Show that it is orthogonal to both u and v

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around demonstrating that a vector resulting from the cross product of two given vectors, u and v, is orthogonal to both. The vectors are defined as u = 6k and v = -i + 3j + k.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the need to find the cross product u x v and then verify orthogonality through dot products with the original vectors. There is confusion regarding the introduction of a third vector, w, and its relation to the problem.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided guidance on using the dot product to check for orthogonality, while others express uncertainty about the steps needed to find the vector w and clarify the problem's requirements. Multiple interpretations of the task are being explored.

Contextual Notes

There is a mention of a visual aid linked in the thread, which may contain relevant information for the problem. Participants are also questioning the necessity of a unit vector in the context of the problem.

htk
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find u X v and show that it is orthogonal to both u and v.

u= 6k
v=-i + 3j + k

http://s763.photobucket.com/albums/xx275/trinhkieu888/?action=view&current=666.jpg

This is what I got from the picture, but my teacher said that I have one more step to do to show that they are orthogonal, I need to do uxv

uxw = (0*-18)+(0*-6)+(6*0)= ?

and also vxw=?

If both are zero, the vectors are orthogonal.

But my problem is I don't know how to find w. Can anyone please explain it to me? Thank you very much!
 
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htk said:
find u X v and show that it is orthogonal to both u and v.

u= 6k
v=-i + 3j + k

http://s763.photobucket.com/albums/xx275/trinhkieu888/?action=view&current=666.jpg

This is what I got from the picture, but my teacher said that I have one more step to do to show that they are orthogonal, I need to do uxv

uxw = (0*-18)+(0*-6)+(6*0)= ?

and also vxw=?

If both are zero, the vectors are orthogonal.

But my problem is I don't know how to find w. Can anyone please explain it to me? Thank you very much!

uxw is a vector. Where are your i, j, k? I think you have it correct on your paper.

If you want to show uxw is orthogonal to u and v, remember that two nonzero vectors are orthogonal if their dot product is 0.
 
Call the orthogonal vector w.

If two vectors are orthogonal then the angle between them is 900

You can prove it using the dot product:

[tex]\mathbf{u} \cdot \mathbf{w} = 0[/tex]

and

[tex]\mathbf{v} \cdot \mathbf{w} = 0[/tex]

or finding cos(u,w) and cos(v,w) for the cross product (since you already find w). :smile:
 
Excuse me, but you first say "find u X v and show that it is orthogonal to both u and v" but then start talking about "u x w" and "v x w". Where did "w" come from? If you mean that w= u x v, then, as njama said, you want to look at the dot product of w with u and v, not the cross product. You do NOT, by the way, need to divide by ||u x v|| since the problem says nothing about a unit vector.
 

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