QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON TANGENT PLANES

Question 1

(a) Find an equation of the plane tangent for the surface

F (x, y, z) = 0 at the given point:

(i) xy + xz + yz 12 = 0; (2, 2, 2).

(ii) xy sin z = 1; ( 2 1, 5⇡
6 ).

(b) Change the surface in Question 1, part (a), to the form

Z = F (x, y) and find an equation of the plane tangent in
(i) and (ii) in part (a) of Question 1.

Question 2

(a) Find an equation of the tangent plane for the surface

Z = F (x, y) at the given point:

(i) z = 4 2x2 y2; ( 1, 1, 1).

(ii) z = ln (1 + xy); (1, 2, ln 3).

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(b) Change the surface in Question 2, part (a), to the form
F (x, y, z) = 0 and find an equation of the plane tangent in
(i) and (ii) in part (a) of Question 2.

SOLUTIONS

Question 1

(a)

(i) Fx(x, y, z) = y + z, Fy (x, y, z) = x + z and

Fz (x, y, z) = x + y.

At the point (2, 2, 2), we have

Fx(2, 2, 2) = 2 + 2 = 4, Fy (2, 2, 2) = 2 + 2 = 4 and

Fz (2, 2, 2) = 2 + 2 = 4.

Now, the general form of the equation of the tangent plane is given
by

rF (a, b, c) • < x a, y b, z c > = 0.

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So, this becomes

Fx(a, b, c)(x a) + Fy (a, b, c)(y b) + Fz (a, b, c)(z c) = 0.

Therefore, in our particular case, we have that an equation of the

tangent plane is given by

rF (2, 2, 2) • < x 2, y 2, z 2 > = 0.

So, this becomes

Fx(2, 2, 2)(x 2) + Fy (2, 2, 2)(y 2) + Fz (2, 2, 2)(z 2) = 0.

That is,

4(x 2) + 4(y 2) + 4(z 2) = 0 ) 4x 8 + 4y 8 + 4z 8 = 0.

Therefore, we have

4x + 4y + 4z 24 = 0 ) x + y + z = 6.

(ii) Now xy sin z = 1 ) xy sin z 1 = 0.

Fx(x, y, z) = y sin z, Fy (x, y, z) = x sin z and

Fz (x, y, z) = x y cos z.

At the point ( 2 1, 5⇡
6 ), we have

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Fx ( 2 1, 5⇡
6) = 1 ⇥ sin 5⇡
6 = 1 ⇥ sin 150 = 1 ⇥ 1
2 =
1
2,

Fy ( 2 1, 5⇡
6) = 2 ⇥ sin 5⇡
6 = 2 ⇥ sin 150 = 2⇥ 1
2 = 1

and

5⇡
Fz ( 2 1,
p 6
)= 2 ⇥ 1 ⇥ cos 5⇡
6 = 2 ⇥ cos 150 =
3
p
2⇥ 2 = 3.

Therefore, an equation of the tangent plane is given by

Fx ( 2 1, 5⇡
6 )(x ( 2)) + Fy ( 2 1, 5⇡
6 )(y ( 1)) +

Fz ( 2 1, 5⇡
6 )(z
5⇡
6) = 0.

So, we have

1
p 5⇡
2 (x + 2) + ( 1)(y + 1) + ( 3)(z 6) =0 )

1
p 5
p
3⇡ 1
p
2 x 1 y 1 3z + 6 =0 ) 2 x y 3z

5
p
3⇡ 1
p 5
p
3⇡
2 + 6 =0 ) 2 x + y + 3z = 6 2.

(b) Expressing part (a) in Question 1, in the form z = F (x, y).

