Scalar Product of Two Vectors

If A & B are vectors, their Scalar Product is defined as:

A-B AB cos
In terms of vector components & unit vectors i,j,k are
along the x,y,z axes:
A = A
x
i + A
y
j + A
z
k B = B
x
i + B
y
j + B
z
k
Using i-i = j-j = k-k = 1, i-j= i-k = j-k = 0 gives
A-B = A
x
B
x
+ A
y
B
y
+ A
z
B
z


Dot Product clearly a SCALAR.

Vector Product & Torque
Another kind of product of 2 vectors, useful in physics is called
the Vector Product or Cross Product.
Look closely at the relationship between a torque & the force F
which produces it.
sin rF t | =
p
A force F acting on a body at
position r produces a torque with
magnitude:
Figure: F causes a torque that rotates
the object about an axis perpendicular
to BOTH r AND F. Mathematicians
have taught us that the torque is a
VECTOR in the direction of the axis
of rotation & can be written
t = F r
Vector Product Definition
If A & B are vectors, their Vector (Cross)
Product is defined as:
A third vector
C is read as A cross B
The magnitude of vector C is AB sin
where is the angle between A & B
= C A B
The magnitude of C, which is AB sin is equal to
the area of the parallelogram formed by A and B.
The direction of C is perpendicular to the plane
formed by A and B
The best way to
determine this
direction is to use
the right-hand rule

Vector Product
The vector product is not commutative! Unlike scalars, the
order in which the vectors are multiplied is important
By the way its defined,
I f A is parallel to B ( = 0
o
or 180
o
), then



If A is perpendicular to B, then




The vector product is distributive:



= A B B A 0 = A B 0 = A A
Vector Product Properties
AB = A B
x ( + ) = x + x A B C A B A C
The derivative of the cross product with respect to
some variable, such as t, obeys the chain rule of
calculus:


Note! It is important to preserve the multiplicative
order of A and B
( )
d d d
dt dt dt
= +
A B
A B B A
Vector Product Derivative Properties

0



= = =
= =
= =
= =
i i j j k k
i j j i k
j k k j i
k i i k j
Vector Products of Unit Vectors
Contrast with scalar products of unit vectors

Signs are interchangeable in cross products




= = =
= = =
i i j j k k
i j i k j k
1
0
( )
- = A B A B
( ) j i j i

=
The cross product can be expressed as




Expanding the determinants gives


y z x y
x z
x y z
y z x y
x z
x y z
A A A A
A A
A A A
B B B B
B B
B B B
= = +
i j k
A B i j k
( ) ( ) ( )

y z z y x z z x x y y x
A B A B A B A B A B A B = + A B i j k
Vector Products Using Determinants
***
Given

Find
Result is

2 3 ; 2 = + = + A i j B i j
A B

(2 3 ) ( 2 )

2 ( ) 2 2 3 ( ) 3 2

0 4 3 0 7
= + +
= + + +
= + + + =
A B i j i j
i i i j j i j j
k k k
Example
End
Given the force F and position r:


Find the torque produced
Result is


(2.00 3.00 )

(4.00 5.00 )
N
m
= +
= +
F i j
r i j

[(4.00 5.00 )N] [(2.00 3.00 )m]

[(4.00)(2.00) (4.00)(3.00)

(5.00)(2.00) (5.00)(3.00)

2.0 N m
t = = + +
= +
+ +
=
r F i j i j
i i i j
j i i j
k
Example Torque Vector
Translation-Rotation Analogues & Connections
Translation Rotation
Displacement x
Velocity v
Acceleration a
Force (Torque) F
Mass (moment of inertia) m I
Newtons 2
nd
Law F = ma = I
Kinetic Energy (KE) ()mv
2
()I
2

Work (constant F,) Fd
Momentum mv ?
CONNECTI ONS: v = r, a
t
= r
a
c
= (v
2
/r) =
2
r , = dF , I = (mr
2
)