Week 3 Lecture

Topics: Vector Equations of Plane in Space,

Distance from a Point to a Plane in Space
Equation of a Plane in Space:
A plane in space is determined by knowing a point on the plane and its “tilt” or orientation.
This “tilt” is defined by specifying a vector that is perpendicular or normal to the plane.

Suppose that a plane 𝑴 passes through a point 𝑷𝒐 (𝒙𝒐, 𝒚𝒐, 𝒛𝒐 ) and is normal to the non-zero vector
𝒏 ̂ , i.e., 𝒏
⃗⃗ = 𝒂 𝒊̂ + 𝒃𝒋̂ + 𝒄𝒌 ⃗⃗ is a non-zero normal orthogonal vector. Then 𝑴 is the set of all points
⃗ = ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑷(𝒙, 𝒚, 𝒛) for which 𝒖 ⃗ . i.e., 𝑷𝟎 𝑷 ⊥ 𝒏
𝑷𝑶 𝑷 is orthogonal to 𝒏 ⃗ . Then

⃗ = < 𝒙 − 𝒙 𝟎 , 𝒚 − 𝒚𝟎 , 𝒛 − 𝒛 𝟎 >
𝒖

⃗⃗ is orthogonal to the plane thus it is orthogonal to every

Since 𝒏

⃗ lies on the plane.

vector on the plane. The vector 𝒖

Thus, the dot product

⃗ ∙𝒖
𝒏 ⃗ =𝟎

̂ ). [(𝒙 − 𝒙𝟎 )𝒊̂ + (𝒚 − 𝒚𝟎 )𝒋̂ + (𝒛 − 𝒛𝟎 )𝒌

(𝒂 𝒊̂ + 𝒃𝒋̂ + 𝒄𝒌 ̂] = 𝟎

𝑨(𝒙 − 𝒙𝟎 ) + 𝑩(𝒚 − 𝒚𝟎 ) + 𝑪( 𝒛 − 𝒛𝟎 ) = 𝟎 ----------------------------- (1)

This equation (1) is known as the equation of plane in space.

Remark:

Another form of the equation of plane.

𝐴𝑥 − 𝐴𝑥0 + 𝐵𝑦 − 𝐵𝑦0 + 𝐶𝑧 − 𝐶𝑧0 = 0

𝐴𝑥 + 𝐵𝑦 + 𝐶𝑧 − (𝐴𝑥0 + 𝐵𝑦0 + 𝐶𝑧0 ) = 0

𝐴𝑥 + 𝐵𝑦 + 𝐶𝑧 = 𝐴𝑥0 + 𝐵𝑦0 + 𝐶𝑧0

𝐴𝑥 + 𝐵𝑦 + 𝐶𝑧 = 𝐷 where 𝐷 = 𝐴𝑥0 + 𝐵𝑦0 + 𝐶𝑧0

Example 1:
Find an equation for the plane passing through the point 𝑷𝟎 (−𝟑, 𝟎, 𝟕) and perpendicular to
̂.
⃗ = 𝟓 𝒊̂ + 𝟐𝒋̂ − 𝒌
the unit normal vector 𝒏

Solution: Since the given point is 𝑷𝟎 (𝒙𝟎 , 𝒚𝟎 , 𝒛𝟎 ) = 𝑷𝟎 (−𝟑, 𝟎, 𝟕)

