THREE-DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRY QUICK NOTES

• DIRECTION ANGLES OF A VECTOR


Let  : angle OP makes with the positive directions of x axis.

 : angle OP makes with the positive directions of y axis.

 : angle OP makes with the positive directions of z axis.

are called the DIRECTION ANGLES

• DIRECTION COSINES OF A VECTOR


Cosines of these Direction angles are called the DIRECTION COSINES of OP .

They are denoted by l , m and n respectively.

0  ,  ,  

l = cos  ; m = cos  ; n = cos 

l 2 + m2 + n2 = 1

Also PO makes angles  −  ,  −  ,  −  with OX,OY,OZ axes.

So, the direction cosines of PO are: - l , - m , - n

DIRECTION RATIOS OF A VECTOR


Let l , m and n be the direction cosines of a vector r and a, b and c be three numbers such
that

l m n
= =
a b c

(i.e if a,b,c are three numbers proportional to the d.c’s of a line then a,b,c are called the

direction ratios of vector r )

• DCs are always UNIQUE and DRs are NOT UNIQUE.

• If a, b ,c are the direction ratios of a vector, then its direction cosines are given by
a b c
 ,  , 
a2 + b2 + c2 a2 + b2 + c2 a2 + b2 + c2

(signs should be taken all +ve or all -ve )

 THREE-DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRY QUICK NOTES

LINES
CONCEPT VECTOR EQUATION CARTESIAN EQUATION

EQUATION OF LINES

POINT - Line passing through a point whose Line passing through a point (x1,y1,z1) and

PARALLEL p.v is a and is parallel to a given x − x1 y − y1 z − z1
 having DR’s a,b,c = =
FORM vector b a b c
  
r = a + b (a,b,c can be replaced by l,m,n)

TWO-POINT Line passing through two points Line passing through two points (x1,y1,z1)
 
FORM whose p.v are a and b and (x2,y2,z2)

    x − x1 y − y1 z − z1
r = a +  (b − a ) = =
x2 − x1 y 2 − y1 z 2 − z1

ANGLE Angle between two lines Angle between

     
BETWEEN r = a1 + b1 and r = a2 + b2 x − x1 y − y1 z − z1 x − x2 y − y 2 z − z 2
= = and = =
TWO LINES a1 b1 c1 a2 b2 c2
 
b1 .b2
cos  =   a1 a 2 + b1b2 + c1c 2
b1 b2 cos  =
a1 + b1 + c1 a 2 + b2 + c 2
2 2 2 2 2 2


CONDITION b1 = b2 a1 b1 c1
= =
FOR TWO a 2 b2 c2
LINES TO BE
PARALLEL

CONDITION b1 .b2 = 0 a1 a 2 + b1b2 + c1c 2 = 0
FOR TWO
LINES TO BE
PERPENDICUL
AR

Skew lines: Two lines in space which are neither parallel nor intersecting are called Skew lines. They
lie in different planes.
 THREE-DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRY QUICK NOTES
Prepared by Neha Agrawal MATHEMATICALLY INCLINED

SHORTEST DISTANCE BETWEEN SHORTEST DISTANCE BETWEEN TWO

TWO SKEW LINES PARALLEL LINES
       
If r = a1 + b1 and r = a 2 + b2 are       b  (a 2 − a1 )
r = a1 + b and r = a2 + b is
( )
    
b1  b2 .(a 2 − a1 ) b
two lines then  
b1  b2

PLANES
CONCEPT VECTOR EQUATION CARTESIAN EQUATION

EQUATION OF PLANES

NORMAL FORM A plane passing having n̂ as lx + my + nz = d

a unit vector normal to it
and at a distance d from the

origin r .nˆ = d

POINT-NORMAL Plane passing through a Plane passing through a point (x1,y1,z1) and

