• A vector has magnitude (how long it is) and direction:

• Two vectors can be multiplied using the "Cross Product" (also

see Dot Product)
• The Cross Product a × b of two vectors is another vector that is at
right angles to both:

And it all happens in 3 dimensions!

• The magnitude (length) of the cross product equals the area of a
parallelogram with vectors a and b for sides:
• See how it changes for different angles:

• The cross product (blue) is:

• zero in length when vectors a and b point in the same, or opposite, direction
• reaches maximum length when vectors a and b are at right angles
And it can point one way or the
other!
So how do we calculate it?
Calculating
• WE CAN CALCULATE THE CROSS PRODUCT THIS WAY:
a × b = |a| |b| sin(θ) n
• |a| is the magnitude (length) of vector a
• |b| is the magnitude (length) of vector b
• θ is the angle between a and b
• n is the unit vector at right angles to both a and b

• So the length is: the length of a times the length of b times the sine of the
angle between a and b,
• Then we multiply by the vector n to make sure it heads in the
right direction (at right angles to both a and b).
• OR WE CAN CALCULATE IT THIS WAY:
• When a and b start at the origin point (0,0,0), the Cross Product will
end at:
• cx = aybz − azby
• cy = azbx − axbz
• cz = axby − aybx
Example
• Example: The cross product of a = (2,3,4) and b = (5,6,7)

cx = aybz − azby = 3×7 − 4×6 = −3

cy = azbx − axbz = 4×5 − 2×7 = 6
cz = axby − aybx = 2×6 − 3×5 = −3

Answer: a × b = (−3,6,−3)
Which Direction?
• The cross product could point in the completely opposite direction
and still be at right angles to the two other vectors, so we have the:
• "Right Hand Rule"
• With your right-hand, point your index finger along vector a, and
point your middle finger along vector b: the cross product goes in the
direction of your thumb.
Dot Product
• The Cross Product gives a vector answer, and is sometimes called
the vector product.
• But there is also the Dot Product which gives a scalar (ordinary
number) answer, and is sometimes called the scalar product.
Question
Your Turn
• Vector a has magnitude 3, vector b has magnitude 4, the angle
between a and b is 30° and n is the unit vector at right angles to
both a and b
What is a × b ?
• A 3n
• B 6n
• C 9n
• D 10.39n
• Vector a has magnitude 3√2, vector b has magnitude 5.
The angle between a and b is 135° and n is the unit vector at right angles to both a and b.
What is the value of a × b ?
• A
• -15√2n
• B
• -15n
• C
• 15n
• D
• 15√2n
• Vector a has magnitude 1/√3, vector b has magnitude 4, the angle
between a and b is 60° and n is the unit vector at right angles to both a and b
What is the value of a × b ?
• A
• 2n
• B
• 2√3n
• C
• (2/√3)n
• D
• 4n
• What is the cross product of a = (1, 2, 3) and b = (4, 5, 6)?
•A
• (4, 10, 18)
•B
• (-3, 18, -3)
•C
• (3, 6, -3)
•D
• (-3, 6, -3)
• What is the cross product of a = (-2, 3, 5) and b = (-4, 1, -6)?
•A
• (-23, -32, 10)
•B
• (-23, -8, 10)
•C
• (-23, -32, -14)
•D
• (8, 3, -30)
• What is the cross product of a = (2, -5, 1) and b = (3, -2, -4)?
•A
• (18, 11, 11)
•B
• (22, 11, 11)
•C
• (22, -5, 11)
•D
• (22, 11, -19)
• If a = (-2, 1, 1), b = (2, 1, 1) and c = a × b, what is the magnitude of c?
•A
• 2√2
•B
•4
•C
• 4√2
•D
•8
• If a = (2, 0, 1), b = (0, 1, ½) and c = a × b, what is the magnitude of c?
•A
• √6
•B
•3
•C
• 2√3
•D
• 2√6
• If a = (2, -4, 4), b = (4, 0, 3) and c = a × b, what is the magnitude of c?
•A
• 4√13
•B
• 20
•C
• 10√5
•D
• 30
• a, b and c are three vectors such that c is perpendicular to both a and b
What is the value of a × b × c?
•A
• (1, 1, 1)
•B
• (0, 0, 0)
•C
• (1, 1, 0)
•D
• (0, 0, 1)
• Vector a has magnitude 3, vector b has magnitude 4, the angle
between a and b is 30° and n is the unit vector at right angles to both a and b
What is a × b ?
• A
• 3n
• B
• 6n
• C
• 9n
• D
• 10.39n
• Vector a has magnitude 3√2, vector b has magnitude 5.
The angle between a and b is 135° and n is the unit vector at right angles to both a and b.
What is the value of a × b ?
• A
• -15√2n
• B
• -15n
• C
• 15n
• D
• 15√2n
• Vector a has magnitude 1/√3, vector b has magnitude 4, the angle
between a and b is 60° and n is the unit vector at right angles to both a and b
What is the value of a × b ?
• A
• 2n
• B
• 2√3n
• C
• (2/√3)n
• D
• 4n
• What is the cross product of a = (1, 2, 3) and b = (4, 5, 6)?
•A
• (4, 10, 18)
•B
• (-3, 18, -3)
•C
• (3, 6, -3)
•D
• (-3, 6, -3)
Dot Product
• A vector has magnitude (how long it is) and direction:
• They can be multiplied using the "Dot Product" (also see Cross
Product).
Calculating
• The Dot Product gives a number as an answer (a "scalar", not a vector).
• The Dot Product is written using a central dot:
a·b
This means the Dot Product of a and b
• We can calculate the Dot Product of two vectors this way:
• a · b = |a| × |b| × cos(θ)
• Where:
|a| is the magnitude (length) of vector a
|b| is the magnitude (length) of vector b
θ is the angle between a and b
• OR we can calculate it this way:

