Vector Calculator
Add, subtract, find dot product, cross product, and magnitudes of two 3D vectors simultaneously.
Vector A
Vector B
|A| Magnitude
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|B| Magnitude
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A + B
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A − B
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A · B (Dot)
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Angle Between
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A × B (Cross)
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What is Vector Calculator?
A vector calculator performs common operations on two three-dimensional vectors: addition, subtraction, dot product, cross product, and individual magnitudes. Vectors are fundamental in physics, engineering, computer graphics, and machine learning — any situation involving quantities with both magnitude and direction.
How to use
- 1 Enter the i, j, k components for vector A.
- 2 Enter the i, j, k components for vector B.
- 3 All operations (sum, difference, dot product, cross product, magnitudes) are computed and displayed simultaneously.
Formula
Example calculation
A = (1,2,3), B = (4,5,6): A+B = (5,7,9). A−B = (−3,−3,−3). A·B = 4+10+18 = 32. A×B = (2×6−3×5, 3×4−1×6, 1×5−2×4) = (−3, 6, −3). |A| = √14 ≈ 3.742.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between dot product and cross product?
The dot product produces a scalar representing how parallel two vectors are. The cross product produces a new vector perpendicular to both input vectors, with magnitude equal to the parallelogram area they span.
When is the dot product zero?
The dot product is zero when two vectors are perpendicular (orthogonal). This is used extensively in physics to test if forces are at right angles.
What is the cross product used for?
The cross product is used to find a vector normal to a surface, compute torque in mechanics, determine angular momentum, and calculate the area of parallelograms.
Can I use 2D vectors?
Yes — just enter 0 for the k (z) component. The cross product of 2D vectors gives a vector in the z-direction only.
What does vector magnitude represent?
The magnitude (length) of a vector represents the size of the quantity it describes — for example, speed (magnitude of velocity) or force strength (magnitude of a force vector).