Matrix Cross Product on a HP 50g

[Selah]

I am trying to do a Cross Product of a vector.

-30k

0.1i + 0.173j

When I input this into matrix writer and then choose cross product off the VECTOR - CROSS menu, I get "Cross Error: Bad Argument Type".

What am I doing wrong?  I have tried to look through the manual and it isn't much help.

Thanks!

[BartdB]

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Selah wrote:

I am trying to do a Cross Product of a vector.

-30k

0.1i + 0.173j

When I input this into matrix writer and then choose cross product off the VECTOR - CROSS menu, I get "Cross Error: Bad Argument Type".

What am I doing wrong?  I have tried to look through the manual and it isn't much help.

Thanks!

---

Hi,

For the Cross Product of vectors, you need two vectors.

If your screen looks like this:

Then it is a single matrix (noted by the thick lines of the square bracket). Cross product does not work on matrices.

Also the vector must have at least 2, but no more than 3 elements. If those are 2 vectors you are showing, they have only one element.

"Attempts to calculate a cross product of vectors of length other than 2 or 3, produce an error message"

i.e. the following will work:

[-30k    0]

[ 0        0.1i + 0.173j]

CROSS

= [0     0       (0.1i+0.173j)*(-30k)]

Regards

Bart

[Selah]

How are you able to input

[-30k 0]

into the calculator?  When I try to put -30k into the matrix writer, it puts it into two columns.

[BartdB · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Enter it in single quote marks (on the MTRW button), i.e.:

'-30*k'

Also note that when you want to enter vectors in the Matrix Writer, be sure to check the VEC selection:

(note block next to VEC)

Otherwise the calculator will interpret it as a matrix, even if it only has one row (you will see thick brackets instead if thin ones).

This is a matrix:

and this is a vector:

Regards,

Bart