What is the sine of the angle between two given vectors?

In summary, the conversation discusses a homework problem involving finding the sine of an angle between two vectors using the cross product method. The correct equation is given as |T x U| = |T||U|sin(theta), and the solution is found by taking the arcsin of the magnitude of vector V divided by the magnitudes of vectors T and U.
  • #1
Jovy
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Hello, I apologize in advance for the way this post looks. I am new to this forum and I've never used LaTeX Primer. I noticed that someone has prevoiusly asked the same question, but I still do not understand how to get to the answer. Also, I tried posting an image but I could not; and this other post contains the image so I will leave a link to the other forum.
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/cross-product-homework.352545/

1. Homework Statement

The figure shows two vectors $$ \vec T$$ and $$\vec U$$ separated by an angle $$θ_{TU}$$ You are given that $$\vec T =(3,1,0), \vec U =(2,4,0), ~and~ \vec T × \vec U = \vec V$$ Find the sine of the angle between $$\vec T ~and~ \vec U $$

Homework Equations



$$| \vec T × \vec U |= | \vec T || \vec V |\sinθ$$

The Attempt at a Solution



I know that the answer is $$\frac {\sqrt{2}} 2$$ The magnitude of vector V is 10 and you square root that, 10 is also opposite of the angle theta. However, I don't understand how the hypotenuse is 20 therefore you would simplify $$\frac {\sqrt{10}} {\sqrt20}$$ to get the answer
 
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  • #2
You didn't compute ## T \times U ## as far as I can see. This is a necessary computation. The easiest way that I know is by the determinant method. Have they shown you the determinant method in your coursework? ## \\ ## Editing... Looking over your work, the correct equation is ## | T \times U|=|T||U| sin(\theta) ##. (The equation you have written is incorrect.) The correct result is thereby ## \frac{|V|}{|T||U|}=sin(\theta) ## where ## V=T \times U ##.
 
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  • #3
Charles Link said:
You didn't compute ## T \times U ## as far as I can see. This is a necessary computation. The easiest way that I know is by the determinant method. Have they shown you the determinant method in your coursework? ## \\ ## Editing... Looking over your work, the correct equation is ## | T \times U|=|T||U| sin(\theta) ##. (The equation you have written is incorrect.) The correct result is thereby ## \frac{|V|}{|T||U|}=sin(\theta) ## where ## V=T \times U ##.

Isn't the magnitude of T ##\sqrt{3^2+1^2+0^2}## = ##\sqrt{10}## and the magnitude of U ##\sqrt{2^2+4^2+0^2}## = ##\sqrt{20}## ? But if you plug that into ## \frac{|V|}{|T||U|}=sin(\theta) ## , the answer is not correct. Where am I going wrong?
 
  • #4
Jovy said:
Isn't the magnitude of T ##\sqrt{3^2+1^2+0^2}## = ##\sqrt{10}## and the magnitude of U ##\sqrt{2^2+4^2+0^2}## = ##\sqrt{20}## ? But if you plug that into ## \frac{|V|}{|T||U|}=sin(\theta) ## , the answer is not correct. Where am I going wrong?

It gives you the correct answer.

What is ##\vec{T} \times \vec{U}##?
 
  • #5
Student100 said:
It gives you the correct answer.

What is ##\vec{T} \times \vec{U}##?

It is (0,0,10), so the magnitude of that is 10.
 
  • #6
Jovy said:
It is (0,0,10), so the magnitude of that is 10.

Yes, sooo...

$$\frac{|V|}{|T||U|} = \sin(\theta)$$
$$\arcsin(\frac{|V|}{|T||U|}) = \theta$$
$$\arcsin(\frac{\sqrt{100}}{\sqrt{10}\sqrt{20}}) = \theta$$
$$\arcsin(\sqrt{\frac{100}{200}}) = \theta$$

Can you finish it from there?
 
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  • #7
Yes, I just forgot to take the arcsin of that. Thank you!
 
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What is a cross product?

A cross product is a mathematical operation that takes two vectors and produces a new vector that is perpendicular to both of the input vectors.

What is the formula for calculating a cross product?

The formula for calculating a cross product is:
a x b = (aybz - azby)i + (azbx - axbz)j + (axby - aybx)k
where i, j, and k are unit vectors in the x, y, and z directions, respectively.

What are some applications of cross products?

Cross products have many applications in mathematics, physics, and engineering. Some examples include calculating torque in mechanics, finding the area of a parallelogram in geometry, and determining the direction of magnetic fields in electromagnetism.

What is the difference between a dot product and a cross product?

A dot product is a mathematical operation that results in a scalar (a single number), while a cross product results in a vector. Additionally, a dot product measures the similarity between two vectors, while a cross product measures the perpendicularity between them.

How do you determine the direction of a cross product?

The direction of a cross product can be determined using the right-hand rule. If you point your right thumb in the direction of the first vector and your fingers in the direction of the second vector, the direction of the cross product will be perpendicular to both and will be in the direction of your extended middle finger.

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