Finding the angle between two vectors

In summary, the conversation discusses finding the work done and angle between a force and displacement vector. The equation given is cos⁻¹ * (A * B) / (|A| * |B|) using dot product. The attempt at a solution resulted in 26 degrees instead of the correct answer of 36.9 degrees due to using the incorrect magnitude for vector A. The correct magnitude is √(6^2 + (-2)^2) = √(36 + 4) = √40.
  • #1
hyde2042
26
0

Homework Statement



A force F =( 6 i - 2 j ) N acts on a particle that under
goes a displacement D r = ( 3 i + j )m. Find (a) the work done
by the force on the particle and (b) the angle between F
and D r .



Homework Equations



I've found the work to be about 16N. My problem is finding the angle.

The equation thebook gives is cos(inv)* (Products of vectors A and B) / (A)(i^2+j^2)*(B)(i^2+j^2)

The Attempt at a Solution



I used cas(inv)*((VectorA * VectorB) / sqrt(6^2-2^2)(3^2+1^2))

Which came out to 26 degrees. The back of the book says 36.9 degrees for the answer. I don't think I'm missing anything. All your help is appreciated. Thank you.
 
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  • #2
The easiest way that i can think of to find the angle between two vectors is the dot product.

Remember [itex]\vec{A}\cdot\vec{B}=|A||B|Cos(\theta)[/itex]
 
  • #3
MetalManuel said:
The easiest way that i can think of to find the angle between two vectors is the dot product.

Remember [itex]\vec{A}\cdot\vec{B}=|A||B|Cos(\theta)[/itex]

That's what I used, but I still got 26.5 degrees instead of the 36.9.

I got part a correct (finding the Force on the object) so I don't think I did any previous calculations incorrectly for the numbers I'm using now.
 
  • #4
The magnitude of vector A is √( 62 + (-2)2 ) = √( 36 + 4 ) .
 
  • #5
Holy crap.. thank you.
 

What is the formula for finding the angle between two vectors?

The formula for finding the angle between two vectors is θ = cos^-1((a*b)/(||a||*||b||)), where a and b are the two vectors and ||a|| and ||b|| represent the magnitude of each vector.

Can the angle between two vectors be negative?

No, the angle between two vectors is always a positive value. If the result of the formula is negative, it means that the vectors are pointing in opposite directions.

How do I find the angle between two vectors in 3D space?

To find the angle between two vectors in 3D space, you can use the same formula as in 2D, but you will need to use the dot product of the two vectors instead of their product. The dot product can be calculated by multiplying the corresponding components of the two vectors and then adding them together.

What is the range of values for the angle between two vectors?

The range of values for the angle between two vectors is between 0° and 180°. This is because the maximum angle between two vectors can never be greater than 180°, as it would mean that the vectors are pointing in opposite directions.

Is there a shortcut for finding the angle between two vectors?

Yes, if the two vectors are unit vectors (vectors with a magnitude of 1), then you can simply take the inverse cosine of their dot product to find the angle between them. This is because the dot product of two unit vectors is equal to the cosine of the angle between them.

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