What is the cross product of [-1, -1, 2] and [-1, 2, 2] ?

1 Answer
Feb 1, 2017

[-1,-1,2] xx [-1,2,2] = [-6, 0, -3]

Explanation:

The cross product between two vectors vecA and vecB is defined to be

vecA xx vecB = ||vecA|| * ||vecB|| * sin(theta) * hatn,

where hatn is a unit vector given by the right hand rule, and theta is the angle between vecA and vecB and must satisfy 0<=theta<=pi.

For of the unit vectors hati, hatj and hatk in the direction of x, y and z respectively, using the above definition of cross product gives the following set of results.

color(white)( (color(black){hati xx hati = vec0}, color(black){qquad hati xx hatj = hatk}, color(black){qquad hati xx hatk = -hatj}), (color(black){hatj xx hati = -hatk}, color(black){qquad hatj xx hatj = vec0}, color(black){qquad hatj xx hatk = hati}), (color(black){hatk xx hati = hatj}, color(black){qquad hatk xx hatj = -hati}, color(black){qquad hatk xx hatk = vec0}))

Also, note that cross product is distributive.

vecA xx (vecB + vecC) = vecA xx vecB + vecA xx vecC.

So for this question.

[-1,-1,2] xx [-1,2,2]

= (-hati - hatj + 2hatk) xx (-hati + 2hatj + 2hatk)

= color(white)( (color(black){-hati xx (-hati) - hati xx 2hatj - hati xx 2hatk}), (color(black){-hatj xx (-hati) - hatj xx 2hatj - hatj xx 2hatk}), (color(black){+2hatk xx (-hati) + 2hatk xx 2hatj + 2hatk xx 2hatk}) )

= color(white)( (color(black){vec0 - 2hatk quad qquad + 2hatj}), (color(black){-hatk - 2(vec0) - 2hati}), (color(black){- 2hatj - 4hati quad - 4(vec0)}) )

= -6hati - 3hatk

= [-6,0,-3]