GEOMETRY IN SPACE AND VECTORS:

THE CROSS PRODUCT

MAKALAH
UNTUK MEMENUHI TUGAS KULIAH
Advanced Calculus
Yang dibina oleh Ibu Trianingsih Eni Lestari, M.Sc

oleh
Agus Ahmad Rizqi

140311601706

Arief Nugroho

140311602668

UNIVERSITAS NEGERI MALANG

FAKULTAS MATEMATIKA DAN ILMU PENGETAHUAN ALAM
JURUSAN MATEMATIKA
November 2015

PREFACE
Thanks to Almighty God who has given His bless to the writers for
finishing the paper about the translation and rotation of axes for
completing assignment of Advanced Calculus course that lectured by Mrs.
Trianingsih Eni Lestari with no meaningful obstacles.
The writers also wish to express his deep and sincere gratitude for
those who have guided us in completing this paper on time. This paper
contains some discussion about continuing material of geometruy in
space and vectors, the cross product and also supply some exercises and
their solutions that writers compile from some reference and from our
discussion about these materials.
Hopefully, this paper can be useful for the readers that want to learn
deeply about the materials served here.

1. Background
Quantities such as velocity, force, torque, and displacement, rquire both a magnitude and
a direction for complete spesification. Such quantities is called vectors and represented by
arrows. The length of the arrow reprresents the magnitude, or length, of the vector, its
direction is the direction of the vector. A vector can be multiplied by scalar, or added and
subtracted by other vectors. Multiplication of two vectors u and v, symbolized by u.v, is
called the dot product or scalar product, resulting a scalar. The dot product can be applied for
finding angle between two vectors and finding projection of a vector to another one.
Beside the dot product, there is another operation on vectors called by cross product
symbolized by u v.
2. Purpose
Our paper aims to complete the task of subject Advanced Calculus given by mrs.
Trianingsih Eni Lestari. Moreover, the paper also made to help us and all of the readers to
know more about the cross product.
This paper also aims to help the readers to solve the problem or some exercises in the
book with see our examples of exercises that we have done, of course, the cross product.
3. Discussion
Cross product of 2 vectors u and v where u = { u1 , u2 , u3 } and v = { v1 , v2 , v3 }
defined by
u x v = { u2 v3 - v2 u3, u3 v1 - u1 v3 , u1 v2 - u2 v1}
This formula form is hard to remember, so we can use determinants to help us finding
cross product. Remember that cross product of two vectors is vector.
The determinants value of 2x2 matrix is

| |

a b =adbc
c d

The determinants value of 3x3 matrix is

| || || || |
a 1 a2 a3
a1 a 2 a3
a1 a 2 a3
a1 a2 a3
b 1 b2 b 3 =a1 b1 b 2 b3 + a2 b1 b 2 b3 + a3 b1 b 2 b3
c1 c 2 c 3
c 1 c2 c 3
c 1 c2 c 3
c1 c2 c3

a1

| | | | | |
b2 b3
b b
b b
+a 2 1 3 + a3 1 2
c2 c3
c1 c3
c1 c2

Using determinants we define u x v as

| ||

i
j k
u u
u u
u u
u x v= u1 u2 u 3 =i 2 3 + j 1 3 + k 1 2
v2 v3
v1 v3
v1 v2
v1 v2 v3

|| || |

Note the right vector u placed in the second row, and the left vector v placed in the
third row. If we change that position, it will change the value of determinants and cross
product become:
u x v=( v x u)
It called anticommutative law.
Example 1:
Let u = { 1, -2 , -1 } and v = { -2, 4, 1 } calculate u x v and v x u
determinants definitions
Answer :

||

||

||

||

i
j
k
2 1
1 1
1 2
u x v= 1 2 1 =i
+j
+k
4
1
2 1
2 4
2 4
1

| |

2i+ j+ 0 k

i
j
k
4
1
2 1
2 4
v x u= 2 4
+j
+k
1 =i
2 1
1 1
1 2
1 2 1
2i j+0 k
Geometric interpretation of u x v

| |

using

Theorem A :
Let uv

are vectors in three space , and is angle between them, then:

1. u.(u x v) = 0 = v.(u x v) , that is u x v is perpendicular to both u and v .

