- #1
cjwalle
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Homework Statement
Find a unit vector which is perpendicular to both of the vectors a = 4i + 2j - 3k and b = 2i - 3j + k
c = xi + yj + zk
Homework Equations
a[tex]\bot[/tex]c [tex]\longrightarrow[/tex] a [tex]\bullet[/tex] c
The Attempt at a Solution
Okay, here's what I've done so far.
Take the dot-product of a and c, and b and c
a [tex]\bullet[/tex]b: 4x + 2y -3z = 0
b [tex]\bullet[/tex]b: 2x - 3y + z = 0
(1) 4x + 2y -3z = 0
(2) 2x - 3y + z = 0
I isolate z and get rid of x by multiplying (1) with -2 and (2) with 4, then add them:
(1) -8x -4y = -6z
+
(2) 8x -12y = 5z
-16y = 10z
y/z = 10/16
Which again means that:
y = 10m
z = 16m
where m is a constant and [tex]\neq[/tex] 0
And then I insert this into (1) to find x:
4x + 2(10m) - 3(16m) = 0
4x + 20m - 48m = 0
x = 7m
c = m(7i + 10j + 16k)
For the easiest possible solution, m = 1.
c = 7i + 10j + 16k
As far as I can tell, this is a perfectly valid answer.
However, the answer key has the answer:
(1/9[tex]\sqrt{5}[/tex])(7i + 10j + 16k)
While this does not contradict my solution, that is a far too weird m to have been chosen randomly. Does anyone see how they were thinking?
Thanks