Course Code: MTH(CE) 103

Course Title: MATHEMATICS II

Lecture-4

1
 PLANE
A plane is a surface such that if any two pints are taken on it, the straight
line joining them lies wholly and the surface, i.e. every point of the line
joining the two point will be on the plane.

General Equation of Plane:

𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏𝑦 + 𝑐𝑧 + 𝑑 = 0; where 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐, 𝑑 are constants.
Formula 1: General equation of plane passing through the origin
(0,0,0) is 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏𝑦 + 𝑐𝑧 = 0
Formula 2: Equation of plane passing through the point (𝑥1 , 𝑦1 , 𝑧1 ),
(𝑥2 , 𝑦2 , 𝑧2 ), (𝑥3 , 𝑦3 , 𝑧3 ) is
𝑥 𝑦 𝑧 1
𝑥 𝑦1 𝑧1 1
| 1 |=0
𝑥2 𝑦2 𝑧2 1
𝑥3 𝑦3 𝑧3 1
Formula 3: The perpendicular distance from the point (𝑥1 , 𝑦1 , 𝑧1 ) to the
plane 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏𝑦 + 𝑐𝑧 + 𝑑 = 0 is
𝑎𝑥1 + 𝑏𝑦1 + 𝑐𝑧1 + 𝑑
𝐷=| |
√𝑎2 + 𝑏 2 +𝑐 2

2
Problem: Find the equation of plane which is passing through (2,3,1),
(1,1,3), (2,2,3). Also find the perpendicular distance from the point
(5,6,7) to this plane.
Solution: The required plane is
𝑥 𝑦 𝑧 1
2 3 1 1
| |=0
1 1 3 1
2 2 3 1
3 1 1 2 1 1 2 3 1 2 3 1
⇒ 𝑥 |1 3 1| − 𝑦 |1 3 1| + 𝑧 |1 1 1| − 1 |1 1 3| = 0
2 3 1 2 3 1 2 2 1 2 2 3
⇒ 𝑥 {3(3 − 3) − 1(1 − 2) + 1(3 − 6)}
− 𝑦{2(3 − 3) − 1(1 − 2) + 1(3 − 6)}
+ 𝑧{2(1 − 2) − 3(1 − 2) + 1(2 − 2)}
− 1{2(3 − 6) − 3(3 − 6) + 1(2 − 2)} = 0
⇒ 𝑥 (1 − 3) − 𝑦(1 − 3) + 𝑧(−2 + 3) − 1(−6 + 9) = 0
⇒ −2𝑥 + 2𝑦 + 𝑧 − 3 = 0
⇒ 2𝑥 − 2𝑦 − 𝑧 + 3 = 0; which is the required
equation of plane.
The perpendicular distance from the point (5,6,7) to this plane is
2×5−2×6−1×7+3 10 − 12 − 7 + 3 −6
| |=| |=| | = |−2| = 2
√22 + (−2)2 +(−1)2 √4 + 4 + 1 √9

Practice: Find the equation of plane which is passing through (2,1,3),

(−1, −2,4), (4,2,1). Also find the perpendicular distance from the point
(1,1, −1) to this plane.
17
Answer: Plane equation: 5𝑥 − 4𝑦 + 3𝑧 − 15 = 0; Disatnce =
√50

3
Formula 4: The four points (𝑥1 , 𝑦1 , 𝑧1 ), (𝑥2 , 𝑦2 , 𝑧2 ), (𝑥3 , 𝑦3 , 𝑧3 ),
(𝑥4 , 𝑦4 , 𝑧4 ) are coplanar if their determinant is zero.
Problem: Show that the four points (0, −1, −1), (4,5,1), (3,9,4),
(−4,4,4) are coplanar.
Solution: To prove that the four points are coplanar, we need to show
their determinant is zero.
0 −1 −1 1
4 5 1 1
Now, | |
3 9 4 1
−4 4 4 1
5 1 1 4 1 1 4 5 1 4 5 1
= 0 | 9 4 1| + 1 | 3 4 1| − 1 | 3 9 1| − 1 | 3 9 4|
4 4 1 −4 4 1 −4 4 1 −4 4 4
= 0 + 1{4(4 − 4) − 1(3 + 4) + 1(12 + 16)}
− 1{4(9 − 4) − 5(3 + 4) + 1(12 + 36)} − 1{4(36 − 16)
− 5(12 + 16) + 1(12 + 36)}
= (−7 + 28) − (20 − 35 + 48) − (80 − 140 + 48)
= −7 + 28 − 20 + 35 − 48 − 80 + 140 − 48 = 0
So, these four points are coplanar. [Proved]
Practice: Show that the four points (−6,3,2), (3, −2,4), (5,7,3),
(−13,17, −1) are coplanar.