2. u, v,and u x v form a right- handed triple.
3. u x v = uvsin

Proof :
1. u.(u x v) = u1 (u2 v3 - v2 u3)+ u2 (u3 v1 - u1 v3 ) + u3 (u1 v2 u2 v1) = 0
2. meaning of right- handed triple showed in figure 1.
Where between u and v . its like u that rotate trough
v, so u coincide with v.
3. We need langranges identity
2
2
2
u x v = u v ( u . v )2
u . v=uvcos

uvcos
2

u x v

2
u v2
2

u x v

2
= u v (1cos )

u x v2

2
= u v ( sin )

u x v

= uvsin

It is important that we have geometric interpretations of both u.v and u v. While

both products were originally defined in terms of components that depend on a choice of
coordinate system, they are actually independent of coordinate systems. They are intrinsic
geometric quantities, and it will yields the same results for u.v and u v no matter how the
coordinates used to compute them introduced.
Theorem B
Two vectors u and v in three space are parallel if and only if u v = 0
We note that two vectors will be parallel if and only if the angle between them is
either 0 or , that is sin = 0. So
u v =u v sin=u v .0=0

There some applications of croos product. The first, is to find the equation of the
plane through three noncollinear points.
Example 2. Find the equation of the plane (Figure 2) through three noncollinear points
P1(1, -2,3), P2(4,1,-2), and P3(-2,-3,0).

Solution. Let u P2 P1=(3,3,5 ) and v

P2 P3= (6,4,2 )

u v=

i
j k
3 3 5 =14 i24 j6 k
6 4 2

is perpendicular to both u and v and thus to the plane containing them. The plane through
(4,1,-2) with normal 14i 24j- 6k has equation
14 ( x4 )24 ( y1 )6 ( z +2 )=0
Or
14 x24 y 6 z=44

Eample 3. Show that the area of a parallelogram with a and b as adjacent sides is a b.
Solution
The area of a parallelogram is the product of the base times the height.
The base is the magnitude of a, that is a, and the height is
equal to bsin. So the area, A=base height
a b sin=a b

Example 4
Show that the volume of the parallelepiped determined by the vectors a, b, and c is

a1 a2 a 3
V =|a . ( b c )|= b1 b2 b 3
c 1 c 2 c3

Solution.

Refer to figure 4 and regard the parallelogram determined

by b and c as the base of the parallelepiped. The area of
this base is b x c and the height h of the paralellepiped
is the absolute value of the scalar projection of a on b c.
Thus,
h=a cos

a |a . ( b c )| |a . ( b c )|
=
a b c
b c

and V =h b c = a . ( b c )
There are algebraic properties consisting rules for calculating with cross products.
Theorem C
If u, v, and w are vectors in three space and k is a scalar, then
1. u v = -(v u) (anticommutative law)
2. u (v + w) = (u v) + (u w) (left distributive law)
3. k (u v) = (ku) v = u (kv)
4. u 0 = 0 u = 0, u u = 0
5. (u v).w = u.(v w)
6. u (v w) = (u.w)v (u.v)w
Based on the theorem, we get a simple way to calculate the cross product by using fact that i
j = k, j k =i and k i = j.
Example 5
Calculate u v if u = 3i 2j + k and v = 4i + 2j -3k.
Solution.

u v=( 3 i2 j+k ) ( 4 i+ 2 j3 k ) =12 ( i i )+ 6 (i j )9 ( i k )8 ( j i )4 ( j j ) +6 ( j k ) +4 ( k i )+ 2 ( k j )

4. Solution of some exercises

Solution:

Solution:

Solution:

Solution:

Solution:

Solution:

5. Conclusion
Cross product of 2 vectors u and v where u = { u1 , u2 , u3 } and v = { v1 , v2 , v3 }
defined by u x v = { u2 v3 - v2 u3, u3 v1 - u1 v3 , u1 v2 - u2 v1}.
If

uv

are vectors in three space , and is angle between them, then:

1. u.(u x v) = 0 = v.(u x v) , that is u x v is perpendicular to both u and v .

2. u, v,and u x v form a right- handed triple.
3.u x v

= uvsin

Moreover, two vectors u and v in three space are parallel if and only if u v = 0
Some application of cross product is to find equation of a plane through three
noncollinear points, to find area of parallelogram aand triangle, and to find volume of
parallelepiped.
For calculating the cross product we also can use some algebraic properties, that is, if u, v,
and w are vectors in three space and k is a scalar, then
1. u v = -(v u) (anticommutative law)
2. u (v + w) = (u v) + (u w) (left distributive law)
3. k (u v) = (ku) v = u (kv)
4. u 0 = 0 u = 0, u u = 0
5. (u v).w = u.(v w)
6. u (v w) = (u.w)v (u.v)w
Based on the theorem, we get a simple way to calculate the cross product by using
fact that i j = k, j k =i and k i = j.

REFERENCE
Purcelle & Verberg, Dale. 2002. Calculus Ninth Editions.