Math 21a Homework 11 Solutions Spring, 2014

1. Find the parametric equations and symmetric equations for the line. . .
(a) (Stewart 9.5 #8 ) . . . through (2, 1, 0) and perpendicular to both i + j and j + k.
Solution: Suppose the parametric equation for the line in question is r = h2, 1, 0i + tha, b, ci. Then,
ha, b, ci · h1, 1, 0i = 0 or a+b=0
ha, b, ci · h0, 1, 1i = 0 b + c = 0.
The equations tell us that b = −a and c = −a, so ha, b, ci = ch1, −1, −1i. Therefore a vector in the direction of
the line is h1, −1, −1i, so in parametric form, the equation of the line is
r = h2, 1, 0i + ht, −t, −ti.
To obtain the symmetric equations for the line, we express the parameter t in terms of x, y and z:
t = x − 2 = −(y − 1) = −z.

(b) (Stewart 9.5 #10 ) . . . of intersection of the planes x + 2y + 3z = 1 and x − y + z = 1.

Solution: A point hx, y, zi on the intersection of two planes must satisfy both equations simultaneously. If
x + 2y + 3z = 1 and x − y + z = 1, then 3y + 2z = 0 and so y = − 32 z. Plugging this back into the first equation,
we see that x = 1 − 2y − 3z = 1 − 35 z. Thus if we let t = z/3 be the parameter, then the parametric equation of
the line is
r = h1 − 35 z, − 32 z, zi = h1 − 5, −2t, 3ti = h1, 0, 0i + th−5, −2, 3i.
To obtain the symmetric equations for the line, we express the parameter t in terms of x, y and z:
x−1 y z
t= = = .
−5 −2 3

2. Find an equation of the plane. . .

(a) (Stewart 9.5 #24 ) . . . that contains the line x = 1+t, y = 2−t, z = 4−3t and is parallel to the plane 5x+2y+z = 1.
Solution: It is enough to find a plane containing the point (1, 2, 4) parallel to the plane 5x + 2y + z = 1, since
a plane containing one point of the line will contain the entire line (since the line is parallel to the plane). This
plane will have the same normal as the given plane, so it will have equation 5x + 2y + z = d for some d. Plugging
in the point (1, 2, 4), we find the equation is 5x + 2y + z = 13.
(We can check that this plane contains the required line by plugging x = 1 + t, y = 2 − t, z = 4 − 3t into the
equation of the plane.)
(b) (Stewart 9.5 #28 ) . . . that passes through (1, −1, 1) and contains the line with symmetric equations x = 2y = 3z.
Solution: This plane contains the point (1, −1, 1) and two points from the line: the origin (when z = 0) and
(6, 3, 2) (when z = 2). Thus the vectors h1 − 0, −1 − 0, 1 − 0i = h1, −1, 1i and h6 − 0, 3 − 0, 2 − 0i = h6, 3, 2i lie in
the plane. A normal to this plane is orthogonal (perpendicular) to both these vectors, so one choice is the cross
product of these vectors:  
i j k

n = h1, −1, 1i × h6, 3, 2i = 1 −1 1  = h−5, 4, 9i.
6 3 2
Thus the equation of our plane is −5x + 4y + 9z = d. Since our plane contains the origin, it is easy see that d = 0
and our plane is given by the equation −5x + 4y + 9z = 0.

3. (Stewart 9.5 #18 ) Determine whether the lines L1 and L2 are parallel, skew or intersecting. If they intersect, find the
point of intersection.
L1 : x = 1 + 2t, y = 3t, z =2−t
L2 : x = −1 + s, y = 4 + s, z = 1 + 3s

Solution: The direction vectors of the lines are v1 = h2, 3, −1i and v2 = h1, 1, 3i, respectively. Since the direction
vectors are not parallel, the lines are not parallel. Do the lines intersect? To see if this is the case, let us simultaneously
solve the two equations: 1 + 2t = −1 + s, 3t = 4 + s and 2 − t = 1 + 3s. The y equations 3t = 4 + s gives us s = 3t − 4.
Plugging this into the x equations, 1 + 2t = −1 + s, we find 1 + 2t = −1 + (3t − 4). From this, we get t = 6 and s = 14.
But now we check the z equations, 2 − t = 1 + 3s, and see that when t = 6 an s = 14 this is equation fails: −4 6= 53.
Thus we have a contradiction, and lines do not intersect. That is, the lines are skew.
4. (a) (Stewart 9.5 #38 ) Where does the line through (1, 0, 1) and (4, −2, 2) intersect the plane x + y + z = 6?

Solution: What is the line through (1, 0, 1) and (4, −2, 2)? It is r(t) = h1, 0, 1i + th3, −2, 1i. Plugging this into
the equation of the plane, we find (3t + 1) + (−2t) + (t + 1) = 6, and so t = 2. Thus the intersection point is at
r(2) = h7, −4, 3i, or rather the point (7, 4, −3).

(b) At what angle do the line and the plane intersect?

Solution: We first find the angle θ between the line and the normal vector n = h1, 1, 1i to the plane using the
dot product of n and the direction vector v = h3, −2, 1i of the line:

v·n h3, −2, 1i · h1, 1, 1i 2

cos θ = = = √ √ .
|v| |n| |h3, −2, 1i| · |h1, 1, 1i| 14 · 3
√
Since the angle between the line and the plane and θ add up to 90◦ (π/2), our angle is π
− arccos(2/ 52) =
√ 2
arcsin(2/ 52).

5. (Based on Stewart 9.5 #40 ) Determine whether the planes x+2y +2z = 1 and 2x−y +2z = 1 are parallel, perpendicular
or neither. If they are not parallel or perpendicular, find the acute angle between them.

Solution: Clearly, the two planes are not parallel since their normal vectors n1 = h1, 2, 2i and n2 = h2, −1, 2i are
not. Recall that the angle between two planes is the angle between their normal vectors. Are the two normal vector
perpendicular? No, their dot product is 4. If the angle between them is θ, then

n1 · n2 (1, 2, 2) · (2, −1, 2) 4 4

cos θ = = = √ √ = .
|n1 | |n2 | |(1, 2, 2)| · |(2, −1, 2)| 9· 9 9

Hence, θ = arccos 4/9.

6. (Stewart 9.5 #50 ) Find the parametric equations for the line through the point (0, 1, 2) that is perpendicular to the
line x = 1 + t, y = 1 − t, z = 2t and intersects this line.

Solution: The direction vector of the line x = 1 + t, y = 1 − t, z = 2t is h1, −1, 2i. We’d like to find a point on this
line for which the vector from this point to (0, 1, 2) is perpendicular to the given line. A generic point on the given line
is (1 + t, 1 − t, 2t), so the vector from (1 + t, 1 − t, 2t) to (0, 1, 2) is h−1 − t, t, 2 − 2ti. We are looking for the value(s) of
t for which h1, −1, 2i and h−1 − t, t, 2 − 2ti are perpendicular. The dot product of these two vectors is 3 − 6t, which is
0 when t = 1/2. Thus the line in question passes through (3/2, 1/2, 1). Now we have two points on the line we want:
(0, 1, 2) and (3/2, 1/2, 1). The equation of this line is

r(s) = h0, 1, 2i + sh 32 − 0, 1
2
− 1, 1 − 2i = h0, 1, 2i + sh 32 , − 12 , −1i.

For aesthetic purposes, we let s = 2t, so that the desired line is given by

r(t) = h0, 1, 2i + th3, −1, −2i.