Final answer:
The dot product of vector a = (3, 4, 2) with vector b = (4, -1, 7) is calculated by the formula (3 × 4 + 4 × -1 + 2 × 7), resulting in a dot product of 22.
Step-by-step explanation:
The dot product of two vectors in Cartesian coordinates is computed by multiplying their corresponding components and then adding the products together. For vectors a = (3, 4, 2) and b = (4, -1, 7), the dot product is calculated as follows:
a ⋅ b = (3 × 4) + (4 × -1) + (2 × 7)
a ⋅ b = 12 - 4 + 14
a ⋅ b = 22
Therefore, the dot product of vector a with vector b is 22.