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Chapter 12 : Vectors and The Geometry of Space

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Chapter 12 : Vectors and The Geometry of Space

12.1 Three-Dimensional Coordinate Systems

12.2 Vectors

12.3 The Dot Product

12.4 The Cross Product

12.5 Equations of Lines and Planes

12.6 Cylinders and Quadratic Surfaces

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12.5 Equations of Lines and Planes

Objectives :

 Introduce the equation of a line in 3D

 Introduce the equation of a plane in 3D

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Equation of a Line

A line L in R3 is determined by a point P0 (x0 , y0 , z0 ) on L and

the direction of L.

Let P (x, y, z) be a point on L and let r0 and r be the position

−−→
vectors of P0 and P . If a is the vector P0 P , then the triangle
law gives
r = r0 + a
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Equation of a Line

Since a and v are parallel, i.e. a = tv. the vector equation of L

If v = (a, b, c), the vector equation gives three scalar equations

These equations are called parametric equations of the line L

through the point P0 (x0 , y0 , z0 ) and parallel to the vector

v = (a, b, c)
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Example 1

(a) Find a vector equation and parametric equations of the

line that passes through the point (5, 1, 3) and is parallel to
i + 4j − 2k

(b) Find two other points on the line.

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Symmetric Equations of a Line

If v = (a, b, c) is the direction vector of a line L, the numbers

a, b, c are called direction numbers.

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Another way of describing a line L is by eliminating the

parameter t.

These equations are called symmetric equations of L.

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Example 2

(a) Find parametric equations and symmetric equations of

the line that passes through the points A(2, 4, −3) and
B(3, −1, 1).

(b) At what point does this line intersect the xy-plane.

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Equation of the Line Segment

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Example 3

Show that the lines L1 and L2 with parametric equations

x = 1 + t, y = −2 + 3t, z =4−t
x = 2s, y = 3 + s, z = −3 + 4s
are skew lines, that is they do not intersect and are not
parallel.
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Planes

A plane is determined by a point P0 (x0 , y0 , z0 ) in the plane

and vector n that is orthogonal to the plane. The vector n is
called a normal vector.
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Planes

Let P (x, y, z) be point in the plane and 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 r − r0 .

This equation is called a vector equation of the plane.

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Planes

If n = (a, b, c) and r = (x, y, z) and r0 = (x0 , y0 , z0 ), then

This equation is the scalar equation of the plane through

P0 (x0 , y0 , z0 ) with normal vector n = (a, b, c).

Another way to write this equation is

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Example 4

Find an equation of the plane through the point (2, 4, −1)

with normal vector n = (2, 3, 4). Find the intercepts.

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Example 5

Find an equation of the plane that passes through the

points P (1, 3, 2), Q(3, −1, 6) and R(5, 2, 0)

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Example 6

Find the point at which the line with parametric equation

x = 2 + 3t, y = −4t and z = 5 + t

intersects the plane 4x + 5y − 2z = 18.
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Parallel Planes

Two planes are parallel if their normal vectors are parallel.

If two planes are not parallel, then they intersect in a

straight line.

The angle between the two planes is the acute angle between
their normal vectors.
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Example 7

(a) Find the angle between the planes

x + y + z = 1 and x − 2y + 3z = 1
(b) Find symmetric equation for the line of intersection of the
two planes.
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Example 8

Find a formula for the distance D from a point P1 (x1 , y1 , z1 )

to the plane

ax + by + cz + d = 0
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Example 9

Find the distance between the parallel planes

10x + 2y − 2z = 5 and 5x + y − z = 1
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Example 10

Find the distance between these two skew lines

L1 : x = 1 + t, y = −2 + 3t z = 4 − t
L2 : x = 2s, y = 3 + s, z = −3 + 4s
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Keywords to remember

 Vector equation of a line

 Parametric equation of line
 Symmetric equation of a line
 Skew Lines
 Direction numbers
 Normal vector
 Vector equation of a plane
 Scalar equation of a plane
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12.6 Cylinders and Quadratic Surfaces

Objectives :

 Investigate other types of surfaces

 Identify some quadratic surfaces

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Example 1

Sketch the graph of z = x2

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Example 2

Sketch the graphs of x2 + y 2 = 1 and y 2 + z 2 = 1

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Example 3

Sketch the graph of

2 2
y z
x2 + + =1
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Quadratic Surfaces