Vector Multiplication
Multiplying a Vector by a Scalar
Multiplying a vector by a scalar is like multiplying a variable by a number. The
magnitude changes, but the direction does not. For example, in physics,
displacement equals velocity times time:
d = vt
Velocity is a vector; time is a scalar. The magnitude is the velocity times the time,
and the direction of the displacement is the same as the direction of the velocity.
The Dot (Scalar) Product of Two Vectors
Notes:
With scalar (ordinary numbers) there is only one way to multiply them, which you
learned in school. Vectors, however, can be multiplied in three different ways.
dot product: multiplication of two vectors that results in a scalar.
cross product: multiplication of two vectors that results in a new vector.
tensor product: multiplication of two vectors that results in a tensor. (A tensor is an
array of vectors that describes the effect of each vector on each other vector within
the array. We will not use tensors in a high school physics course.)
The scalar product of two vectors is called the “dot product”. Dot product multiplication of
vectors is represented with a dot:
The dot product of A and B is:
A B AB cos
where A is the magnitude of A , B is the magnitude of B , and is the angle
between the two vectors A and B .
For example, in physics, work (a scalar quantity) is the dot product of the vectors force and
displacement (distance):
W F d Fd cos
The Cross (Vector) Product of Two Vectors
The vector product of two vectors is called the cross product. Cross product
multiplication of vectors is represented wi th a multiplication sign:
*
A×B
The cross product of vectors A and B that have an angle of θ between them is
given by the formula:
A B AB s i n n̂
where the magnitude is AB sin θ, and the vector n̂ is the direction. (AB sin θ is a
scalar. The unit vector n̂ is what gives the vector its direction.)
The direction of the cross product is a little difficult to make sense out of. You
can figure it out using the “right hand rule”:
Position your right hand so that your fingers curl from
the first vector to the second. Your thumb points in
the direction of the resultant vector ( n̂ ).
Note that this means that the resultant vectors for
A B and B A will point in opposite directions, i.e.,
the cross product of two vectors is not commutative!
A B C
B A C
A vector coming out of the page is denoted by a series of
symbols, and a vector going into the page is denoted by a series of
symbols. The symbols represent an arrow inside a tube. The
dot represents the tip of the arrow coming toward you, and the “X” represents
the fletches (feathers) on the tail of the arrow going away from you.)
In physics, torque is a vector quantity that is derived by a cross product.
The torque produced by a force F acting at a radius r is given by the equation:
τ r F rF s i n n̂
Because the direction of the force is usually perpendicular to the displacement, it is usually true
that sin θ = sin 90° = 1. This means the magnitude rF sin θ = rF (1) = rF. Using the right-hand rule,
we determine that the direction of the resultant torque vector ( n̂ ) is coming out of the page.
Thus, if you are tightening or loosening a nut or bolt that has right-handed (standard) thread, the
torque vector will be in the direction that the nut or bolt moves.
Vector Multiplication Problems
For the following vectors A & B :
1. Determine A B
2. Determine A B (both magnitude and direction)
