The angle between two 3D lines

In summary, calculating the angle between two lines in 3D can be done using the dot-product method or by using a search engine for a solution. If the lines intersect, the angle can be found using the formula cos(\theta)= \frac{u\cdot v}{|u||v|} with u and v being any vectors pointing in the direction of each line. If the lines do not intersect, there is no angle between them.
  • #1
somy
137
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Can anyone tell me how can I calculate the angle between two lines in 3D. I need in my codings.
I know it has a simple solution. but I really have mixed up!
Thanks.
 
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  • #3
If the two lines actually intersect, then the angle is given by
[tex]cos(\theta)= \frac{u\cdot v}{|u||v|} [/tex] where u and v are any vectors pointing in the direction of each line. You can use the point of intersection and one point on each line to define those vectors.

If the line do not intersect (the "typical" case in 3d) then there is no angle between them.
 
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  • #4
Thank you. I'll try it!
 

What is the angle between two 3D lines?

The angle between two 3D lines is the measure of the amount of rotation that is needed to align one line with the other.

How is the angle between two 3D lines calculated?

The angle between two 3D lines can be calculated using the dot product formula, which involves taking the inverse cosine of the dot product of the two lines' direction vectors.

Can the angle between two 3D lines be negative?

No, the angle between two 3D lines is always a positive value between 0 and 180 degrees.

What does a small angle between two 3D lines indicate?

A small angle between two 3D lines indicates that the lines are close to parallel, with a difference in direction of less than 90 degrees.

What does a large angle between two 3D lines indicate?

A large angle between two 3D lines indicates that the lines are not parallel and have a significant difference in direction, with a value of 90 degrees or more.

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