Is there a vector that forms angles of 30 and 45 degrees with the x and y axes respectively?

Cristofer Graves

Cristofer Graves

Answered question

2022-07-16

Is there a vector that forms angles of 30 and 45 degrees with the x and y axes respectively?
I've a problem that asks
Is there any 3D-vector that forms angles of 30 and 45 degrees with x-axis and y-axis, respectively?
My attempt was using the directional cosines, and I got that the square of the angle between the vector and the z-axis is negative, so it doesn't exist! However, is this a valid way to prove that this vector does not exist?

Answer & Explanation

Vartavk

Vartavk

Beginner2022-07-17Added 11 answers

Assume such a vector exists, call it v = ( a , b , c ) and WLOG let it be a unit vector. Then:
v i = cos 30 ( a , b , c ) ( 1 , 0 , 0 ) = 3 2 a = 3 2
Similarly,
v j = cos 45 ( a , b , c ) ( 0 , 1 , 0 ) = 2 2 b = 2 2
But now since a 2 + b 2 > 1, v cannot be a unit vector so we have a contradiction.

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