VECTOR AND ANALYTICAL GEOMETRY - DISTANCE FROM A POINT P TO A LINE IN

3
R .
By: Alejandro Cadavid.

Exercise: Calculate the distance from the point P= (2, -2,1) to the line L with the following
parametric equations.

[ ]
X=3+ λ
L : Y =−2−λ
Z=1+ λ

SOLUTION

 We have to know if the point that the exercise gives us to calculate the distance to
belongs to the line. In this case, it doesn`t belong because when we evaluate the
point in the parametric equation lambda takes different values.

[ ][ ]
2=3+ λ λ=−1
L : −2=−2−λ = λ=0
1=1+ λ λ=0

 After evaluating the point in the equation and know to that point doesn`t belong to
the line, we have to find a point to belongs to the line. In this case, as we have the
parametric equation, we can give values to lambda and evaluating in the equation.
Por example, λ=0.

[ ][ ]
X =3+0 X =3
Y =−2−0 = Y =−2 The point would be (3, -2, 1)
Z=1+0 Z=1

 Now, we have to find the direct vector, and to do that we can choose the numbers
that accompany to lambda in the parametric equation.

[ ]
X =3+1 λ
L: Y =−2−1 λ The direct vector is V <--> (1, -1, 1)
Z=1+1 λ
 Now, we have to find the vector AP (Remember that A is the point that we found in
the second part of the exercise, and P is the point that the exercise gives us). In
this case, we can find the vector by subtracting P – A.

[ AP=P− A=( 2 ,−2 , 1 )−( 3 ,−2 ,1 ) ]=(−1 , 0 , 0) The vector AP is (-1,0,0)

 Now, we have to calculate the projection of the vector AP over the vector V.

( Proy ( APV )=( AP∗V

V ∗V )
∗V  Formula to calculate the projection.

Replacing the formula we have to:

Proy ( APV )=( (−1

(1 ,−1 , 1)∗(1 ,−1 , 1) )
, 0 , 0)∗(1.−1 , 1)
∗(1 ,−1 ,1)  In this case, the projection is

( 1 ,−1 , 1 ) .

 Now, we have to do the subtraction between AP−Proy ( APV ).

[ AP−Proy ( APV )=(−1 , 0 ,0 )−( −13 , 13 , −13 )]=−23 , −13 , 13
 Finally, the distance from the point P is given by:

D ( P , L )=¿∨ AP−Proy ( APV )∨¿ ------------> Formula to calculate the distance

between the point P and the line L.

Replacing the formula we have to:

D ( P , L )=¿∨
−2 −1 1
, , ∨¿=
√ 6 ----------> The distance from the point P is √6
3 3 3 9 9