Given a parallelepiped in $\mathbb{R}^3$ with the three adjacent vectors corresponding to three adjacent edges of the parallelepiped,
to find the volume, we just take any two vectors $\vec{u},\vec{v}$ from the three adjacent vectors and take the crossproduct $\vec{u}\times\vec{v}$ and then take the dot product with the other vector $\vec{w}$, that is, $(\vec{u}\times\vec{v})\cdot\vec{w}$.
And then taking the absolute value, we have the volume $|(\vec{u}\times\vec{v})\cdot\vec{w}|$.
The reason for the above argument is because
- if we take any two adjacent vectors from the given three adjacent vectors, they form a base of a parallelepiped
- and by taking the dot product with the other one, we have the volume or the negative the volume of the parallelepiped. So we take the absolute value.
Is this the correct argument?
Best Answer
Enclosed volume is given by the scalar triple product and is unaffected when their order is unchanged.
$$|(\vec{u}\times\vec{v})\cdot\vec{w}|=|\vec{u}\cdot(\vec{v}\times\vec{w})|$$
When order is interchanged, the volume becomes negative.
Btw, triclinic mineral crystals form in nature with such a 3d edge geometry.