MATHEMATICS

LINES AND PLANES IN

3 DIMENSIONS

FORM 4
 LINES AND PLANES IN 3-DIMENSIONS

Introduction Prior knowledge

Line Plane

The angle between a line The angle between

and a plane two planes

Conclusion

Exit
 Prior Knowledge

A.Different types of dimensions

One- Dimensional Two- Dimensional Three- Dimensional

B.Pythagoras Theorem

Sine = Opposite
Hypotenuse
Cosine = Adjacent
Hypotenuse
Tangent = Opposite
Adjacent
 PLANES
Definition:
A completely flat surface
HORIZONTAL PLANE

VERTICAL PLANE

INCLINED PLANE
 VERTICAL
PLANE

HORIZONTAL
PLANE

INCLINED
PLANE
 LINE LIES ON A PLANE

D C
Q
P
A B
 LINE INTERSECTS WITH A PLANE

D C

A B

Y
 The angle between a line and a plane

Objective: To find and calculate the angle

between a line a plane

Steps to find the angle:

• identify a normal to a plane

• determine the orthogonal projection of the line
• name the angle
• calculate the angle
 NORMAL TO A PLANE

Definition:
Normal to a plane is a straight line
which is perpendicular to the intersection
of any lines on the plane.

Normal to a plane

S
R

Y
P Q
 Orthogonal projection

Based on the following diagram

The Orthogonal projection is a line which joins

point A with point C. The line lies on the plane
PQRS. B

BC is normal to
S the plane PQRS
R

A C

P
AC is the orthogonal projection Q
of line AB on a plane PQRS.
The angle between the line AB and
the plane PQRS is < BAC
 The angle between a line and a plane

S R
Example

P Q

D 4 cm
C

A 3 cm B

Based on the above diagram, find the angle between the line PB and
the plane ABCD.
 The angle between a line and a plane

S R
Name the angle
P
Q The angle between the line PB
and the plane ABCD is < ABP
4 cm
D
C

How to calculate the angle ?

A 3 cm B
How to calculate the angle ?

S R
Find the angle of ABP, if AB = 4 cm, PA = 3 cm
P
P Q
3 cm
3cm D C

A 4 cm B
A B
4 cm

Tan < ABP = AP

AB
=3
Use a scientific
4
calculator to find
= 0.75
the answer

< ABP = tan –1 0.75

= 36°52 ́
 The angle between a line and a plane
S R
Find the angle between the line SB
and the plane ABCD.
P Q

Answer :
The angle is < DBS D C

Calculate the angle of < DBS if SB = 19cm

and BD= 13 cm. A B

Cos < DBS = DB

SB S
= 13
19
= 0.6842 19 cm
–1
< DBS = cos 0.6842
= 46°49 ́
D 13 cm B
 Exercise
S R
Based on the diagram,name the angles
P
Q between the following:

D C

Answers
A B

(a)Line BR and plane ABCD (a) ∠RBC

(b)Line AS and plane ABCD (b) ∠SAD
(c)Line AR and plane CDSR (c) ∠ARC
(d)Line BS and plane PQRS (d) ∠BSQ
AF and DE are both perpendicular to the plane E
ABCD.AF=DE=5cm, AB=DC=
12cm,AD=BC=9cm,and ABCD is a rectangle. D C
F
Calculate the angle between 5 cm 9 cm
(i) the line BF and the plane ABCD;
(ii)the line BF and the plane ADEF ; A 12 cm B
(iii) the line FC and the plane ABCD.