Tha is, 𝒙𝟎 = −𝟑, 𝒚𝟎 = 𝟎, 𝒛𝟎 = 𝟕

And the unit normal vector is ̂ = 𝟓 𝒊̂ + 𝟐𝒋̂ − 𝒌

⃗⃗ = 𝒂 𝒊̂ + 𝒃𝒋̂ + 𝒄𝒌
𝒏 ̂

Tha is, 𝒂 = 𝟓, 𝒃 = 𝟐, 𝒄 = −𝟏

Now, the equation of the plane in space is

𝑎(𝑥 − 𝑥0 ) + 𝐵(𝑦 − 𝑦0 ) + 𝐶( 𝑧 − 𝑧0 ) = 0

Putting values in the above equation, we get

5(𝑥 − (−3)) + 2(𝑦 − 0) + (−1)( 𝑧 − 7) = 0

5(𝑥 + 3) + 2𝑦 − 𝑧 + 7 = 0

5𝑥 + 15 + 2𝑦 − 𝑧 + 7 = 0

5𝑥 + 2𝑦 − 𝑧 + 22 = 0

𝟓𝒙 + 𝟐𝒚 − 𝒛 = −𝟐𝟐

Example 2: Find an equation for the plane passing through three points 𝑨 (𝟎, 𝟎, 𝟏), 𝑩 (𝟐, 𝟎, 𝟎)
and 𝑪 (𝟎, 𝟑, 𝟎).

Solution: Given points are 𝑨 (𝟎, 𝟎, 𝟏), 𝑩 (𝟐, 𝟎, 𝟎) and 𝑪 (𝟎, 𝟑, 𝟎). Consider we fix a point 𝑨,
then

⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ ̂
𝑨𝑩 = < 𝟐 − 𝟎, 𝟎 − 𝟎, 𝟎 − 𝟏 > = < 𝟐, 𝟎, −𝟏 > = 𝟐 𝒊̂ + 𝟎𝒋̂ − 𝒌

̂
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ = < 𝟎 − 𝟎, 𝟑 − 𝟎, 𝟎 − 𝟏 > = < 𝟎, 𝟑, −𝟏 > = 𝟎 𝒊̂ + 𝟑𝒋̂ − 𝒌
𝑨𝑪

Now, a vector normal to the plane is:

⃗ = ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝒏 𝑨𝑩 × ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑨𝑪

𝒊̂ 𝒋̂ 𝒌̂
⃗ = |𝟐
𝒏 𝟎 −𝟏|
𝟎 𝟑 −𝟏
 𝟎 −𝟏 𝟐 −𝟏 ̂ |𝟐 𝟎
⃗⃗ = 𝒊̂ |
𝒏 | − 𝒋̂ | |+𝒌 |
𝟑 −𝟏 𝟎 −𝟏 𝟎 𝟑
̂ [𝟔 − 𝟎]
⃗ = 𝒊̂[(𝟎 − (−𝟑)] − 𝒋̂[−𝟐 − 𝟎] + 𝒌
𝒏

̂
⃗ = 𝟑𝒊̂ + 𝟐𝒋̂ + 𝟔𝒌
𝒏

Now, the equation of the plane in space is

𝐴(𝑥 − 𝑥0 ) + 𝐵(𝑦 − 𝑦0 ) + 𝐶( 𝑧 − 𝑧0 ) = 0

3(𝑥 − 0) + 2(𝑦 − 0) + 6( 𝑧 − 1) = 0

𝟑𝒙 + 𝟐𝒚 + 𝟔𝒛 = 𝟔

Practice questions:
Thomas Calculus Ex. 12.5: 21-26
 Distance from a Point to a Plane in Space
Let 𝑷 be a point on the plane, and 𝑷0 be

⃗ is the unit
any point in the space, then 𝒏

normal vector to the point 𝑷. Let the vector

⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑷𝑷𝟎 be denoted by the vector 𝑢
⃗ , i.e.

⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑷𝑷𝟎 = 𝒖 ⃗ Figure 1

Now considering the shortest distance from

the point 𝑷𝟎 to the plane is perpendicular to

the plane, then

⃗ . 𝒏
|𝒖 ⃗ |
𝒅=
⃗|
|𝒏
Figure 2
Proof:

From the figure, we can write

𝑩𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒅
𝒄𝒐𝒔 (𝜽) = =
𝑯𝒚𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒖𝒔𝒆 |𝒖
⃗ |
𝒅
𝒄𝒐𝒔 (𝜽) =
⃗ |
|𝒖
Figure 3
⃗ | 𝒄𝒐𝒔 (𝜽) = 𝒅
|𝒖

⃗ | 𝒄𝒐𝒔 (𝜽)
𝒅 = |𝒖

⃗ | 𝒄𝒐𝒔 (𝜽)
⃗ ||𝒏
|𝒖
𝒅=
⃗|
|𝒏

⃗ .𝒏
|𝒖 ⃗|
𝒅=
⃗|
|𝒏

Hence
 ⃗ .𝒏
|𝒖 ⃗|
𝒅=
⃗|
|𝒏

Example:

Find the distance from the point 𝑺 (𝟏, 𝟏, 𝟑) to the plane 𝟑𝒙 + 𝟐𝒚 + 𝟔𝒛 = 𝟔.

