Math Problem Statement

what times (0,-2) equals (1,-2)

Solution

To solve the problem of finding a scalar tt such that the scalar multiplication of tt with the vector (0,2)(0, -2) equals (1,2)(1, -2), let's proceed step by step:

The equation is: t(0,2)=(1,2)t \cdot (0, -2) = (1, -2)

This expands to: (t0,t2)=(1,2)(t \cdot 0, t \cdot -2) = (1, -2)

Step 1: Solve for each component

  1. For the xx-component: t0=1    0=1t \cdot 0 = 1 \quad \implies \quad 0 = 1

    This is a contradiction, meaning there is no scalar tt that satisfies the equation.

Conclusion:

It is impossible for any scalar multiplication of (0,2)(0, -2) to result in (1,2)(1, -2), as the xx-component of (0,2)(0, -2) is always 0 and cannot match the xx-component of (1,2)(1, -2).


Would you like me to elaborate further or address related concepts? Here are 5 questions for deeper exploration:

  1. What does scalar multiplication of vectors mean geometrically?
  2. Can two vectors be multiplied directly (dot or cross product)?
  3. What are the implications when one component of a vector is zero?
  4. How do we determine if two vectors are scalar multiples of each other?
  5. Can a zero vector be scaled to match any vector?

Tip: When checking if two vectors are scalar multiples, compare all components; any contradiction implies they are not scalar multiples.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Vector Algebra
Scalar Multiplication
Linear Equations

Formulas

t · (a, b) = (t · a, t · b)

Theorems

Scalar Multiplication Property: A vector's components are scaled independently.

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 9-12