FORM point whose p.v is a and ┴ direction ratios of the normal to the plane is a,b,c

to the vector n
    a( x − x1 ) + b( y − y1 ) + c( z − z1 ) = 0
(r − a ).n = 0

r .n = d

PLANE THROUGH  
( )( )
(r − a ).[ b − a X c − a ] = 0 x − x1 y − y1 z − z1
THREE NON- x 2 − x1 y 2 − y1 z 2 − z1 = 0
COLLINEAR x3 − x1 y3 − y1 z 3 − z1
POINTS

INTERCEPT FORM Plane cutting off intercepts a,b,c from x,y,z axes

x y z
+ + =1
a b c

PLANE THROUGH (r.n − d )+  (r.n

1 1 2 )
− d2 = 0 ( A1 x + B1 y + C1 z − D1 ) +  ( A2 x + B2 y + C2 z − D2 ) = 0
INTERSECTION OF
TWO PLANES

KDS HO GAYA !!! Prepared by Neha Agrawal Mathematically Inclined

 THREE-DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRY QUICK NOTES
Prepared by Neha Agrawal MATHEMATICALLY INCLINED

ANGLE BETWEEN Angle between two planes a1 a 2 + b1b2 + c1c 2

TWO PLANES
 
r .n1 = d1 , r .n2 = d 2 is cos  =
a1 + b1 + c1 a 2 + b2 + c 2
2 2 2 2 2 2
 
n1 .n 2
cos  =   (Angle
n1 n 2
between their normal’s)
  
CONDITION FOR n1  n2 = 0 a1 b1 c1
= =
TWO PLANES TO a 2 b2 c2
BE PARALLEL OR
 
n1 = n2

 
CONDITION FOR n1 .n2 = 0 a1 a 2 + b1b2 + c1c 2 = 0
TWO PLANES TO
BE
PERPENDICULAR


DISTANCE a.n − d   The length of the ┴ from P(x1,y1,z1) to the plane
 (r .n = d , where p.v
BETWEEN A n ax1 + by1 + cz1 + d
POINT AND A 
ax+by+cz+d=0 is
of P is a ) a2 + b2 + c2
PLANE

DISTANCE d1 − d 2  The distance between two parallel planes

BETWEEN TWO  if r .n = d1 and ax+by+cz+d1=0 and ax+by+cz+d2=0 is
n
PARALLEL  d1 − d 2
r .n = d 2
PLANES
a2 + b2 + c2

  
CONDITION FOR Two lines r = a1 + b1 and x 2 − x1 y 2 − y1 z 2 − z1
TWO LINES TO BE   
r = a2 + b2 are coplanar if a1 b1 c1 =0
CO-PLANAR      a2 b2 c2
(a2 − a1 ).(b1  b2 ) = 0

    
EQUATION OF A (r − a1 ).(b1  b2 ) = 0 x − x1 y − y1 z − z1
PLANE a1 b1 c1 =0
CONTAINING TWO OR
a2 b2 c2
LINES     
(r − a2 ).(b1  b2 ) = 0
OR

KDS HO GAYA !!! Prepared by Neha Agrawal Mathematically Inclined

 THREE-DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRY QUICK NOTES
Prepared by Neha Agrawal MATHEMATICALLY INCLINED

ANGLE BETWEEN Angle between the line x − x1 y − y1 z − z1

    Angle between the line = =
A LINE AND A r = a + b and plane r .n = d a b c
PLANE 
b .n and the plane A( x − x1 ) + B( y − y1 ) + C ( z − z1 ) = 0
is sin  =  
bn is

Aa + Bb + Cc
sin  =
A2 + B 2 + C 2 a 2 + b 2 + c 2
 
CONDITION FOR A n1 .n2 = 0 a1 a 2 + b1b2 + c1c 2 = 0
LINE AND A
PLANE TO BE
PARALLEL

  
CONDITION FOR A n1  n2 = 0 a1 b1 c1
= =
LINE AND A a 2 b2 c2
PLANE TO BE OR
PERPENDICULAR  
n1 = n2

KDS HO GAYA !!! Prepared by Neha Agrawal Mathematically Inclined