Dot Product of Unit Vectors

A unit vector is a vector with a magnitude of 1.

The dot product of two unit vectors simplifies to the cosine of the angle between them because the magnitude terms (|a| and |b|) in the formula become 1.

Dot Product

Dot Product, a fundamental operation in mathematics, is a unique way of combining two vectors that results in a scalar. This operation, often symbolized by a centered dot, is dependent on the length of both vectors and the angle between them.

Intuitively, the Dot Product tells us how much two vectors point in the same direction. It essentially measures the relative direction of two vectors. When the angle between the vectors is small, indicating they point in a similar direction, the dot product is large. Conversely, when the vectors are perpendicular, the dot product is zero.

In the following sections of this article, we will delve deeper into the concept of dot product, exploring its algebraic and geometric definitions, properties, and applications in various fields.

Table of Content

  • What is Dot Product?
  • Formula of Dot Product
    • Angle Between Two Vectors Using Dot Product
    • Projection of a Vector
  • Working Rule to Find The Dot Product of Two Vectors
  • Matrix Representation of Dot Product
  • Dot Product of Unit Vectors
  • Properties of Dot Product
  • Applications of Dot Product
  • Solved Examples on Dot Product
  • Practice Problems on Dot Product

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What is Dot Product?

The Dot Product, also known as the Scalar Product, is an operation in mathematics that takes two equal-length sequences of numbers (usually coordinate vectors) and returns a single number. In simpler terms, it multiplies corresponding components of two vectors and adds the products together....

Angle Between Two Vectors Using Dot Product

The dot product formula can be rearranged to find the angle (θ) between two vectors (a and b) using the following formula:...

Projection of a Vector

The projection of vector a onto vector b can be calculated using the dot product and vector magnitude. The formula in terms of vectors a and b is:...

Matrix Representation of Dot Product

The dot product can also be calculated using matrix multiplication, especially when dealing with higher-dimensional vectors. If vectors a and b are represented as row matrices, then their dot product can be obtained using the following matrix multiplication:...

Dot Product of Unit Vectors

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Properties of Dot Product

The dot product has several important properties, including:...

Applications of Dot Product

The dot product has numerous applications in various fields, including:...

Solved Examples on Dot Product

Here are some examples to illustrate how to find the dot product:...

Practice Problems on Dot Product

1. The dot product of two vectors A and B is denoted by:...

FAQs on Dot Product

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