Distance Learning Programme: An Initiative by AEES,

Mumbai

Class : XII
Subject : Mathematics
Chapter : Three Dimensional Geometry
Module : 1/5

By: Anuj Kumar

PGT(Mathematics)
AECS, Indore
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THREE DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRY
• Introduction: The topic was introduced in class XI in which we
have studied the how to provide position to a point in space which
has been divided in octants made by three axes X, Y & Z, distance
between two points and section formula. In previous chapter of
Vector Algebra we have studied some basic concepts of vectors
which we will use in the topic of Three Dimensional Geometry. The
purpose of the topic is to develop imagination and visualisation in
three dimension and to learn the conversion of vector form to
cartesian form and vice versa.
• Content of module- 1:
• Direction Cosines & Direction Ratios of a line in space (dc’s & dr’s)
• Equation of a line in space

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Direction Cosines and Direction Ratios
i) Direction Angles: As we have
studied in two dimensional
geometry each line is having slope
in terms of tangent of the angle
made by the line with positive
direction of X axis. Similarly in
three dimensional geometry if a
directed line is passing through
origin makes angles ,  and  with
positive directions of X, Y and Z
axes respectively then the angles
are known as direction angles.
(angels are shown in adjacent
figure)

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ii) The cosine of these directed angles, cos, cos, and cos are
termed as direction cosines of the line with general notation l, m
and n respectively. These can be obtained using above figure as
follows-
x y z
l  cos  , m  cos  , n  cos 
2 2 2 2 2 2
x  y z x  y z x2  y2  z2
and a relation can also be obtained as
2 2 2
x y z
l 2  m2  n2  2 2 2  2 2 2  2 2 2
x  y z x  y z x  y z
x2y2  z2
 2 2 2 1
x  y z
l 2  m2  n2 1
Note-1: If the direction of the line is reversed then direction
angles will be replaced by  - ,  -  and  -  i.e. the signs of
direction cosines are reversed. 4
Note- 2: If the line is not passing through origin then a line
passes through origin can be drawn which is parallel to the given
line then the direction cosines of both the lines will be
proportional.
Note- 3: Three numbers which are proportional to the direction
cosines of a line are said to be direction ratios of the line. If l, m
and n are dc’s of a line then its dr’s will be as a =l, b = m and c

= n where  R-{0}.
l m n 1
     k (let )  l  ak , m  bk , n  ck
a b c 
We know that l 2  m 2  n 2  1  a 2 k 2  b 2 k 2  c 2 k 2  1
1
 k 2 (a 2  b 2  c 2 )  1  k  
a2  b2  c2
a b c
l ,m   ,n  
a2  b2  c2 a2  b2  c2 a2  b2  c2
these are dc ' s of the line .
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Note-4: The dr’s of a line segment with end points at P(x1, y1, z1) and
Q(x2, y2, z2) are x2 – x1, y2 – y1, z2 – z1 or x1 – x2, y1 – y2, z1 – z2 after
getting dr’s of line segment as a, b, c we can find dc’s l, m, n.
Example-1: If a line make 90o,135 o,45 o with the x, y ,and z axes
respectively find it direction cosines.
Solution: The dc’s can be obtained as
1 1
l = cos90=0, m = cos135=  , n = cos45= 2
2
Example-2: If dr’s of a line are 6, 2, 3 then find its dc’s.
Solution: a = 6, b = 2, c = 3 then

