Math 115 Lab 1 Solutions

1. Find the point

1
5

of the way from P (2, 1, 5) to Q(3, 0, 4).

Solution: Let p~ = [2 1 5]T and ~q = [3 0 4]T be the position vectors of the points.
The position vector of the point

1
5

the way from p~ to ~q is

~t = p~ + 1 (~q p~) = 4 p~ + 1 ~q = 1 [11 4 24]T .

5
5
5
5
Thus, the point

1
5

4 24
of the way from P to Q is ( 11
5 , 5 , 5 ).

2. Given the vectors ~v = [3 1 2]T and d~ = [1 2 1]T , write the vector ~v as a sum ~v = ~v1 + ~v2 where ~v1 is
~
parallel to d~ and ~v2 is orthogonal to d.
Solution: Let ~v1 = projd~(~v ) =

~
v d~
2

kd~k
1
T
Then ~v2 = ~v ~v1 = 2 [5 4 3] .

d~ = 12 d~ = 12 [1 2 1]T .

3. Find the shortest distance from the point P (1, 0, 2) to the line [x y z]T = [1 1 0]T + t[2 1 1]T .

Solution: Write P0 = P0 (1, 1, 0), ~v = P0 P = [0 1 2]T and d~ = [2 1 1]T .

~
Compute ~v1 = projd~(~v ) = 21 d.

Then the shortest distance is k~v ~v1 k = 21 [2 1 3]T = 12 14.

4. Find the vector equation of the line through the points P1 (1, 0, 2) and P2 (2, 1, 1).

Solution: Now d~ = P1 P2 = [1 1 1]T , so the line is [x y z]T = [1 0 2]T + t[1 1 1]T .

5. Determine the parametric equations of the line through the point P (1, 1, 0) which is perpendicular to
the plane x + y 2z = 3.
Solution: The normal ~n = [1 1 2]T will serve as direction vector of the line (it is perpendicular to
the plane).
As P (1, 1, 0) is in the line, the parametric equations are

x=1+t
y = 1 + t
z = 2t

6. If ~v and w
~ are orthogonal vectors, show that k~v k + kwk
~ = k~v + wk
~ .
2

Solution: We have k~v + wk

~ = (~v + w)
~ (~v + w)
~ = k~v k + 2 ~v w
~ + kwk
~ .
But ~v and w
~ are orthogonal, so ~v w
~ = 0.
2

Hence k~v k + kwk

~ = k~v + wk
~ .

7. Find the point of intersection of the line [x y z]T = [2 1 3]T + t[1 1 4]T
and the plane 3x + y 2z = 4.
Solution: Every point on the line has the form [x y z]T = [2 + t 1 t 3 4t]T .
This point lies on the plane if 3(2 + t) + (1 t) 2(3 4t) = 4, which gives t = 21 .
Hence the point is [x y z]T = [ 25

3
2

1]T .

8. Find vector equation of the line through (2, 5, 0) that is parallel to the planes 2x + y 4z = 0 and
x + 2y + 1 = 0.
Solution: We need the direction vector d~ = [d1 d2 d3 ]T . Since d~ is parallel to the plane 2x + y 4z = 0,
it must be orthogonal to the normal vector of the plane [2 1 4]T .
ie. [d1 d2 d3 ]T [2 1 4]T = 0.
Also, since d~ is parallel to the plane x + 2y + 1 = 0, we have [d1 d2 d3 ]T [1 2 0]T = 0.
This gives us the equations 2d1 + d2 4d3 = 0 and d1 + 2d2 = 0. Substituting d1 = 2d2 into the
first equation, we obtain d3 = 54 d2 . There are many possible direction vectors (all parallel). We will let
d2 = 4 and so d1 = 8 and d3 = 5. So d~ = [8 4 5]T and the line passes through (2, 5, 0), so the vector
equation of the line is [x y z]T = (2, 5, 0) + [8 4 5]T .
9. Find the area of the triangle with vertices P (2, 1, 0), Q(3, 1, 1) and R(1, 0, 1).
Solution: The area of a triangle is 21 base height.
~ k as the height.
~ as the base and kQP
~ proj ~ QP
We will take kQRk
QR
p

~ = k[2 1 0]T k = (2)2 + 12 + 02 = 5 and

Now, kQRk
T
~ QR
~
QP
[2 1 0]T
4
~
~ = [1 2 1]
projQR
QR
[2 1 0]T = [2 1 0]T .
~ QP =

2
~ 2
5
kQRk
5
q
4
3
6
T
~ k = k[1 2 1]T [2 1 0]T k = k[
~ proj ~ QP
So kQP
( 35 )2 + ( 56 )2 + 12 =
QR
5
5 5 1] k =

Thus the area of the triangle is 12 5 570 = 214 .

70
5 .

10. Consider the points A(2, 2, 1), B(1, 1, 0) and C(2, 3, 3).
(a) Are these points the vertices of a right-angled triangle? Justify your answer.

Solution: We have AB = [1 1 1]T , AC = [0 1 4]T and BC = [1 2 3]T .

Hence AB BC = 0 so the angle at B is a right angle.
(b) Find the cosine of the interior angle of the triangle at vertex C.

T
T
Solution: If is the internal angle at C then,
since
CA = [0 1 4] and CB = [1 2 3] ,

CA CB
14
14 17



we have cos =
.
= 17 14 =
17
CA CB