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In general, a plane in space is determined by specifying a vector that is normal to the plane
(i.e., orthogonal to every vector lying in the plane) and a point P1(x1, y1, z1) lying in the plane (see Figure
above). In order to find an equation of the plane, let P(x, y, z) represent any point in the plane. Then, since P
and P1 are both points in the plane, the vector lies in the plane and so, must be
orthogonal to a. Their dot product is then zero. So we have the vector equation of a plane:
Which means;
a 1(x-x1) +a2(y-y1) +a3(z-z1)=0, or a1x+a2y +a3z=d with d= a1x1+ a2y1 + a3z1. Scalar equations
These equations are for the plane passing through the point P1(x1, y1, z1) with normal vector As
you can imagine, it's a simple matter to use this to find the equation of any particular plane. We illustrate this
in the following example.
Similarly, you can find the intersections of the plane with the y- and z - axes: and
respectively. Using these three points, we can draw the plane seen above. While we have only drawn a
triangle, you can easily visualize the plane we are interested in by extending the sides of the triangle.
Notice that since the plane intersects all three of the coordinate axes, all that we see in the first octant is
a triangle.
2
First, we'll need to find a vector normal to the plane (any one). Notice that two vectors lying in the
plane are A vector orthogonal to both is the cross product
must be orthogonal to the plane: it is the normal vector a (or n) we are looking for. The
equation for the plane with this normal vector and containing P(1,2,2) is then
0 = 6(x-1)+8(y-2)+9(z-2) or 6x+8y+9z=40
Angle between two planes: In three dimensions, two planes are either parallel or they intersect in a
straight line. (Think about this some.) Suppose that two planes having normal vectors a and b,
respectively, intersect. Then the angle between the planes is the same as the angle between a and b
With this in mind, we say that the two planes are parallel whenever their normal vectors are parallel
and the planes are orthogonal whenever their normal vectors are orthogonal.
First, notice that a normal vector to the given plane is Since the two planes are to be
parallel, this vector is also normal to the new plane. So we can write down the equation of the plane:
2 x-5y+7z= d where d= 2(1)-5(4)+7(-5)= 53
It's particularly easy to see that some planes are parallel to the coordinate planes.
3
Draw the
plane y = 3;
draw the
plane y = 8.
7 Drawing Some Simple Planes
First, notice that both equations represent planes with the same normal vector, This says
that the planes are both parallel to the xz - plane, the first one passing through the point (0, 3, 0) and the
second one passing through (0, 8, 0).
If we take y as our parameter (if you wish, let y = t ), we have parametric equations for the line of
intersection:
You can see the line of intersection in the computer-generated graph of the two planes
Suppose that we wanted to find the distance from the plane ax+by+cz+d=0 to a point P0(x0, y0, z0)
4
not on the plane. Notice that the distance is measured along a line segment connecting the point to the
plane that is orthogonal to the plane (see Figure). To compute this distance, pick any point P1(x1, y1, z1)
lying in the plane and let a = denote a vector normal to the plane. Next, notice from the Figure
that the distance from P0 to the plane is simply . Also notice that
From section 12.3 (see section12.5 example8), we can now write the distance as
a ax 0 by 0 cz 0 d
dist ( P0 , plane) compa P1 P0 P1 P0
a a 2 b2 c 2
First, notice that the planes are parallel, since their normal vectors and are parallel
(one is twice the other or check that there cross product is zero). Next, notice that since the planes are
parallel, the distance from the plane P1 to every point in the plane P2 is the same. So, pick any point in
P2, say (0, 0, 4); (This is certainly convenient.) The distance d from the point (0, 0, 4) to the plane P1 is
then given by