̂
⃗⃗ = 𝟑𝒊̂ + 𝟐𝒋̂ + 𝟔𝒌
Solution: 𝒏

𝑺 = (𝟏, 𝟏, 𝟑)

𝑷 =?

We find a point 𝑷 in the plane and calculate the length of the vector projection

of ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ ⃗⃗ normal to the plane. The point on

𝑷𝑺 onto a vector 𝒏

plane easiest to find from the plane’s equation are the

intercepts.

If we take P to be the 𝒚 −intercept (𝟎, 𝟑, 𝟎) then

⃗⃗⃗⃗ = 𝑢
𝑃𝑆 ̂
⃗ = (1 − 0)𝒊̂ + (1 − 3)𝒋̂ + (3 − 0)𝒌

̂
= 𝒊̂ − 2𝒋̂ + 3𝒌

|𝑛⃗| = √(3)2 + (2)2 + (6)2 = √49 = 7

The distance from S to the plane is

|𝑢 ⃗|
⃗ .𝑛
𝑑= |𝑛
⃗|

3 2 6 3 4 18 17
= |(𝒊̂ − 2𝒋̂ + 3𝒌̂ ). ( 𝒊̂ + 𝒋̂ + 𝒌̂ )| = | − + | =
7 7 7 7 7 7 7
Practice Questions:
Thomas Calculus Ex. 12.5: 39-44, 45, 46

Angle between Two Planes

The angle between two intersecting planes is defined

to be the angle between their normal vectors.

𝑛1 . ⃗⃗⃗⃗
⃗⃗⃗⃗ 𝑛2
𝜃 = cos −1 ( )
|𝑛
⃗⃗⃗⃗1 | |𝑛
⃗⃗⃗⃗2 |

Example:
Find the angle between the planes

𝟑𝒙 − 𝟔𝒚 − 𝟐𝒛 = 𝟏𝟓 and 𝟐𝒙 + 𝒚 − 𝟐𝒛 = 𝟓.

Solution:
⃗⃗⃗⃗ ̂
𝒏𝟏 = 𝟑𝒊̂ − 𝟔𝒋̂ − 𝟐𝒌

⃗⃗⃗⃗ ̂
𝒏𝟐 = 𝟐𝒊̂ + 𝒋̂ − 𝟐𝒌

⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝒏𝟏 . ⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝒏𝟐 = 𝟔 − 𝟔 + 𝟒

⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝒏𝟏 . ⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝒏𝟐 = 𝟒

⃗⃗⃗⃗𝟏 | = √(𝟑)𝟐 + (−𝟔)𝟐 + (−𝟐)𝟐 = √𝟗 + 𝟑𝟔 + 𝟒 = √𝟒𝟗 = 𝟕

|𝒏
 ⃗⃗⃗⃗𝟐 | = √(𝟐)𝟐 + (𝟏)𝟐 + (−𝟐)𝟐 = √𝟒 + 𝟏 + 𝟒 = √𝟗 = 𝟑
|𝒏

Now

𝑛1 . ⃗⃗⃗⃗
⃗⃗⃗⃗ 𝑛2
𝜃 = cos −1 ( )
|𝑛
⃗⃗⃗⃗1 | |𝑛
⃗⃗⃗⃗2 |

Putting values, we get

4
𝜃 = cos −1 ( )
7×3
4
𝜃 = cos −1 ( )
21

𝜽 = 𝟕𝟗°

Practice Questions:

Thomas Calculus Ex. 12.5: 47-52