Chapter 7: Problem 28
Find the angle \(\theta\left(0^{\circ} \leq \theta \leq 180\right.\); round to the nearest degree) between each pair of vectors. $$ \langle-5,-5 \sqrt{3}\rangle \text { and }\langle 2,-\sqrt{2}\rangle $$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The angle \( \theta \) is approximately \( 109^\circ \).
Step by step solution
01
Write the Formula for Dot Product
The dot product of two vectors \( \langle a_1, b_1 \rangle \) and \( \langle a_2, b_2 \rangle \) is given by: \[ a_1 \cdot a_2 + b_1 \cdot b_2 \] In this problem, the vectors are \( \langle -5, -5\sqrt{3} \rangle \) and \( \langle 2, -\sqrt{2} \rangle \).
02
Calculate the Dot Product
Compute the dot product of the vectors using the formula from Step 1:\[ -5 \cdot 2 + (-5\sqrt{3}) \cdot (-\sqrt{2}) \] Which simplifies to:\[ -10 + 5\sqrt{3} \cdot \sqrt{2} \]\[ -10 + 5\sqrt{6} \]
03
Find the Magnitudes
The magnitude of a vector \( \langle a, b \rangle \) is found using the formula:\[ \sqrt{a^2 + b^2} \]For \( \langle -5, -5\sqrt{3} \rangle \), the magnitude is:\[ \sqrt{(-5)^2 + (-5\sqrt{3})^2} = \sqrt{25 + 75} = \sqrt{100} = 10 \]For \( \langle 2, -\sqrt{2} \rangle \), the magnitude is:\[ \sqrt{2^2 + (-\sqrt{2})^2} = \sqrt{4 + 2} = \sqrt{6} \]
04
Use the Dot Product Formula to Find \( \theta \)
The formula for the angle \( \theta \) between two vectors using the dot product is:\[ \cos \theta = \frac{\text{dot product}}{\text{magnitude of first vector} \times \text{magnitude of second vector}} \]This becomes:\[ \cos \theta = \frac{-10 + 5\sqrt{6}}{10 \cdot \sqrt{6}} \]
05
Calculate \( \theta \) Using Inverse Cosine
Solve for \( \theta \) by applying the inverse cosine function:\[ \theta = \cos^{-1}\left( \frac{-10 + 5\sqrt{6}}{10\sqrt{6}} \right) \]Computing this gives:\[ \theta \approx 109.47^\circ \]
06
Round \( \theta \) to the Nearest Degree
Finally, round the angle to the nearest degree:\[ \theta \approx 109^\circ \]
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Dot Product
The dot product is a fundamental concept in vector mathematics that helps determine the relationship between two vectors. In this exercise, the dot product of two vectors \( \langle a_1, b_1 \rangle \) and \( \langle a_2, b_2 \rangle \) is calculated using the formula:
- Dot product = \( a_1 \cdot a_2 + b_1 \cdot b_2 \)
- \( -5 \cdot 2 + (-5\sqrt{3}) \cdot (-\sqrt{2}) \)
- Which simplifies to \( -10 + 5\sqrt{6} \)
Magnitude of a Vector
The magnitude of a vector is like its length. It helps quantify the vector's size in a geometrical sense, essential for calculating angles between vectors. For any vector \( \langle a, b \rangle \), the formula for magnitude is:
- Magnitude = \( \sqrt{a^2 + b^2} \)
- \( \sqrt{(-5)^2 + (-5\sqrt{3})^2} = 10 \)
- \( \sqrt{2^2 + (-\sqrt{2})^2} = \sqrt{6} \)
Inverse Cosine Function
The inverse cosine function, or arccos, is used to find the angle between two vectors once you've calculated the cosine value. This function helps to convert a cosine value back into an angle, providing a direct relationship between the dot product and the magnitude of the vectors. The formula applied here is:
- \( \cos \theta = \frac{\text{dot product}}{\text{magnitude of first vector} \times \text{magnitude of second vector}} \)
- \( \cos \theta = \frac{-10 + 5\sqrt{6}}{10 \cdot \sqrt{6}} \)
- \( \theta = \cos^{-1}\left( \frac{-10 + 5\sqrt{6}}{10\sqrt{6}} \right) \)