Tangent Planes and Normal Lines

C3L4

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1.

Define tangent plane.

2.

Find the equation of the tangent plane.

3.

Find the equation of normal line to the surface.

Normal vector to a surface

f ( x, y , z ) c
The scalar function
represents a curve surface in 3-space, e.g.,

y2

2x e z 1
2

Normal vector to a surface

Different values of c results in different level
surface, e.g.,

y2

2x e z 1
2

y2

2 x e z 1
2

Normal vector to a surface

f ( xof
, y, z ) c
Some more surfaces
values ..

y2

2x e z 1
2

for different c

y2

2 x e z 2
2

y2

2 x e z 1
2

y2

2x e z 0
2

Normal vector to a surface

f ( x , y , z ) c n
Thus, the gradient

represents
a vector pointing in the direction of the greatest rate
of increase of the function.

n f ( x , y , z )

Normal vector to a surface

It can be seen

that
n f ( x , y , z )

is orthogonal to
the level surface.
In other word, the
normal vector to
the surface can
be found by
taking the
gradient of the
surface equation.

Normal vector to a surface

f ( x, y, z ) ax by cz d 0
In particular, a flat plane with equation
, its gradient is

grad( f ) (ax by cz d )

grad( f ) i j k (ax by cz d )
y
z
x
grad( f ) ai bj ck

This result is recognized as the normal vector of the flat

plane.

Tangent Plane
Tangent plane is a plane touching a surface at a point
P, known as the point of contact, so that any line
through P in this plane is a tangent to the surface
of the point P.
Tangent line

f ( x, y , z ) 0

Tangent Plane
Definition
F ( x, y , z )
Assume that the scalar function
has
( x0 , y0 , z0 )
continuous 1st-order partial Pderivatives
and that
( x, y, zon
) the
c
is a Fpoint
level surface S:
where c is a constant.

F ( x, y , z ) c

surface S

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Tangent Plane

n F ( x0 , y0 , z0 )
If F ( x0 , y0 , z0 ) 0,
then
is a
normalP vector to S at
and thePtangent plane to S
atn r isr0given
0 by
Fx ( x0 , y0 , z0 ), Fy ( x0 , y0 , z0 ), Fz ( x0 , y0 , z0 ) x x0 , y y0 , z z0 0
Fx ( x0 , y0 , z0 )( x x0 ) Fy ( x0 , y0 , z0 )( y y0 ) Fz ( x0 , y0 , z0 )( z z0 ) 0

F ( x, y , z ) c

surface S

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Normal Line
Normal line to the surface S is a line perpendicular
to the
P
tangent plane
and passes thru
. The normal nline is parallel to
the vector , as shown in the diagram below:

v
Directional vector of the normal line // n grad F ( x0 , y0 , z0 )
Normal vector
Tangent plane
P ( x0 , y 0 , z 0 )

F ( x, y , z ) c

P0

surface S

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Normal Line equation

Parametrically, the equations of normal line is

r r0 tv
x x0 tFx ( x0 , y0 , z0 ) ;
y y0 tFy ( x0 , y0 , z0 ) ;
z z0 tFz ( x0 , y0 , z0 )

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Example 1
Find an equation for the tangent plane and parametric
equation for the normal line to the surface z at point P.

z 4 x 3 y 2 2 y ; P (1, 2, 12)

Note that the equation should be expressed as

F(x, y, z) = c.

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Example 2
Find an equation for the tangent plane and the normal line to
the surface at the
point2 P, given
2

x y 4 z 7 ; P ( 3, 1, 2)

Answer
: 6 x 9 y 16 z 5 0

r 3 6t , 1 9t , 2 16t

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Example 3
2
2
z

3
x

y
Find a point on the surface

at which the
tangent plane is parallel to the plane 6x + 4y z = 5.

Answer:

(1, 2, 1)

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Example 4
2
2
z

3
x

2
y
Find a point on the surface

at which the
tangent plane is perpendicular to the x = 2 3t, y = 7 + 8t, z = 5 t.

Answer:
( ,-2, -3/4)

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