Formula 5: Angle between two planes:

If 𝑎1 𝑥 + 𝑏1 𝑦 + 𝑐1 𝑧 + 𝑑1 = 0 and 𝑎2 𝑥 + 𝑏2 𝑦 + 𝑐2 𝑧 + 𝑑2 = 0 are two
planes, and 𝜃 be the angle between them,
𝑎1 𝑎2 + 𝑏1 𝑏2 + 𝑐1 𝑐2
cos 𝜃 =
√𝑎1 2 + 𝑏1 2 + 𝑐1 2 √𝑎2 2 + 𝑏2 2 + 𝑐2 2

4
Problem: Find the angle between two planes 2𝑥 − 2𝑦 − 𝑧 + 3 = 0 and
5𝑥 − 4𝑦 + 3𝑧 − 15 = 0.
Solution: Let, 𝜃 be the angle between these two planes,
2 × 5 + (−2) × (−4) + (−1) × 3
cos 𝜃 =
√22 + (−2)2 + (−1)2 √52 + (−4)2 + 32
15
⇒ cos 𝜃 =
√9√50
15
⇒ cos 𝜃 =
3 × 5√2
1
⇒ cos 𝜃 =
√2
1
⇒ 𝜃 = cos−1
√2
𝜋
⇒𝜃=
4
Practice: Find the angle between two planes 2𝑥 − 𝑦 + 𝑧 − 6 = 0 and
𝑥 + 𝑦 + 2𝑧 − 7 = 0.
1 𝜋
Answer: 𝜃 = cos−1 =
2 3
Formula 6: Condition of perpendicularity of two planes:
If 𝑎1 𝑥 + 𝑏1 𝑦 + 𝑐1 𝑧 + 𝑑1 = 0 and 𝑎2 𝑥 + 𝑏2 𝑦 + 𝑐2 𝑧 + 𝑑2 = 0 are two
planes, and they are perpendicular to each other, then,
𝑎1 𝑎2 + 𝑏1 𝑏2 + 𝑐1 𝑐2 = 0
Formula 7: Condition of parallelism of two planes:
If 𝑎1 𝑥 + 𝑏1 𝑦 + 𝑐1 𝑧 + 𝑑1 = 0 and 𝑎2 𝑥 + 𝑏2 𝑦 + 𝑐2 𝑧 + 𝑑2 = 0 are two
planes, and they are parallel to each other, then,
𝑎1 = 𝑎2 ; 𝑏1 = 𝑏2 ; 𝑐1 = 𝑐2

5
Formula 8: The equation of a plane parallel to a given plane
𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏𝑦 + 𝑐𝑧 + 𝑑 = 0 is 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏𝑦 + 𝑐𝑧 + 𝑘 = 0.
Problem: Find the equation of plane which is passing through (1,2,2)
and parallel to 3𝑥 + 2𝑦 + 𝑧 − 7 = 0
Solution: The equation of plane parallel to 3𝑥 + 2𝑦 + 𝑧 − 7 = 0 is
parallel to 3𝑥 + 2𝑦 + 𝑧 + 𝑘 = 0 … … (𝑖)
Since, (𝑖) is passing through (1,2,2), so, from (𝑖) we get,
3 × 1 + 2 × 2 + 2 + 𝑘 = 0 ⇒ 9 + 𝑘 = 0 ⇒ 𝑘 = −9
Putting the value of 𝑘 in (𝑖) we get,
3𝑥 + 2𝑦 + 𝑧 − 9 = 0; which is the required equation of plane.
Practice: Find the equation of plane which is passing through (4,0,1)
and parallel to 4𝑥 + 3𝑦 − 12𝑧 + 6 = 0
Answer: 4𝑥 + 3𝑦 − 12𝑧 − 4 = 0

THANK YOU
STAY SAFE