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Students will be able to use the dot product to:
a) determine an angle between two vectors,
and,
b) determine the projection of a vector along  
a specified line. ‡ Check Homework
‡ Reading Quiz
‡ Applications / Relevance
‡ Dot product - Definition
‡ Angle Determination
‡ Determining the Projection
‡ Concept Quiz
‡ Group Problem Solving
‡ Attention Quiz
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±. The dot product of two vectors V and is V

defined as
„
A) P Q cos „ -) P Q sin „
C) P Q tan „ D) P Q sec „

2. The dot product of two vectors results in a _________

quantity.
A) scalar -) vector
C) complex D) zero
 
 

·or this geometry, can you determine

angles between the pole and the cables?

·or force · at Point A, what

component of it (·±) acts along the
pipe OA? What component (·2) acts
perpendicular to the pipe?
 |!
 

The dot product of vectors h and is defined as hÄ m A - cos „.

Angle „ is the smallest angle between the two vectors and is
always in a range of 0º to ± 0º.
|"#$ " "
±. The result of the dot product is a scalar (a positive or
negative number).
2. The units of the dot product will be the product of the units
of the h and
vectors
 |
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|!

(continued)

Examples: á Ä m 0
á Äá m ±

h

m (Ax á + Ay
+ Az ) Ä (-x á + -y + -z )

m Ax -x + Ay-y + Az-z
  
%|
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|
&
%
'
(
( )


·or the given two vectors in the Cartesian form, one can find the
angle by
a) ·inding the dot product, h


m (Ax-x + Ay-y + Az-z ),
b) ·inding the magnitudes (A & -) of the vectors h & , and
c) Using the definition of dot product and solving for „, i.e.,
„ m cos-±
(h

/(A -)], where 0º 2 „ 2 ± 0º .
 |
&
% *
  !)


ÿou can determine the components of a vector parallel and

perpendicular to a line using the dot product.
+
±. ·ind the unit vector, „
along line aa´
2. ·ind the scalar projection of h along line aa´ by
A|| m h

„

m AxUx + AyUy + Az Uz
 |
&
% *
  !)

(continued)

]. If needed, the projection can be written as a vector, h
, by

using the unit vector „
and the magnitude found in step 2.
h m A|| „

4. The scalar and vector forms of the perpendicular component

can easily be obtained by
A - m (A 2 - A|| 2) ½ and
h
-  h
 h

(rearranging the vector sum of h

h- w
h )
 ,&

The force acting on the pole

!The angle between the force
vector and the pole, and the
magnitude of the projection
of the force along the pole
OA.
h

 
±. Get r h

2. „ m cos-±(·

r h)/(· rOA)}

]. ·OA m ·

h or · cos „
 ,&
(continued)
r h m 2 á + 2 ± ± } m
rOA m (22 + 22 + ±2)±/2 m ] m
· m 2 á + 4 + ±0 }kN
· m (22 + 42 + ±02)±/2 m ±0ðË kN
h
·

r h m (2)(2) + (4)(2) + (±0)(-±) m 2 kN·m
„ m cos-±(·
 r h)/(· rOA)}
„ m cos-± 2/(±0ðË * ])} m ð

h m r h/rOA m (2/]) á + (2/]) ± (±/]) }
·OA m ·
 h m (2)(2/]) + (4)(2/]) + (±0)(-±/]) m 0ð kN
Or ·OA m · cos „ m ±0ðË cos( ð ±
) m 0ð kN