Angle of Vectors a and b with Orthogonal Unit p and q

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In summary, the conversation discusses finding the angle of two vectors, a=3p+2q and b=p+5q, if p and q are orthogonal unit. The formula for finding the angle is cos=a*b/!a! * !b!, and the vectors need to be orthogonal, meaning their dot product is 0. The conversation also touches on finding the vector sum and understanding dot product and orthogonal planes.
  • #1
lorik
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Ok
Heres the text :Find the angle of vectors a=3p+2q and b=p+5q and if p and q are orthogonal unit ? ... ?
ok the formula is pretty simple cos=a*b/!a! * !b! =
But once i progress and I get 3p square + 15pq + 2qp +10q square ,now I see here that 15pq and 2qp are eliminated is just BEEEYOOOND MEEE I MEAN hows that possible ,thanks in advance ?
 
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  • #2
p and q are orthogonal, which means (definition) that their dot product is 0.
 
  • #3
mathman said:
p and q are orthogonal, which means (definition) that their dot product is 0.

More specific please I am trying to understand for future references ,thnx
 
  • #4
Have you tried finding the vector sum of your two vectors? As the vector sum can be plugged into your formula, along with the two original vectors to find your angle, in which case you will need to do the inverse cos function. It.

theta=cos^-1((|A|*|B|)/AB))

Where * is dotted on.

Good luck.
 
  • #5
lorik said:
More specific please I am trying to understand for future references ,thnx

Let a and b be arbitrary vectors (any dimension). The definition of orthogonal is the dot product is 0. Question for you - do you know what a dot product is?
 
  • #6
mathman said:
Let a and b be arbitrary vectors (any dimension). The definition of orthogonal is the dot product is 0. Question for you - do you know what a dot product is?

dot product !a! * !b! *cos theta

But how in general can orthogonal plane have a dot product of 0 ?
 
  • #7
lorik said:
dot product !a! * !b! *cos theta

But how in general can orthogonal plane have a dot product of 0 ?

If they are orthogonal, what is the angle between the vectors?
 
  • #8
rock.freak667 said:
If they are orthogonal, what is the angle between the vectors?

like Zero ,lol ?
 
  • #9
lorik said:
like Zero ,lol ?
Like, no.
Do you know what orthogonal means?

lorik said:
But how in general can orthogonal plane have a dot product of 0 ?
What you're asking here makes no sense.
 

1. What is a vector?

A vector is a mathematical object that has both magnitude and direction. It is commonly represented as an arrow pointing in a specific direction and its length indicates its magnitude.

2. What are some common problems with vectors?

Some common problems with vectors include determining vector operations such as addition, subtraction, and multiplication, understanding vector components, and finding the magnitude and direction of a vector.

3. How do you add or subtract vectors?

To add or subtract vectors, you must first resolve the vectors into their components and then add or subtract the corresponding components to get the resulting vector. Alternatively, you can use the parallelogram method to visualize the addition or subtraction of vectors.

4. How do you find the magnitude and direction of a vector?

To find the magnitude of a vector, you can use the Pythagorean theorem by squaring the components of the vector and taking the square root of their sum. To find the direction of a vector, you can use trigonometric functions such as sine, cosine, and tangent.

5. What are some real-life applications of vectors?

Vectors have many real-life applications, such as in physics for describing forces and motion, in engineering for designing structures and systems, in navigation for determining direction and distance, and in computer graphics for creating 3D images and animations.

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