CHAPTER VI.

WORK, ENERGY AND ENERGY CONSERVATION

What is work?

Work is done when a force that is applied to an object moves that object.

Work= force × distance

DOT PRODUCT

Previously we studied adding and subtracting vectors, we now proceed in multiplying

vectors (vector division is never used in physics).

Dot product or scalar product of vector is an algebraic operation that take to equal-
length sequence of numbers (usually coordinate vectors) and returns a single number.

Here are two vectors,

they can be multiplied using dot product. Dot product gives a number as an answer
meaning it is a scalar not a vector.

It is written using a central dot:

a•b

This means the dot of product of a a and b.

We can calculate the Dot product of two vectors using this formula:
a•b=|a|×|b×cos(Ø)

Where:

|a| is the magnitude (length) of vector a.

|b| is the magnitude (length) of vector b.

Ø is the angle between a and b.

Note: Ø is the smallest angle between a and b. If the angle is 90° then this gives zero.

Or we can calculate Dot product in this method: a•b = ax × bx + ay × by

Here we multiply the x's and y's and add.

Note: If a•b is positive then the vector involved forms an acute angle, if a•b is negative
then an obtuse angle is formed.

Example: Calculate the dot product of the problem below.

1st method:

a•b=|a|×|b| cos(∅)

Where:

|a|= 10

|b|= 13

Ø= 59.5°

a•b= |10|×|13|× cos(59.5)

a•b= 130× cos(59.5)

a•b= 65.98~66

2nd method:

a•b= ax × bx + ay × by

Where:
ax= -6

ay= 8

bx= 5

by= 12

a•b= -6×5+8×12

a•b= -30+96

a•b= 66