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Prove that the dot product vw
is unaffected by rotation between any pair of components.
Solution:
We consider a rotation between the x and y axes by angle
s in the counterclockwise direction.
A vector having length L pointing in the direction of the
x axis, will, after the rotation have component Lcos(x) in
the x' direction and -Lsin(x) in the y' direction.
A vector with length M pointing in the direction of the y
axis, will, after the rotation, have component Msin(s) in
the x' direction and Mcos(s) in the y' direction.
We can use this information to determine the components in
the x' and y' direction of any vector.
Suppose then that V has component vx in
the x direction and vy in the y direction.
Then the rotation on V will have the same effect on
vx as on L and the same effect on vy
as on M.
We write this out explicitly both for V and a second
arbitrary vector W.
vx ' = vx cos(s) - vy
sin(s), vy ' = vx sin(s) + vy
cos(s)
wx ' = wx cos(s) - wy sin(s),
wy ' = wx sin(s) + wy cos(s).
The dot product before the rotation was vx * wx
+ vy * wy
After the rotation it becomes vx ' * wx'
+ vy ' * wy' which when written out
consists of 8 terms.
There is vx * wx multiplied by cos(s)
* cos(s) + sin(s) * sin(s), vy * wy
multiplied by the same, and the two cross terms vx *
wy and vy * wx, each multiplied
by sin(s) * cos(s) - sin(s) * cos(s), that is multiplied by
zero.
By the Pythagorian theorem, then, the dot product has not
been changed by the rotation; that is to say, you can use
the same procedure to evaluate it in either the original or
rotated coordinates.
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