Scalar Product of a diffrential.

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raisin_raisin
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Hey, in my textbook they keep doing this and I can't follow
for example r.[tex]\ddot{}r[/tex] = 1/2 [tex]\ddot{}r^{}^2{}[/tex]
and r.[tex]\dot{}r[/tex] = 1/2 [tex]\dot{}r^2{}[/tex].

Can anyone explain this to me? I know I should probably know it.

P.S Can't quite get the dot product to look right apologies.
 
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(r²)' = 2rr' by chain rule. Or if the r's are supposed to be vector functions:

(r.r)'
= r'.r + r.r' by product rule for dot product
= r.r' + r.r' by commutativity of dot product
= 2r.r'