Category:Definitions/Direction Cosines

This category contains definitions related to Direction Cosines.
Related results can be found in Category:Direction Cosines.

Let $\mathbf a$ be a vector quantity embedded in a Cartesian $3$-space.

Let the angles which $\mathbf a$ makes with the $x$-axis, $y$-axis and $z$-axis be $\alpha$, $\beta$ and $\gamma$ respectively.

Then the direction cosines of $\mathbf a$ are $\cos \alpha$, $\cos \beta$ and $\cos \gamma$, defined individually such that:

$\cos \alpha$ is the direction cosine of $\mathbf a$ with respect to the $x$-axis

$\cos \beta$ is the direction cosine of $\mathbf a$ with respect to the $y$-axis

$\cos \gamma$ is the direction cosine of $\mathbf a$ with respect to the $z$-axis.