=0
Thus,again,

=anullvector

Therefore,crossproductoftwolinearvectorsisalwaysanullvector(zeromagnitude).Thestatementis
knownasconditionofcolinearity.
(iv)Equalvectors:
Forequalvectors,
=0,sin=0,
So,

=anullvector

(v)Perpendicularvectors:
Forperpendicularvectors,
=90,sin=1,
So,

=ab

The magnitude of the cross product of two perpendicular vectors is equal to the product of their
individualmagnitudes.
(vi)Orthogonalunitvectors:
Incaseoforthogonalunitvectors,

Problem2:
Obtainaunitvectorperpendiculartothetwovectors

=2i+3j+3k,

Solution:
Weknowthat
n=(

=ABsinn
)/ABsin

Wehave

=17i2j7k

A=29B=14
and=cos18/(1429)(Useconceptofdotproducttofind).
Fromtheabovevalueswecanfindn
Solvingweget,
n=(17i2j7k)/(2914sin)where=cos18/(1429)

Theresultofdotproductoftwovectorsisascalarquantity.
Dotproductoftheperpendicularvectorsisalwayszero.
Dotproductoftwosimilarvectorsisequaltothesquareofthe
magnitudeofeitherofthem.
Changeintheorderofvectorsdoesnotproduceachangein
theresultofdotproduct.
Crossproductoftwovectorsisavectorquantity.
Changeintheorderofvectors,inacrossproduct,resultsinthe
introductionofanegativesign.
Directionofcrossproductisalwaysperpendiculartotheplane
containingtwovectors.
Whileapplyingrightthumbrule,forcrossproduct,itmustbe

=i2j+3k

ensuredthatboththevectorsaredirectedawayordirected
towardsthepointofintersection.
Crossproductoftwolinearvectorsisalwaysanullvector
Areaoftheparallelogramformedbythetwovectorsisequalto
themagnitudeoftheircrossproduct.

Question1:
If

,then:

(a)

isperpendicularto

only.

(b)

isparallelto

(c)

isperpendiculartoboth

(d)

isparalleltoboth

.
and

and

Question2:
Whichofthefollowingiscorrect?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Question3:
Theanglebetweenthetwovectors

and

willbe:

(a)zero(b)450(c)900(d)1800
Question4:
If|

|=|

|=|

|thenanglebetweenAandBwillbe:

(a)900(b)1200(c)00(d)600
Question5:
A boat which has a speed of 5 km/h in still water crosses a river of width 1 km along the shortest
possiblepathin15minutes.Thevelocityoftheriverwasinkm/his
(a)1(b)4(c)21(d)3

Q.1
c

Q.2
d

Q.3
c

Q.4
b

Q.5
d