Given a vector v=(2,8), determine all vectors w in form (x,y) that are orthogonal to v. Vector w must be orthonormal and therefore is a unit vector. Knowing that the dot product of ⟨u,w⟩=0, I attempted to find a vector w but my problem is how do I find all possible orthonormal vectors w that are orthogonal?

Angeline Avila

Angeline Avila

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2022-08-21

Given a vector v=(2,8), determine all vectors w in form (x,y) that are orthogonal to v. Vector w must be orthonormal and therefore is a unit vector.
Knowing that the dot product of ⟨u,w⟩=0, I attempted to find a vector w but my problem is how do I find all possible orthonormal vectors w that are orthogonal?

Answer & Explanation

Myah Charles

Myah Charles

Beginner2022-08-22Added 3 answers

( 8 , 2 ) and all its multiples are orthogonal to ( 2 , 8 )
Can you normalize ( 8 , 2 ); i.e., scale it so it's a unit vector (divide by the length)?
Another approach: the orthogonality condition is 2 x + 8 y = 0 ; that means x=−4y.
The unit vector condition is x 2 + y 2 = 1
Can you solve ( 4 y ) 2 + y 2 = 1 for y, and then solve for x too?

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