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 So we have the following:

(i) xy + xz + yz 12 = 0; ) z(x + y) = 12 xy )
12 xy
z= . Di↵erentiating, we have
x+y

y(x + y) 1(12 xy) xy y2 12 + xy

Fx(x, y) = =
(x + y)2 (x + y)2
(y 2 + 12)
= . Also,
(x + y)2

x(x + y) 1(12 xy) x2 xy 12 + xy

Fy (x, y) = =
(x + y)2 (x + y)2
(x2 + 12)
= .
(x + y)2

At the point (2, 2),

(22 + 12) 16
Fx(2, 2) = = = 1 and
(2 + 2)2 16

(22 + 12) 16
Fy (2, 2) = = = 1 . Now,
(2 + 2)2 16

12 2(2)
F (2, 2) = z = = 2.
2+2

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Now, in the general form, the gradient of F will be

rF ( a, b, F (a, b) ) = < Fx(a, b), Fy (a, b), 1 > .

So, the equation of the tangent plane is

Fx(a, b)(x a) Fy (a, b)(y b) + (1)( z F (a, b) ) = 0.

Then, this becomes

So, this becomes

z = Fx(a, b)(x a) + Fy (a, b)(y b) + F (a, b).

Thus, in our particular case, we have that

rF ( 2, 2, F (2, 2) ) = < Fx(2, 2), Fy (2, 2), 1 > = < 1, 1, 1 >

Hence, an equation of the tangent plane is given by

z = Fx(2, 2)(x 2) + Fy (2, 2)(y 2) + F (2, 2).

That is, z = 1(x 2) 1(y 2) + 2 = x+2 y + 2 + 2.

Hence,we have that

z= x y + 6 ) x + y + z = 6.
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 Again, we have the following:
✓ ◆
1 1 1
(ii) xy sin z = 1 ) sin z = ) z = sin .
xy xy

Di↵erentiating, we obtain

✓ ◆2
1 1
Fx(x, y) = r ⇣ ⌘2 ⇥ ( 1) ⇥ y
1
xy
1 xy

y 1 y 1
=q ⇥ = q ⇥
1 1 (xy)2 (xy)2 1 (xy)2
(xy)2 (xy)2

y xy y 1
=p ⇥ = p ⇥
(xy)2 1 (xy)2 (xy)2 1 (xy)

1 1 1
=p ⇥ = p .
(xy)2 1 x x (xy)2 1

1 2
NOTE: = (xy)
(xy)2

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Now,
✓ ◆2
1 1
Fy (x, y) = r ⇣ ⌘2 ⇥ ( 1) ⇥ x
1
xy
1 xy

x 1 x 1
=q ⇥ = q ⇥
1 1 (xy)2 (xy)2 1 (xy)2
(xy)2 (xy)2

x xy x 1
=p ⇥ = p ⇥
(xy)2 1 (xy)2 (xy)2 1 (xy)

1 1 1
=p ⇥ = p .
(xy)2 1 y y (xy)2 1

At, the point ( 2, 1),

1 1
Fx( 2, 1) = p = p .
2 ( 2( 1))2 1 2 3

Furthermore,

1 1
Fy ( 2, 1) = p = p .
1 ( 2( 1))2 1 3
✓ ◆ ✓ ◆
1 1
Now, F ( 2, 1) = z = sin 1
= sin 1
2( 1) 2

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 ⇡ 5⇡
= or ; which is 30 or 150 , respectively.
6 6
5⇡
However, we choose z = since the angle can be in the first
6
or second quadrant (that is where the value of the sine of the angle
is positive ) and the original z value was given as that, based on
the surface and the tangent plane.

Hence, an equation of the tangent plane is given by

z = Fx( 2, 1)(x ( 2)) + Fy ( 2, 1)(y ( 1)) + F ( 2, 1).

Hence, we have

1 1 5⇡
z= p (x + 2) + p (y + 1) + .
2 3 3 6

p
Multiplying throughout by 3 we obtain

p
p 1 5 3⇡
3z= (x + 2) + y + 1 + .
2 6

Therefore,

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 p
p 1 5 3⇡
3z= x+ 1 + y+1 + .
2 6

Therefore, we have

p
p 1 5 3⇡
3z = x+ y + 2 + )
2 6
p
1 p 5 3⇡
x+ y 3z = 2 .
2 6

NOTE: Comparing the resulting tangent equation, using the im-

plicit and the explicit form of the surface, there are 2 di↵erences in
the signs of the z coefficient and the term involving ⇡ .

