`cross`

Cross product of two 3-element vectors.

Category: Mathematics > Linear Algebra

Syntax

C = cross(A, B)

Returns the vector A x B, perpendicular to both.

Description

The cross product is perpendicular to both inputs, follows the right-hand rule, and has length equal to the area of the parallelogram they span. It is zero when the vectors are parallel, and cross(B, A) = -cross(A, B).

In MATLAB, cross also accepts arrays of 3-vectors and a dimension argument.

Input arguments

A, B: Vectors with three elements each.

Output arguments

C: Vector with the components [A2*B3 - A3*B2, A3*B1 - A1*B3, A1*B2 - A2*B1].

Example

Unit vectors and a general pair

cross([1 0 0], [0 1 0])
cross([1 2 3], [4 5 6])

Output

ans = 1×3

     0     0     1
ans = 1×3

    -3     6    -3

See also

dot kron norm null