• a · b = ax × bx + ay × by
• So we multiply the x's, multiply the y's, then add.
Example
• Example: Calculate the dot product of vectors a and b:
• a · b = |a| × |b| × cos(θ)
• a · b = 10 × 13 × cos(59.5°)
• a · b = 10 × 13 × 0.5075...
• a · b = 65.98... = 66 (rounded)
• or we can calculate it this way:
• a · b = ax × bx + ay × by
• a · b = -6 × 5 + 8 × 12
• a · b = -30 + 96
• a · b = 66
• Both methods came up with the same result (after rounding)
• Also note that we used minus 6 for ax (it is heading in the negative x-direction)
Why cos(θ) ?
• OK, to multiply two vectors it makes sense to multiply their lengths
together but only when they point in the same direction.
• So we make one "point in the same direction" as the other by
multiplying by cos(θ):

Like shining a light to see

We take the component of a
where the shadow lies
that lies alongside b
• THEN we multiply !
• It works exactly the same if we "projected" b alongside a then
multiplied:
• Because it doesn't matter which order we do the multiplication:

|a| × |b| × cos(θ) = |a| × cos(θ) × |b|

Right Angles
• When two vectors are at right angles to each other the dot product
is zero.
Three or More Dimensions
• This all works fine in 3 (or more) dimensions,
too.
• And can actually be very useful!

• Example: Sam has measured the end-points of

two poles, and wants to know the angle
between them:
• We have 3 dimensions, so don't forget the z-components:
• a · b = ax × bx + ay × by + az × bz
• a · b = 9 × 4 + 2 × 8 + 7 × 10
• a · b = 36 + 16 + 70
• a · b = 122

• Now for the other formula:

• a · b = |a| × |b| × cos(θ)
• But what is |a| ? It is the magnitude, or length, of the vector a. We can
use Pythagoras:
• |a| = √(42 + 82 + 102)
• |a| = √(16 + 64 + 100)
• |a| = √180
• Likewise for |b|:
• |b| = √(92 + 22 + 72)
• |b| = √(81 + 4 + 49)
• |b| = √134
• And we know from the calculation above that a · b = 122, so:
• a · b = |a| × |b| × cos(θ)
122 = √180 × √134 × cos(θ)
cos(θ) = 122 / (√180 × √134)
cos(θ) = 0.7855...
θ = cos-1(0.7855...) = 38.2...°
• Done!
Cross Product
• The Dot Product gives a scalar (ordinary number) answer, and is
sometimes called the scalar product.
• But there is also the Cross Product which gives a vector as an answer,
and is sometimes called the vector product.
Source
• https://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/vectors-dot-product.html
• https://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/vectors-cross-product.html
Question
• Vector a has magnitude 3, vector b has magnitude 4 and the angle
between a and b is 60°
What is the value of a.b ?
•A
•3
•B
•5
•C
•6
•D
• 10.39
• Vector a has magnitude 3√2, vector b has magnitude 5 and the angle
between a and b is 135°.
What is the value of a.b ?
• A
• -15
• B
• -15√2
• C
• 15√2
• D
• 15
What is the value of a.b ?
A
3
B
8
C
24
D
28
• What is the value of a.b ?
•A
• -6
•B
•1
•C
•6
•D
• 18
• Use the dot product to find the size of angle θ?
•A
• 75.7°
•B
• 90°
•C
• 104.3°
•D
• 110°
• Use the dot product to find the size of angle θ?
•A
• 113.2°
•B
• 73.2°
•C
• 70°
•D
• 66.8°
• a = (4, 3), b = (4, -3), c = (-3, 4) and d = (-3, -4)
Which of the following pairs of vectors is perpendicular?
• A
• a and b
• B
• a and c
• C
• b and c
• D
• c and d
• Sally has measured the end-points of two poles, and wants to know the
angle between them:
• Use the dot product to calculate the size of angle θ.
•A
• 142.9°
•B
• 90°
•C
• 52.9°
•D
• 37.1°
• What is the size of the angle between the vectors a = (2, 5, -1) and b = (-3,
2, 6)?
•A
• 3.0°
•B
• 87.0°
•C
• 93.0°
•D
• 177.0°
END