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LEC Six MTH 101 - 240622 - 211421

The document discusses the concept of planes in three-dimensional space, detailing how a plane is defined by a point and a normal vector. It provides theorems and examples for finding the equation of a plane, determining intercepts, and calculating distances between planes. Additionally, it covers the relationships between planes, including parallelism and orthogonality.

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19 views17 pages

LEC Six MTH 101 - 240622 - 211421

The document discusses the concept of planes in three-dimensional space, detailing how a plane is defined by a point and a normal vector. It provides theorems and examples for finding the equation of a plane, determining intercepts, and calculating distances between planes. Additionally, it covers the relationships between planes, including parallelism and orthogonality.

Uploaded by

youssifmagdy2015
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lecture Six

Planes
 Planes in the space

 A plane in the space is determined by:

 A point P0(x0, y0, z0) in the plane .


 A vector n that is orthogonal
to the plane.

 This orthogonal vector n


is called a normal vector.
Theorem
An equation of the plane passing through a point P0(x0, y0, z0)
with normal vector n = <a, b, c> is given by:

a(x – x0) + b(y – y0) + c(z – z0) = 0


 Let P(x, y, z) be an arbitrary point in the plane.
 Let r0 and r be the position vectors of P0 and P.
 Then, the vector r – r0 is represented by P0 P .
 The normal vector n is orthogonal to every vector in the given plane.
 In particular, n is orthogonal to r – r0.
 Thus, we have: n . (r – r0) = 0
 <a, b, c> . <x – x0, y – y0, z – z0> = 0
 This can also be written as:
a(x – x0) + b(y – y0) + c(z – z0) = 0
Theorem
The graph of every linear equation ax + by + cz = d is a
plane with normal vector n = <a, b, c>.

 The plane ax + by + cz = d intersects the x-axis at d/a,


the y-axis at d/b, the z-axis at d/c.
Example (1)

a. Find the equation of the plane through the point P(2, 4,-1)
with normal vector n =2 i + 3 j + 4 k.
b. Find the intercepts and sketch the plane.
Solution

(a) The equation of the plane is given by:

a(x – x0) + b(y – y0) + c(z – z0) = 0

 Putting; a = 2, b = 3, c = 4, x0 = 2, y0 = 4, z0 = –1,
 we see that the equation of the plane is:

2(x – 2) + 3(y – 4) + 4(z + 1) = 0


or
2x + 3y + 4z = 12
(b)
o To find the x-intercept, we set y = z = 0 in the plane
equation, and obtain x = 6.
o Similarly, the y-intercept is 4 and the z-intercept is 3.
o This enables us to sketch the portion of the plane
that lies in the first octant.
Example (2)

Find the equation of the plane through the point P(5, -2,4) and
parallel to the plane 3x+y-6z+8 =0.
Solution

The normal vector of the given plane is n =3 i + j -6 k.

 The equation of the plane is given by:


3x  y  6z  d  0

 Since, P(5, -2,4) is in this plane; it must satisfy its equation;


35   2  64  d  0 or d  11
 Thus, the equation of the plane is:
3 x  y  6 z  11  0
Example (3)
Find an equation of the plane that passes through the points
P(1, 3, 2), Q(3, –1, 6) and R(5, 2, 0) .
Solution
n  a  b to PQ and PR are:
 The vectors a and b corresponding
a = <2, –4, 4> & b = <4, –1, –2>
i j k
 Since both a and b lie in the
 plane;
 their cross product a x b is orthogonal
n and
to the plane a  bcan be taken as the normal vector n.
2 4 4
4 1 2
i j k
n  a  b  2 4 4  12 i  20 j  14 k
4 1 2
i j k
 Withthe
2 point
4 12P(1, 2,j3)
4i  20 and
 14 k the normal vector n,
an equation of the plane is:
4 1 2
12(x – 1) + 20(y – 3) + 14(z – 2) = 0
 12 i  20 j  14 k
or 6x + 10y + 7z = 50
Example (4)
Find the point at which the line with parametric equations:
x = 2 + 3t y = –4t z=5+t
intersects the plane 4x + 5y – 2z = 18 .
Solution:
 We substitute the expressions for x, y, and z from the
parametric equations into the equation of the plane:
4(2 + 3t) + 5(–4t) – 2(5 + t) = 18

⇒ –10t = 20 ⇒ t = –2.
 Therefore, the point of intersection occurs when the
parameter value is t = –2.
 So, the point of intersection is (–4, 8, 3).
Notes
 Two planes with normal vectors n1 and n2 are
(i) parallel if n1 and n2 are parallel.
(ii) Orthogonal if n1 and n2 are orthogonal.

 If the two planes are not parallel, then


(i) They intersect in a straight line.
(ii) The angle between the two
planes is defined as the acute
angle between their normal vectors.
Example (5)
Prove that the planes: 2x -3 y - z = 5 and -6x + 9y + 3z + 2 = 0 are parallel.
Solution
The normal vectors of these planes are: n1 = <2, -3, -1> & n2 = <-6, 9, 3>

⇒ since, n2 = -3n1 , the vectors n1 and n2 are parallel and so are the
planes.

Also, it is noticed that:

i j k
 3 1 2 1 2 3
n1 u
xn2v  2  3 1  i j k
9 3 6 3 6 9
6 9 3

 0i  0 j  0 k  0
Example (6)
a. Find the angle between the planes: x + y + z = 1 and x – 2y + 3z = 1
b. Find symmetric equations for the line of intersection L of these two planes.
Solution
(a) The normal vectors of these planes are: n1 = <1, 1, 1> & n2 = <1, –2, 3>

⇒ So, the angle θ between the two planes is given by:

n1  n 2 1(1)  1(2)  1(3) 2


cos    
n1 n 2 111 1 4  9 42

 2 
  cos  1
  72
 42 
(b)

 Firstly, we need to find a point on L.

 we can find the point where the line intersects the xy-
plane by setting z = 0 in the equations of both planes.

 This gives the equations :


x + y = 1 and x – 2y = 1
whose solution is x = 1, y = 0.

 So, the point p(1, 0, 0) lies on L.


 Secondly, we need to find a vector parallel to L.

 As L lies in both planes; it is perpendicular to both the


normal vectors of each.

 Thus, a vector v parallel to L


is given by the cross product:
i j k
v  n1  n 2  1 1 1  5 i  2 j  3k
1 2 3
 So, the symmetric equations
of L can be written as:

x 1 y z
 
5  2 3
Definition
The distance D from a point P1(x1, y1, z1) to the plane
ax + by + cz + d =0 where, P0(x0, y0, z0) is a point in the
plane and b is the vector corresponding to P0 P1 is equal
to the absolute value of the scalar projection of b onto
the normal vector n = <a, b, c>. i.e.,

ax1  by1  cz1  d


D
a b c
2 2 2
Example (7)
Find the distance between the parallel planes :
10x + 2y – 2z = 5 and 5x + y – z = 1 .
Solution
 Firstly, we note that the planes are parallel because their normal vectors
n1 = <10, 2, -2> & n2 = <5, 1, -1> are parallel.
 Hence, to find the distance D between the planes, we choose any point on
one plane and calculate its distance to the other plane.
 In particular, if we put y = z =0 in the equation of the first plane,
we get x = ½.

⇒ So, (½, 0, 0) is a point in the plane (10x + 2y – 2z = 5 ).

 The distance between the point (½, 0, 0) and the plane 5x + y – z – 1 = 0


is:
5( 2 )  1(0)  1(0)  1
1 3
3
D  2

52  12  (1) 2 3 3 6
 So, the distance between the planes is 3 / 6.

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