Please double check this result.

Question 2

(a)

Di↵erentiating, we have

(i) Fx(x, y) = 4x and Fy (x, y) = 2y.

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At the point ( 1, 1), we have

Fx( 1, 1) = 4( 1) = 4 and Fy ( 1, 1) = 2( 1) = 2.

Also, F ( 1, 1) = z = 4 2( 1)2 ( 1)2 = 1,

as we expected, since this value was already found and the point
given in the original question.

Therefore, an equation of the plane tangent is given by

z = Fx( 1, 1)(x ( 1)) + Fy ( 1, 1)(y ( 1)) + F ( 1, 1).

So, we obtain

z = Fx( 1, 1)(x + 1)) + Fy ( 1, 1)(y + 1)) + F ( 1, 1) )

z = 4(x + 1)) + 2(y + 1)) + 1 ) z = 4x + 4 + 2y + 2 + 1 )

z = 4x + 2y + 7.

1 y
(ii) Fx(x, y) = ⇥ y = .
1 + xy 1 + xy

1 x
Fy (x, y) = ⇥ x = .
1 + xy 1 + xy

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At the point (1, 2), we have

2 2 1 1
Fx(1, 2) = = and Fy (1, 2) = = .
1 + 1(2) 3 1 + 1(2) 3

Now, F (1, 2) = z = ln( 1 + (1)(2) ) = ln 3.

Therefore, an equation of the plane tangent is given by

z = Fx(1, 2)(x 1) + Fy (1, 2)(y 2)) + F (1, 2).

So, we obtain
2 1
z = (x 1) + (y 2) + ln 3 )
3 3

2 2 1 2 2 1 4
z= x + y + ln 3 ) z = x + y + ln 3 .
3 3 3 3 3 3 3

(b) Expressing part (a) in Question 2, in the form F (x, y, z) = 0.

So, we have the following:

(i) z = 4 2x2 y 2 ) 2x2 + y 2 + z 4 = 0.

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Di↵erentiating, we have:

Fx(x, y, z) = 4x, Fy (x, y, z) = 2y and Fz (x, y, z) = 1.

At the point ( 1, 1, 1), we have that

Fx( 1, 1, 1) = 4( 1) = 4, Fy ( 1, 1, 1) = 2( 1) = 2
and Fz ( 1, 1, 1) = 1. Therefore, an equation of the tangent
plane is given by

Fx( 1, 1, 1)(x ( 1)) + Fy ( 1, 1, 1)(y ( 1)) +

Fz ( 1, 1, 1)(z 1) = 0. Therefore, we have

4(x + 1) + ( 2)(y + 1) + 1(z 1) = 0 )

4x 4 2y 2 + z 1 = 0 ) 4x + 2y z= 7

) z = 4x + 2y + 7.

(ii) z = ln(1 + xy) ) ln(1 + xy) z=0

Di↵erentiating, we have:

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 y x
Fx(x, y, z) = , Fy (x, y, z) = and
1 + xy 1 + xy
Fz (x, y, z) = 1.

At the point (1, 2, ln 3), we have that

2 2 1 1
Fx(1, 2, ln 3) = = , Fy (1, 2, ln 3) = =
1 + 1(2) 3 1 + 1(2) 3
and Fz (1, 2, ln 3) = 1.

Therefore, an equation of the tangent plane is given by

Fx(1, 2, ln 3)(x 1) + Fy (1, 2, ln 3)(y 2) +

Fz (1, 2, ln 3)(z ln 3) = 0.

So, this becomes

2 1
(x 1) + (y 2) + ( 1)(z ln 3) = 0 )
3 3

2 2 1 2
x + y z + ln 3 = 0 )
3 3 3 3

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 2 1 4
z= x + y + ln 3 .
3 3 3

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