Calculating Vector Norms: Solving for Magnitude of Vectors

In summary, the given vectors u, v, and w are (2,-2,3), (1,-3,4), and (3,6,-4) respectively. The first problem asks to find the norm of 2u-4v+w, which simplifies to (3,14,-14) and has a norm of sqrt(401). The second problem asks to find the norm of u-v, which simplifies to (2,-2,3)-(1,-3,4) and has a norm of sqrt(26). However, the answers in the book are given as sqrt(529) and sqrt(26) respectively, which do not match the calculated values. There may be an error in the book
  • #1
kwal0203
69
0

Homework Statement



[itex]u=(2,-2,3)[/itex]
[itex]v=(1,-3,4)[/itex]
[itex]w=(3,6,-4)[/itex]

1.
[itex]\left \| 2u-4v+w \right \|[/itex]

2.
[itex]\left \| u \right \|-\left \| v \right \|[/itex]


The Attempt at a Solution



1.
[itex]\left \| 2(2,-2,3)-4(1,-3,4)+(3,6,-4) \right \|[/itex]
[itex]\left \| (4,-4,6)+(-4,12,-16)+(3,6,-4) \right \|[/itex]
[itex]\left \| (3,14,-14)\right \|[/itex]

[itex]=\sqrt{3^{2}+14^{2}+(-14)^{2}}[/itex]
[itex]=\sqrt{9+196+196}[/itex]
[itex]=\sqrt{401}[/itex]

answer in book is [itex]\sqrt{529}[/itex]

2.
[itex]\left \| (2,-2,3) \right \|-\left \| 1,-3,4 \right \|[/itex]
[itex]\sqrt{2^{2}+(-2)^{2}+3^{2}}-\sqrt{1^{2}+(-3)^{2}+4^{2}}[/itex]
[itex]\sqrt{4+4+9}-\sqrt{1+9+16}[/itex]
[itex]\sqrt{17}-\sqrt{26}[/itex]

answer in book is [itex]\sqrt{26}[/itex]
 
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  • #2
Your work is correct.

I see three possibilities:
1) The answers in the book are wrong.
2) You have copied the problems incorrectly.
3) You have accidently copied the answers for the wrong problem.
 
  • #3
Hmmm, this is strange. I knew my method was correct so I went on to the next set and still my answers are not matching the book! Thanks for your input :)
 

FAQ: Calculating Vector Norms: Solving for Magnitude of Vectors

1. What is the norm of a vector?

The norm of a vector is a measure of its length or magnitude. It is typically represented by ||v||, where v is the vector. The norm can be calculated using various methods, such as the Euclidean norm (square root of the sum of squared components) or the Manhattan norm (sum of absolute values of components).

2. Why is finding the norm of a vector important?

The norm of a vector is important because it provides valuable information about the vector's magnitude and direction. It can be used in many mathematical and scientific applications, including optimization problems, machine learning algorithms, and physical models.

3. How do you find the norm of a vector?

The norm of a vector can be found using different methods depending on the specific application. In general, the Euclidean norm can be calculated using the Pythagorean theorem, while the Manhattan norm can be found by summing the absolute values of the vector's components. There are also other norms, such as the infinity norm, which can be found using the maximum absolute value of the vector's components.

4. Can the norm of a vector be negative?

No, the norm of a vector is always a positive value. It represents the magnitude or length of the vector, which cannot be negative. However, the components of a vector can be negative, which can affect the value of the norm depending on the calculation method used.

5. How is the norm of a vector related to its unit vector?

The norm of a vector is related to its unit vector by dividing the vector by its norm. This results in a unit vector with a norm of 1, which represents the direction of the original vector without taking into account its magnitude. In other words, the unit vector is the normalized version of the original vector.

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