Chapter 1: Problem 27
Find a unit vector \(u\) orthogonal to \(v=[1,3,4]\) and \(w=[2,-6,-5].\)
Short Answer
Expert verified
The unit vector orthogonal to both v and w is: \(u = \frac{[39, 13, -12]}{\sqrt{1834}}\).
Step by step solution
01
Calculate the cross product of v and w
To find a vector orthogonal to both v and w, we compute the cross product:
\[
v \times w = \begin{vmatrix} \hat{i} & \hat{j} & \hat{k} \\ 1 & 3 & 4 \\ 2 & -6 & -5 \end{vmatrix}
\]
02
Expand the determinants
Expanding the determinants, we have:
\[
v \times w = \hat{i} \begin{vmatrix} 3 & 4 \\ -6 & -5 \end{vmatrix} - \hat{j} \begin{vmatrix} 1 & 4 \\ 2 & -5 \end{vmatrix} + \hat{k} \begin{vmatrix} 1 & 3 \\ 2 & -6 \end{vmatrix}
\]
03
Calculate the values of the determinants
Calculating the values of the determinants, we have:
\[
v \times w = \hat{i} (3*(-5)-4*(-6)) - \hat{j} (1*(-5)-4*2) + \hat{k} (1*(-6)-3*2)
\]
04
Simplify the Cartesian components
Simplifying the Cartesian components, we have:
\[
v \times w = \hat{i} (15+24) - \hat{j} (-5-8) + \hat{k} (-6-6) = 39\hat{i} + 13\hat{j} - 12\hat{k}
\]
So, the orthogonal vector is \([39, 13, -12]\).
05
Calculate the magnitude of the orthogonal vector
Now, find the magnitude of the orthogonal vector:
\[
\|v \times w\| = \sqrt{(39)^2 + (13)^2 + (-12)^2}
\]
06
Simplify the magnitude expression
Simplifying the expression, we get:
\[
\|v \times w\| = \sqrt{1521 + 169 + 144} = \sqrt{1834}
\]
07
Normalize the orthogonal vector
To find a unit vector, we need to normalize the orthogonal vector:
\[
u = \frac{v \times w}{\|v \times w\|} = \frac{[39, 13, -12]}{\sqrt{1834}}
\]
The unit vector orthogonal to both v and w is: \(u = \frac{[39, 13, -12]}{\sqrt{1834}}\).
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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 a mathematical operation used in linear algebra to determine a vector that is orthogonal to two given vectors in three-dimensional space. To compute the cross product of two vectors, such as \( v = [1,3,4] \) and \( w = [2,-6,-5] \), you can utilize the determinant of a matrix.The cross product \( v \times w \) can be calculated by creating a 3x3 matrix, where the first row contains the unit vectors \( \hat{i}, \hat{j}, \hat{k} \) (representing the x, y, and z axes respectively), and the second and third rows contain the components of vectors \( v \) and \( w \).
- First, arrange these vectors in a matrix.
- Then, expand and compute the determinants for each component.
- Simplify the resulting expressions to find the cross product.
Orthogonal Vector
In geometry and linear algebra, a vector is orthogonal to another if they meet at a right angle. This means their dot product is zero. The cross product of two vectors gives a third vector which is orthogonal to the first two.For instance, given vectors \( v = [1,3,4] \) and \( w = [2,-6,-5] \), their cross product, \([39, 13, -12]\), is orthogonal to both. This is verified using the dot product:
- The dot product of \( v \) and the orthogonal vector is: \((1 \times 39) + (3 \times 13) + (4 \times -12) = 0\).
- The dot product of \( w \) and the orthogonal vector is: \((2 \times 39) + (-6 \times 13) + (-5 \times -12) = 0\).
Unit Vector
A unit vector is a vector with a magnitude of one. To convert any vector into a unit vector, you divide the vector by its magnitude. This process is known as normalization. For the orthogonal vector \([39, 13, -12]\) obtained from the cross product, the magnitude is calculated as:\[\sqrt{39^2 + 13^2 + (-12)^2} = \sqrt{1834}\]To normalize the vector, divide each component by the magnitude:
- \( x \) component: \( \frac{39}{\sqrt{1834}} \)
- \( y \) component: \( \frac{13}{\sqrt{1834}} \)
- \( z \) component: \( \frac{-12}{\sqrt{1834}} \)