Show that it is orthogonal to both u and v

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Just using the cross product itself gives you a vector orthogonal to both u and v. In summary, to show that u x v is orthogonal to both u and v, you can use the dot product of u x v with u and v respectively. If both dot products are equal to 0, then the vectors are orthogonal. You do not need to divide by the magnitude of u x v since the problem does not specify a unit vector.
  • #1
htk
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find u X v and show that it is orthogonal to both u and v.

u= 6k
v=-i + 3j + k

http://s763.photobucket.com/albums/xx275/trinhkieu888/?action=view&current=666.jpg

This is what I got from the picture, but my teacher said that I have one more step to do to show that they are orthogonal, I need to do uxv

uxw = (0*-18)+(0*-6)+(6*0)= ?

and also vxw=?

If both are zero, the vectors are orthogonal.

But my problem is I don't know how to find w. Can anyone please explain it to me? Thank you very much!
 
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  • #2
htk said:
find u X v and show that it is orthogonal to both u and v.

u= 6k
v=-i + 3j + k

http://s763.photobucket.com/albums/xx275/trinhkieu888/?action=view&current=666.jpg

This is what I got from the picture, but my teacher said that I have one more step to do to show that they are orthogonal, I need to do uxv

uxw = (0*-18)+(0*-6)+(6*0)= ?

and also vxw=?

If both are zero, the vectors are orthogonal.

But my problem is I don't know how to find w. Can anyone please explain it to me? Thank you very much!

uxw is a vector. Where are your i, j, k? I think you have it correct on your paper.

If you want to show uxw is orthogonal to u and v, remember that two nonzero vectors are orthogonal if their dot product is 0.
 
  • #3
Call the orthogonal vector w.

If two vectors are orthogonal then the angle between them is 900

You can prove it using the dot product:

[tex]\mathbf{u} \cdot \mathbf{w} = 0[/tex]

and

[tex]\mathbf{v} \cdot \mathbf{w} = 0[/tex]

or finding cos(u,w) and cos(v,w) for the cross product (since you already find w). :smile:
 
  • #4
Excuse me, but you first say "find u X v and show that it is orthogonal to both u and v" but then start talking about "u x w" and "v x w". Where did "w" come from? If you mean that w= u x v, then, as njama said, you want to look at the dot product of w with u and v, not the cross product. You do NOT, by the way, need to divide by ||u x v|| since the problem says nothing about a unit vector.
 

FAQ: Show that it is orthogonal to both u and v

What does it mean for a vector to be orthogonal to two other vectors?

A vector is orthogonal to two other vectors if it forms a right angle (90 degrees) with both of them. This means that the dot product of the vector with each of the other two vectors is equal to 0.

How can I show that a vector is orthogonal to two other vectors?

To show that a vector is orthogonal to two other vectors, you can calculate the dot product of the vector with each of the other two vectors. If the dot product is equal to 0 for both calculations, then the vector is orthogonal to those two vectors.

Why is it important to determine if a vector is orthogonal to other vectors?

Determining if a vector is orthogonal to other vectors is important because it can help identify relationships between vectors and provide insight into geometric and physical properties. It is also used in various mathematical applications, such as finding basis vectors and solving systems of linear equations.

Can a vector be orthogonal to more than two vectors?

Yes, a vector can be orthogonal to more than two vectors. In fact, a vector can be orthogonal to any number of linearly independent vectors in a vector space. This means that the dot product of the vector with all of the other vectors is equal to 0.

Is the concept of orthogonality limited to vectors?

No, the concept of orthogonality is not limited to vectors. It can also be applied to other mathematical objects, such as matrices and functions. In general, two objects are considered orthogonal if they are perpendicular or have a dot product of 0.

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