Answers
Answers

(i) Since AF is perpendicular to the plane ABCD , the angle between the line
BF and the plane ABCD is given by the angle ABF.
⇒ tan ∠ABF = 5
12
= 0.425
⇒ ∠ABF = 23º

Thus the angle between the line BF and the plane ABCD is 23º

(ii) AF is perpendicular to plane ABCD

⇒ AF is perpendicular to AB.
⇒ The angle between the line BF and the plane ADEF is given by angle ∠AFB
∠AFB = 90º - ∠ABF
= 90º - 23º
= 67º
Thus the angle between the line BF and the plane ADEF is 67º

No(iii)
(iii) Since AF perpendicular to the plane ABCD,the angle between FC and
ABCD is given by the angle ACF.By pythagoras ’ theorem,
AC² = 12² + 9²
⇒ AC = 15cm
in ∆ACF,tan ∠ACF = AF
AC
= 5
13
⇒ ∠ACF = 21°.
 The Angle Between Two Planes

A B

D
C Intersection Line

E F

The angle between two planes which meet

on a line DC is the angle between two
lines, one in each plane,taken
perpendicular to DC and meeting at a
point on DC .
Example 1

Name the angle between planes ADSP and

BDS S R

Steps to find the angle P Q

i) Identify the intersection line between

two planes ( ie SD) D C
ii) Identify perpendicular lines from plane
ADSP and plane BDS to the intersection line
(ie PS/AD and BD respectively) A B
iii) Identify the perpendicular line which meet
at the same point on the intersection line
(AD and BD meet at the point)
iv) Name the angle
(the angle is ∠ ADB)
Example 2
The diagram below shows a cuboid with a rectangular base ABCD.
N is the mid-point of AD. Calculate
a) Find the length of NC
b) Calculate the angle between RN and the base
c) Name the angle between plane RQAN and plane PQRS
P 6 cm Q

16 cm
Answers
B
A
R
S
N
6 cm

D C
 Back to question
(a) AD = QR = 16 cm N
ND = ½AD
= 8 cm
DC = PQ = 6 cm 8 cm

NC²= 8² + 6²
= 100 D C
6 cm
NC = √100
= 10 cm
(b) The angle between RN and the base ABCD is
∠RNC. R
tan ∠RNC = 6/10 6 cm
= 0.6 C N
10 cm
∠RNC = 30°58’
(c) The angle between planes RQAN and
PQRS is ∠AQP.
 Exercise
EFGH,WXYZ is a cube.Name the angle between;

(i) plane EFYZ and base EFGH; (i) ∠YFG,

(ii) plane EFYZ and plane WXYZ; (ii) ∠ZEH
∠XYF,
(iii) plane EFGH and plane HGYZ ; ∠WZE
(iii)∠EHZ,
(iv) plane FHZX and plane HGYZ. (iv) ∠FGY
∠YZH, ∠FHG

Z Y
Answers

W X
H G

E F
Multiple Choice Question:
P Q

E F
S R

H G

Based on the above diagram, which of the following line is not intersect
with plane PQRS?
A FG
B FQ
C HS
D PG
 P Q

S R

T U

Based on the above diagram,which of the following line is normal to the plane?
A PF
B PQ
C PS
D ST
 P Q

R
S
E F

H G

Based on the above diagram, orthogonal projection for line PG to the

Plane SRGH is
A PS
B RS
C SG
D SH
 P Q

R
S
E F

H G

Based on the above diagram, the angle between line SF and the plane
SRGH is
A ∠ FSG
B ∠ FSH
C ∠ SEH
D ∠ SFG
 P Q

R
S
E F

H G

The angle between PR and plane PESH is

A 5º43’
B 35º16’
C 45º
D 54º44’
 P Q

S R
E F

H G

Based on the above diagram, the angle between plane PQHG and EFGH is
A ∠ PGE
B ∠ QGF
C ∠ QHF
D ∠ SPH
 LINES AND PLANES IN 3-
DIMENSIONS

LINES PLANES
-lies on a plane - Horizontal - inclined
-intersect with a plane - Vertical

ANGLE BETWEEN A ANGLE BETWEEN TWO

LINE AND A PLANE PLANES
-Normal to plane -Lines of intersection
-Orthogonal projection -Perpendicular line to the line of
intersection

CALCULATE THE ANGLE

-determine right triangle
-use sine, cosine or tangent to
calculate the angle