Lines and Planes

(1) Find the parametric equations of the line of intersection of the planes with equations 3x + 4y + 3z = 6 and 2x + 3y + z = 5. Ans:x = 2 5t, y = 3 + 3t, z = t. (2) Find the shortest distance between the point P (1, 3, 4) and the plane with equation 4x 2y 4z + 7 = 0. Ans:3.5 units. (3) Find the equation of the plane containing the point A(2, 3, 4) and the line of intersection of the planes with equations 3x + 2y 2z = 4 and x + 3y + 2z + 3 = 0. Ans:x 4y 6z = 10. (4) Find the parametric equations of the line through P (1, 3, 2) which is parallel to the two planes x + 2y + 2z = 3 and x z = 6. Ans: x = 1 2t, y = 3 + 3t, z = 2 2t. (5) Find the parametric equations of the line through P (1, 5, 2) which intersects the line x = 2 + t, y = 1 + t, z = t at right angle. Ans: x = 1 + 4t, y = 5 3t, z = 2 t. (6) Find the equation of the plane containing point P (6, 2, 4) and the line x1 y+2 z3 = = . 5 6 7 Ans: 11x 15y + 5z 56 = 0. (7) Show that the lines L1 : them. Ans: Point of intersection (2, 3, 2). Equation of the plane 4x+7y3z+7 = 0. (8) Find the coordinates of a point on the plane 3x 8y + 10z + 41 = 0 which is nearest to the point P (4, 5, 8) Ans:(1, 3, 2) (9) Find the coordinates of a point on the plane 4x+2y 7z = 2 which is nearest to the point P (7, 4, 5). Ans: (3, 2, 2)
1
x2 4

y+3 1

z+2 3

and L2 : x = t, y = 1 + t, z = t

intersect at a point. Find the point and the equation of the plane containing

(10) Find a point on the line (x, y, z) = (1, 1, 2) + t(1, 2, 1) which is nearest to the point P (2, 1, 1). Ans:(1, 1, 2) (11) Find a point on the line (x, y, z) = (2, 7, 2) + t(1, 2, 2) which is nearest to the point P (2, 7, 9). Ans:(0, 3, 2) (12) Show that the lines with equations
x1 5

y2 2

z+1 3

and

x2 1

y+1 3

z+3 2

are skew-lines and nd the shortest distance between them. Ans: Since there is no k such that (5, 2, 3) = k(1, 3, 2), the lines are not parallel. Since the system 1 + 5t = 2 + s 2 2t = 1 3s 1 + 3t = 3 + 2s is inconsistent, the lines do not intersect. Therefore the lines are skew-lines. The shortest distance between the lines is 52/ 243. (13) Find the shortest distance between the skew-lines with equations x+1 y+2 z1 = = 2 4 3 Ans: 107/1038. (14) Determine whether the line and the plane (i) intersect at a single point. Find the point, (ii) are parallel with no common point, (iii) the line lies entirely in the plane. (a)
x1 1

and

x1 y1 z+1 = = . 5 3 2

y2 1

z 3

and x + y + z = 6

(b) (x, y, z) = (3, 0, 2) + t(5, 2, 4) and 2x y + 2z = 4 (c) x = 2 + t, y = 1 + 3t, z = 2 + 2t and 7x y 2z = 19. Ans: (a) Substituting (1 + t, 2 t, 3t) in x + y + z = 6 we get t = 1. Therefore the line intersect the plane at (0, 3, 3). (b) Since (3 + 5t, 2t, 2 4t) do not satisfy 2x y + 2z = 4, the line do not intersect the plane. The direction vector of the line is perpendicular to

the normal of the plane. Therefore, the line and the plane are parallel with no common point. (c) Since (2 + t, 1 + 3t, 2 + 2t) satises 7x y 2z = 19, the line is on the plane. (15) determine whether the given pair of lines (i) are parallel and distinct (ii) are skew-lines or (iii) intersect at a single point, nd the point. (a)
x1 3

y4 2

z+2 4

and

x4 3

y2 2

z2 1

(b) x = 14 + 4t, y = 2t, z = 1 4t and x = 3 + 6s, y = 2 + 3s, z = 3 6s (c) (x, y, z) = (0, 1, 2) + t(3, 3, 1) and (x, y, z) = (1, 0, 6) + s(4, 4, 1) Ans: (a) Since the system 1 + 3t = 4 3s 4 2t = 2 + 2s 2 + 4t = 2 + s yields t = 1 and s = 0, the lines intersect at the single point (4, 2, 2). (b) Since the system 14 + 4t = 3 + 6s 2t = 2 + 3s 1 4t = 3 6s is inconsistent and (4, 2, 4) = parallel. (c) Since the system 3t = 1 4s 1 + 3t = 4s 2t = 6+s is inconsistent and there is no k such that (3, 3, 1) = k(4, 4, 1), the lines are skew-lines.
2 (6, 3, 6), 3

the lines are distinct and