Difference between revisions of "Cross product"
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| − | The '''cross product''' (or vector product) of two [[vector|vectors]] is itself a vector, and is written <math>a\times b</math>. The magnitude of the resulting vector is | + | The '''cross product''' (or vector product) of two [[vector|vectors]] in 3-space is itself a vector in 3-space, and is written <math>a\times b</math>. The magnitude of the resulting vector is |
<math> | <math> | ||
Revision as of 00:25, July 3, 2008
The cross product (or vector product) of two vectors in 3-space is itself a vector in 3-space, and is written . The magnitude of the resulting vector is
where is the angle between the two vectors. The direction of the cross product is normal to both of the vectors a and b. Since there are two such directions the chosen one is defined by the right hand rule: with your right hand, point your fingers along the direction of the first vector and curl them towards the second vector. The direction your thumb points gives the direction of the cross product.
