Page 1: Coordinates and Vectors in Space
This page introduces fundamental concepts of three-dimensional coordinate systems and vector operations.
Definition: A three-dimensional coordinate system consists of three perpendicular axes x,y,z intersecting at the origin O.
Vocabulary: A point P in space is represented by an ordered triple xp,yp,zp, where:
- xp is the abscissa
- yp is the ordinate
- zp is the height/elevation
Example: The distance between two points Axa,ya,za and Bxb,yb,zb is calculated using:
d = √(xb−xa)2+(yb−ya)2+(zb−za)2
Highlight: Vector operations in space include:
- Addition: a + b = ax+bx,ay+by,az+bz
- Scalar multiplication: ka = kax,kay,kaz
- Dot product: a·b = axbx + ayby + azbz
- Cross product: axb = aybz−azbyi + azbx−axbzj + axby−aybxk