The scalar product of two vectors A and B is defined as

  • A. AB sin theta, and the result is a vector
  • B. AB cos theta, and the result is a scalar
  • C. AB tan theta, and the result is a scalar
  • D. AB, independent of the angle between them

Explanation

The dot product multiplies the magnitudes by the cosine of the angle between the vectors and gives a scalar, which is why work, the dot product of force and displacement, is a scalar. The sine form belongs to the vector product, whose result is a vector. The cosine factor is what makes the dot product zero for perpendicular vectors.

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