Vector Product (Cross Product)

The cross product of two vectors equals the product of their magnitudes and the sine of the angle between them, directed perpendicular to their plane. Geometrically, it represents the area of the parallelogram spanned by the two vectors. The magnitude depends on both vector sizes and their angular relationship, while direction follows the right-hand rule.

Point your right hand's index and middle fingers along the first and second vectors respectively. Your thumb then points in the cross product direction. If you reverse the vector order, the thumb points opposite, showing that cross products are anti-commutative. This rule resolves the ambiguity of two perpendicular directions.

The cross product is anti-commutative: reversing vector order reverses the result's direction. The cross product of vector B with vector A points opposite to the cross product of A with B. This directional reversal means A × B ≠ B × A, making order critical for correct physical interpretation.

For vectors A and B, the cross product components are: (AyBz − AzBy), (AzBx − AxBz), and (AxBy − AyBx). These formulas use vector components in the Cartesian coordinate system to compute each component of the resulting cross product vector systematically.

The cross product equals zero when vectors are parallel or antiparallel, including when a vector is crossed with itself. Since the sine of 0° and 180° is zero, any vector pair aligned in the same or opposite direction produces zero cross product, regardless of magnitude.

Torque is the cross product of the radial distance vector from a hinge with the applied force vector. A door rotates only when force acts perpendicular to the radial distance; force along or opposite the radial direction produces zero torque. This demonstrates how cross product direction determines rotational effect.

Unit vectors of perpendicular axes follow a cyclic pattern: each unit vector crossed with itself yields zero, but crossed with another unit vector yields the third one in cyclic order. This property simplifies calculations and reflects the fundamental orthogonal structure of three-dimensional space.