Cross Product

quantumfoam

What is the cross product of a constant and a vector? I know that the cross product between two vectors is the area of the parallelogram those two vectors form. My intuition tells me that since a constant is not a vector, it would only be multiplying with a vector when in a cross product with one. Since the vector will only grow larger in magnitude, there would be zero area in the paralleogram formed because there is no paralleogram.

micromass

The cross product is only defined between vectors of [itex]\mathbb{R}^3[/itex]. The cross of a constant and a vector is not defined.

quantumfoam

So if I had an equation that contains a term that has a cross product of a constant and a vector, do I just cross it out of the equation? ( it is in an adding term so crossing it out would be okay). That's an awesome joke(:

micromass

Can you give a specific example?

quantumfoam

Sure! An equation like F=π[hXh+cXh] where h is a vector and c is a constant.

micromass

That doesn't really make any sense.

quantumfoam

F is a vector.

quantumfoam

F=π[hXh+cXh] Sorry about not adding the equality.

quantumfoam

Would the term containing the cross product of the constant c and vector h in the above equation just be zero? Or am I able to take cross it out of the above equation?

micromass

No. As it stands, your equation makes no sense. You can't take the cross product of a scalar and a vector.

quantumfoam

Damn that stinks. Even if the c was a constant?

micromass

Does this equation appear in some book or anything? Can you provide some more context?

quantumfoam

Well I made it up haha. Im sorry. I'm new at this. Do you think you can make an equation that makes sense? Like the one I attempted but failed at.

micromass

It only makes sense if you take the cross of a vector and a vector.

What were you attempting to do?? What lead you to this particular equation?

quantumfoam

Well, the h is a vector that represents a magnetic field strength. In the definition of a current, I=dq/dt, multiplying both sides by a small length ds would give the magnetic field produced my a moving charge. (dq/dt)ds turns into dq(ds/dt) which turns into vdq where dq is a small piece of charge and v is the velocity of the total charge. Integrating both sides to I ds=vdq would give the total magnetic field. For a constant velocity, the right side of the above equation turns into vq+ c, where c is some constant. Now I get the equation h=vq+c. Solving for qv gives me h-c=qv. In the equation for magnetic force on a moving charge, F=qvxB. I substituted h-c for qv in the above force equation. B turns into uh where u is the permeability of free space. I substitute uh for B in the magnetic force equation and get F=u[hxh-cxh]. I want the cxh term to go away.

quantumfoam

Does that sort of help?

micromass

I don't understand any of what you said, but my physics is very bad. I'll move this to the physics section for you.