Chapter 5: Problem 59
Prove that \(\mathbf{u} \cdot(\mathbf{v} \times \mathbf{w})=(\mathbf{u} \times \mathbf{v}) \cdot \mathbf{w}\)
Short Answer
Expert verified
The identity \(\mathbf{u} \cdot(\mathbf{v} \times \mathbf{w})=(\mathbf{u} \times \mathbf{v}) \cdot \mathbf{w}\) is proven by applying the definition of cross product and dot product.
Step by step solution
01
Write vectors in Component Form
Let \(\mathbf{u} = (u1,u2,u3)\), \(\mathbf{v} = (v1,v2,v3)\), and \(\mathbf{w} = (w1,w2,w3)\) be in three-dimensional Cartesian coordinates.
02
Evaluate the Cross Product
The cross product of two vectors \(\mathbf{v} = (v1,v2,v3)\) and \(\mathbf{w} = (w1,w2,w3)\) is given by \( \mathbf{v} \times \mathbf{w} = (v2w3 - v3w2, v3w1 - v1w3, v1w2 - v2w1)\).
03
Compute \(\mathbf{u} \cdot(\mathbf{v} \times \mathbf{w})\)
The dot product is computed as \(\mathbf{u} \cdot(\mathbf{v} \times \mathbf{w}) = u1(v2w3 - v3w2)+u2(v3w1 - v1w3)+u3(v1w2 - v2w1)\).
04
Evaluate the Cross Product for \(\mathbf{u} \times \mathbf{v}\)
The cross product of \(\mathbf{u} = (u1,u2,u3)\) and \(\mathbf{v} = (v1,v2,v3)\) is \(\mathbf{u} \times \mathbf{v} = (u2v3-u3v2, u3v1-u1v3, u1v2-u2v1)\). It represents a new vector.
05
Compute \((\mathbf{u} \times \mathbf{v}) \cdot \mathbf{w}\)
The dot product is given by \((\mathbf{u} \times \mathbf{v}) \cdot \mathbf{w}= w1(u2v3-u3v2)+w2(u3v1-u1v3)+w3(u1v2-u2v1)\).
06
Conclusion
From the calculations in Step 3 and Step 5, It can be seen that the result of \(\mathbf{u} \cdot(\mathbf{v} \times \mathbf{w})=(\mathbf{u} \times \mathbf{v}) \cdot \mathbf{w}\) is the same, which proves the identity.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Cross Product
The cross product is an operation on two vectors in three-dimensional space. It results in a third vector that is perpendicular to the plane formed by the two input vectors. The cross product is denoted as \( \mathbf{v} \times \mathbf{w} \), where \( \mathbf{v} \) and \( \mathbf{w} \) are vectors.
- The direction of the resulting vector is determined by the right-hand rule. If you point your index finger along \( \mathbf{v} \) and your middle finger along \( \mathbf{w} \), your thumb points in the direction of the cross product.
- The magnitude of the cross product vector is equal to the area of the parallelogram with sides \( \mathbf{v} \) and \( \mathbf{w} \).
Dot Product
The dot product is another fundamental vector operation used to compute the product of two vectors. Unlike the cross product, the dot product results in a scalar value rather than a vector.
- It measures the extent to which two vectors are parallel.
- Mathematically expressed as \( \mathbf{a} \cdot \mathbf{b} = a_1b_1 + a_2b_2 + a_3b_3 \).
Cartesian Coordinates
Cartesian coordinates describe the position of a point or object in three-dimensional space using three values, usually labeled \( (x, y, z) \). Each value corresponds to the position along one of the three axes in 3D space.
- With vectors represented as \( (u_1, u_2, u_3) \), calculations become straightforward as each element corresponds directly to one spatial dimension.
- The system uses perpendicular axes that intersect at a common origin. Each coordinate measures distance from this origin along a specific axis.
Vector Identity
In vector algebra, identities are equations that hold true for all vectors involved in specific vector operations. The triple product identity given in the exercise is a common and crucial one:\[\mathbf{u} \cdot (\mathbf{v} \times \mathbf{w}) = (\mathbf{u} \times \mathbf{v}) \cdot \mathbf{w}\]
- Both sides of the equation represent the scalar triple product, essentially expressing the volume of the parallelepiped determined by the three vectors \( \mathbf{u}, \mathbf{v}, \mathbf{w} \).
- This identity illustrates how the order of operations can change without affecting the outcome when combining cross and dot products.