MATHONGO – FORMULA SHEET – VECTOR 3D

 
Distance between two points x1, y1, z1 and x2 , y 2 , z2 is  
x1  x2 2  y1  y 2 2  z1  z2 2

Section formula Z

Point which divides the segment joining x1, y1, z1 and   P

x2, y 2, z2  in the ratio m1 : m2 is

O Y
 m1x2  m2 x1 m1y 2  m2 y1 m1z2  m2 z1 
 m m , m m , m m 
 1 2 1 2 1 2 
X

Direction cosines and direction ratios of vector

If a directed line OP makes the angles , ,  respectively with the positive direction of X, Y, Z
axis(which are mutually perpendicular to each other), then cos, cos, cos are called the
direction cosines of the line OP. They are denoted by l, m, n.

 
If P x, y, z is the point and if OP  r , then
x y z
 cos,  cos and  cos .
r r r

x 2  y 2  z2 r 2
Also, cos2   cos2   cos2    2 1 i.e., l 2  m2  n2  1
r2 r

l m n
If a, b, c are three real numbers such that   , then a, b, c are called direction ratios of
a b c
OP.

a b c
Then l  , m , n
a2  b2  c 2 a2  b2  c 2 a2  b2  c 2

   
If P x1, y1, z1 and Q x2 , y 2 , z2 are two points in space, then the direction ratios of PQ are

x2  x1, y 2  y1, z2  z1 . The angle  between two lines with direction cosines l1, m1, n1 and

l 2 , m2 , n2 is given by cos  l1l 2  m1m2  n1n2 or sin  m n 1 2  m2n1 2

Note: Two lines are perpendicular if l1l 2  m1m2  n1n2 = 0 and parallel if

a1 b1 c1
l1  l 2 , m1  m2 , n1  n2 or  
a2 b2 c2

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MATHONGO – FORMULA SHEET – VECTOR 3D

Standard Form Of The Equation Of A PLANE

(a) If p is the length of the normal from the origin on the plane and l, m, n are the direction
cosines of this normal, then the equation of the plane is lx  my  nz  p

Note:

a b c
If ax  bx  cz  d  0 is the equation of a plane, then , , are the
 a 2
 a 2
 a2

d
direction cosines of the normal to the plane and p  .
 a2

(b) The equation of the plane parallel to ax  by  cz  d  0 and passing through

x1, y1, z1  is ax  x1   by  y1   cz  z1   0 .
(c) The equation of the plane parallel to the z-axis is ax  by  d  0 etc and x = 0 is y-z
plane.

(d) a, b, c are direction ratios of the normal to the plane ax  bx  cz  d  0 .

(e) If aa1  bb1  cc1  0 , the straight line with direction ratios a1, b1, c1 is parallel to the

plane ax  bx  cz  d  0 .
(f) The equation of the plane which cuts off the intercepts a, b, c on the coordinate axes is
x y z
   1.
a b c

(g)   
The equation of the plane through the points x1, y 1, z1 , x 2 , y 2 , z2 and x3 , y 3 , z3   
x y z 1
x1 y 1 z1 1
is 0
x2 y 2 z2 1
x3 y 3 z3 1

(h) The angle between the two planes a1x  b1y  c1z  d1  0 and

a1a2  b1b2  c1c 2

a2 x  b2 y  c2 z  d 2  0 is given by cos  .
a12  b12  c12 a22  b22  c 22

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MATHONGO – FORMULA SHEET – VECTOR 3D

Note: The plane are perpendicular if a1a2  b1b2  c1c2  0

(i)  
Length of the perpendicular from x1, y 1, z1 on the plane ax  by  cz  d  0 is

ax1  by1  cz1  d

.
a12  b12  c12

EQUATION OF A LINE IN SPACE

   
(a) Vector equation of a line passing through the point a and parallel to b is r  a  tb ,
where t is a scalar.
    
(b)  
Vector equation of a line passing through the points a, b is r  1 t a  tb , where t is a

scalar.
 
      b1 . b2
(c) (i) Angle between the lines r  a1  t1b1, r  a2  t 2b2 is given by cos    .
b1 b2

(ii) If the two lines are skew, then the shortest distance between the lines

= 
b  b . a  a 
   
1
  2 1 2

b1  b2

  
(d) (i) Vector equation of a plane through a containing vector b and c is
  
r  a  tb  sc , where t and s are scalars.
  
(ii) Vector equation of a plane through the points a, b and containing c is
   
r  1 t a  tb  sc .
  
(iii) Vector equation of a plane passing through the points a, b ,c is
   
r  1 t  s a  tb  sc
 
(e) Vector equation of a plane passing through a and normal to the vector n is
r  a.n  0
 
    n1 . n2
(f) Angle between the planes r .n1  d1 and r . n2  d2 is given by cos   
n1 n2

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MATHONGO – FORMULA SHEET – VECTOR 3D

(a)  
If a line in space passes through the point x1, y 1, z1 and parallel to a line with direction

x  x1 y  y1 z  z1
ratios a, b, c, then the equation of the line is   r
a b c
(This is called the symmetric form of the equation of a line).

(b)   
The equation of a line through two given points x1, y 1, z1 and x 2 , y 2 , z2 is 
x  x1 y  y1 z  z1
 
x2  x1 y 2  y1 z2  z1

x  x1 y  y1 z  z1 x  x2 y  y 2 z  z2
(b) Two lines   and =  are coplanar if
l1 m1 n1 l2 m2 n2

x 2  x1 y 2  y 1 z2  z1
l1 m1 n1  0.
l2 m2 n2

(d) Skew lines

Two straight lines are said to be skew lines if they are neither parallel nor intersecting

The shortest distance between them is perpendicular to both of them.

The shortest distance between the lines

x  x1 y  y1 z  z1 x  x2 y  y 2 z  z2
  and =  is
l1 m1 n1 l2 m2 n2

x  x m n  m n 
2 1 1 2 2 1

m n  m n 
2
1 2 2 1

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