MHB What is the Angle Between Vectors Using the Dot Product Formula?

AI Thread Summary
To find the angle between the vectors v = -5√3i + 5j and w = 5i using the dot product formula, the equation cos(θ) = (v · w) / (|v| |w|) is applied. The dot product of the vectors is calculated as v · w = (-5√3)(5) + (5)(0) = -25√3. The magnitudes of the vectors are |v| = √((-5√3)² + 5²) and |w| = 5. By substituting these values into the formula, the angle θ can be determined.
brinlin
Messages
12
Reaction score
0
Find the angle between the vectors $$v=-5\sqrt{3}i+5j$$ and $$w=5i$$
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org
I'd use the dot product formula ...

$\cos{\theta} = \dfrac{\vec{v} \cdot \vec{w}}{|v| \, |w|}$
 
when we use the dot product formula. What would we plug in for v and w.
 
to calculate the dot product of two vectors given in component form …

$(a \vec{i} + b \vec{j}) \cdot (c \vec{i} + d \vec{j}) = ac + bd$

… note the dot product is a scalar quantity
 
brinlin said:
when we use the dot product formula. What would we plug in for v and w.
? YOU said, in your first post that
$v= -5\sqrt{3}i+ 5j$
$w= 5i$.
 
Suppose ,instead of the usual x,y coordinate system with an I basis vector along the x -axis and a corresponding j basis vector along the y-axis we instead have a different pair of basis vectors ,call them e and f along their respective axes. I have seen that this is an important subject in maths My question is what physical applications does such a model apply to? I am asking here because I have devoted quite a lot of time in the past to understanding convectors and the dual...
Insights auto threads is broken atm, so I'm manually creating these for new Insight articles. In Dirac’s Principles of Quantum Mechanics published in 1930 he introduced a “convenient notation” he referred to as a “delta function” which he treated as a continuum analog to the discrete Kronecker delta. The Kronecker delta is simply the indexed components of the identity operator in matrix algebra Source: https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/what-exactly-is-diracs-delta-function/ by...
Back
Top