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Dot Product and Vector Projections

This document discusses the dot product and related concepts in multi-dimensional vectors. It defines the dot product of two vectors as the sum of the element-wise products. It describes properties of the dot product including commutativity, bilinearity, and using it to find the angle and length of vectors. It also introduces the concepts of parallel and orthogonal vectors, and using the dot product to find the scalar and vector projections of one vector onto another. Several examples are provided to demonstrate calculating these vector relationships.

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Bakari Hamisi
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96 views7 pages

Dot Product and Vector Projections

This document discusses the dot product and related concepts in multi-dimensional vectors. It defines the dot product of two vectors as the sum of the element-wise products. It describes properties of the dot product including commutativity, bilinearity, and using it to find the angle and length of vectors. It also introduces the concepts of parallel and orthogonal vectors, and using the dot product to find the scalar and vector projections of one vector onto another. Several examples are provided to demonstrate calculating these vector relationships.

Uploaded by

Bakari Hamisi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1

Section 9.3: The Dot Product

Practice HW from Stewart Textbook (not to hand in)


p. 655 # 3-8, 11, 13-15, 17, 23-26

Dot Product of Two Vectors

The dot product of two vectors gives a scalar that is computed in the following manner.

In 2D, if a = < a1 , a 2 > and b = < b1 ,b2 > , then

Dot product = a ⋅ b = a1b1 + a 2 b2

In 3D, if a = < a1 , a 2 , a3 > and b = < b1 , b2 , b3 > , then

Dot product = a ⋅ b = a1b1 + a 2 b2 + a3b3

Properties of the Dot Product p, 654


Let a, b, and c be vectors, k be a scalar.
1. a ⋅ b = b ⋅ a
2. a ⋅ (b + c ) = a ⋅ b + a ⋅ c
3. 0 ⋅ a = 0
4. k (a ⋅ b) = (k a ) ⋅ b = a ⋅ ( k b)
5. a ⋅ a = | a | 2
2

Example 1: Given a = 2i + j − 2k and b = i − 3 j + 2k , find


a. a ⋅ b d. | a | 2
b. b ⋅ a e. (a ⋅ b)b
c. a ⋅ a f. a ⋅ (2v )

Solution:

█
3

Angle Between Two Vectors

Given two vectors a and b separated by an angle θ , 0 ≤ θ ≤ π .

Then

a⋅b
cos θ =
|a| |b|

Then we can write the dot product as

a ⋅ b = | a | | b | cos θ

Example 2: Find the angle θ between the given vectors a = < 3, 1 > and b = < 2, -1 >.

Solution:

█
4

Parallel Vectors

Two vectors a and b are parallel of there is a scalar k where a = k b .

Parallel Vectors

2a

a
-a

Orthogonal Vectors

Two vectors a and b are orthogonal (intersect at a 90 0 angle) of

a⋅b = 0

Orthogonal Vectors

π
Note: If two vectors a and b are orthogonal, they intersect at the angle θ = and
2

π
a ⋅ b = | a | | b | cos( ) =| a | | b | (0) = 0
2
5

Example 3: Determine whether the two vectors a and b are orthogonal, parallel, or
neither.

3 1
a. a =< 2, 18 > , b =< ,− >
2 6
b. a = −4i − 5 j + 6k , b = 8i + 10 j − 12k
c. a = −4i − 5 j + 6k , b = 5 j − 6k

Solution:

█
6

Projections
Suppose we are given the vectors a and b in the following diagram

θ
a
w = proja b

The vector in red w = proja b is called the vector projection of the vector b onto the
vector a. Since w is a smaller vector in length the vector a, it is “parallel” to a and hence
is a scalar multiple of a. Thus, we can write w = k a, The scalar k is know as the scalar
projection of vector b onto the vector a (also known as the component of b along a). We
assign the scalar k the notation

k = comp a b

Our goal first is to find k. From the definition of a right triangle,

adjacent | w | | ka | k | a |
cos θ = = = =
hypotenuse | b | |b| |b|

Also, the definition of the dot product says that

a⋅b
cos θ =
|a| |b|

Hence, we can say that

k|a| a⋅b
=
|b| |a| |b|

Solving for k gives

|b| a⋅b a⋅b


k= =
| a | | a | | b | | a |2
7

To get the vector projection, we compute the vector w. This gives the following result.

a⋅b
w = ka = a
| a |2

Summarizing, we obtain the following results.

Scalar and Vector Projection

a⋅b
Scalar Projection of b onto a: comp a b =
| a |2

a⋅b
Vector Projection of b onto a: proja b = (comp a b ) a = a
| a |2

Example 4: Find the scalar and vector projections of b onto a if a =< 0,2,3 > and
< −2,1,1 >

Solution: The scalar projection of of b onto a is given by the formula

a⋅b
comp a b =
| a |2

We see that

a ⋅ b = (0)(−2) + (2)(1) + (3)(1) = 0 + 2 + 3 = 5

and that

( 13 )2 = 13 .
2
| a | 2 = ⎛⎜ (0) 2 + (2) 2 + (3) 2 ⎞⎟ =
⎝ ⎠

Thus the scalar projection is

a⋅b 5
Scalar projection of b onto a = comp a b = = .
| a |2 13
Hence, the vector projection is

5 10 15
Vector projection of b onto a = (comp a b) a = < 0,2,3 >=< 0, , > .
13 13 13

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