{
  "aliases": null,
  "backlinks": null,
  "body": "\n## Definition\n\nLet $H$ be a [[line|0MP9BCF6DP]] in $\\mathbb{R}^2$ or a [[plane|0V3XAMF3C1]] in $\\mathbb{R}^3$. Let $\\cdot$ be the dot product.\nA normal vector of $H$ is a nonzero vector $n$ such that $n \\cdot (x - y) = 0$ for all points $x$ and $y$ of $H$.\n\n## Remarks\n\nIf $n$ is a normal vector of $H$, then the normal vectors of $H$ are exactly the vectors $c n$ with $c \\neq 0$.\nThe plane $\\{(x, y, z) : a x + b y + c z = d\\}$ with $(a, b, c) \\neq (0, 0, 0)$ has the normal vector $(a, b, c)$. The line $\\{(x, y) : a x + b y = c\\}$ with $(a, b) \\neq (0, 0)$ has the normal vector $(a, b)$.\nFor the plane $\\{p + s u + t v : s, t \\in \\mathbb{R}\\}$, the [[cross product|0N5N15HWZ7]] $u \\times v$ is a normal vector.\nA unit normal vector is a normal vector of length 1.\n\n## Explanations\n\n### L1 human\n\nA normal vector sticks straight out of a flat object. Think of a pencil standing upright on a table: it is normal to the table. Each arrow that lies in the table makes a right angle with the pencil, so its dot product with the pencil is $0$.\n",
  "commit": "6ac761d40018146541484a9e8b9eafd6ecc303dc",
  "front": {
    "defines": "0WQJJCCTC8",
    "kind": "definition",
    "msc": [
      "51N20"
    ],
    "name": "Normal vector",
    "sources": [
      {
        "locator": "Normal to planes and polygons",
        "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_(geometry)"
      }
    ],
    "tag": "0XYP2KKSPC",
    "uses": [
      "0V3XAMF3C1",
      "0MP9BCF6DP",
      "03NK6RSRQ1"
    ]
  },
  "kind": "definition",
  "link": "https://math2.tamnd.com/node/0XYP2KKSPC/",
  "links": [
    {
      "field": "defines",
      "target": "0WQJJCCTC8"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "0V3XAMF3C1"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "0MP9BCF6DP"
    },
    {
      "field": "uses",
      "target": "03NK6RSRQ1"
    }
  ],
  "markdown": "https://math2.tamnd.com/node/0XYP2KKSPC.md",
  "msc": [
    "51N20"
  ],
  "name": "Normal vector",
  "prov": null,
  "role": "",
  "source": "https://github.com/tamnd/math2/blob/main/nodes/0XY/0XYP2KKSPC.md",
  "status": null,
  "tag": "0XYP2KKSPC",
  "uri": "m2://0XYP2KKSPC",
  "url": "https://math2.tamnd.com/wiki/normal-vector-definition/",
  "writing": {
    "tag": "0XYP2KKSPC",
    "kind": "definition",
    "level": "W0",
    "next": [
      {
        "what": "an inventory row",
        "note": "the row of the inventory that the node accounts for",
        "have": 0,
        "want": 1
      }
    ]
  }
}