6 2 3
l  ,m ,n 
2 2 2 2 2 2
6  2 3 6  2 3 62  22  32
6 2 3
l  , m  , n 
7 7 7

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Example-3: Find the direction cosines of the line joining of the points (7,
-5, 9) & (5, -3, 8).
Solution: The dr’s of line joining of A(7, -5, 9) & B(5, -3, 8) are
 5 – 7, – 3 + 5, 8 – 9 i.e. –2, 2, –1
Now dc’s of line joining of A & B can be obtained as
2 2 1 2 2 1
 l  ,m  ,n  or l  , m  ,n 
3 3 3 3 3 3
Example-4: Show that the points (1, –2, 3), (2, 3, –4), (0, –7, 10) are
collinear.
Solution: The similar problem had been solved by us in class XI using
section formula as well as in Vector Algebra. Now we will see how to
show using dr’s & dc’s. The points A (1, –2, 3), B(2, 3, –4), C(0, –7, 10)
will be collinear if dr’s of AB will be proportional to the dr’s of BC.
dr’s of AB 1, 5, – 7 and dr’s of BC  – 2, – 10, 14
Since 1 5 7
 
2  10 14
therefore A, B & C are collinear. 7
 Equation of line in space
1. Equation of a line passes
through a point and parallel to
given vector:
Let l be a line passes through A
whose position vector is ሬ ሬሬ
ሬ
𝑂𝐴ሬ
Ԧ= 𝑎ത
and it is parallel to a vector 𝑏ത
.
If P is a general point on the line
whose position vector is ሬ ሬ
𝑂𝑃ሬ
ሬሬ
Ԧ = 𝑟ҧ
then ሬሬ
ሬ
𝐴𝑃ሬ
ሬԦ = 𝑏തሬሬሬ
𝑂𝑃ሬ
ሬԦ− ሬሬ
𝑂𝐴ሬ
ሬԦ = 𝑏ത
ሬ
𝑟ҧ − 𝑎ത= 𝑏തor 𝒓
ത= 𝒂 ഥ+ 𝒃 ഥis
the required equation of the line
and known as vector form of
straight line.

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If 𝑟ҧ= 𝑥𝑖Ƹ+ 𝑦𝑗Ƹ+ 𝑧𝑘෠, 𝑎ത= 𝑥1 𝑖Ƹ+ 𝑦1 𝑗Ƹ+ 𝑧1 𝑘෠ and
𝑏ത= 𝑎𝑖Ƹ+ 𝑏𝑗Ƹ+ 𝑐𝑘෠ then the cartesian form the line will be
𝑥−𝑥 1 𝑦−𝑦1 𝑧−𝑧1
as = = .
𝑎 𝑏 𝑐
Example-5: Find the equation of line passes through
(5, - 2, 4) and parallel to the vector 2𝑖Ƹ− 𝑗Ƹ+ 𝑘෠.
Solution:
Vector form: 𝑟ҧ= 𝑎ത+ 𝑏ത
 𝑟ҧ= ൫5𝑖Ƹ− 2𝑗Ƹ+ 4𝑘෠൯+ ൫2𝑖Ƹ− 𝑗Ƹ+ 𝑘෠൯
𝑥−𝑥 1 𝑦−𝑦1 𝑧−𝑧1
Cartesian form: = =
𝑎 𝑏 𝑐
𝑥−5 𝑦+2 𝑧−4
 = =
2 −1 1
Note-5: In above example we can observe the conversion of
vector form to Cartesian or vice versa.

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2. Equation of a line passes
Through two given points:

Let l be a line passes through A

and B whose position vectors are
ሬ
ሬሬ
ሬ
𝑂𝐴ሬ
Ԧ= 𝑎ത𝑎𝑛𝑑 ሬ ሬሬ
ሬ
𝑂𝐵Ԧ = 𝑏ത.
ሬ
If P is a general point on the line
whose position vector is ሬ ሬሬ
ሬ
𝑂𝑃ሬԦ = 𝑟ҧ
then ሬ
ሬሬ
ሬ
𝐴𝑃ሬ
Ԧ = ሬሬሬ
ሬ
𝐴𝐵ሬ
Ԧ
ሬ ሬሬ
ሬ
𝑂𝑃ሬ
Ԧ− ሬ ሬ
ሬ
𝑂𝐴ሬ
ሬԦ= (𝑂𝐵
ሬ
ሬሬ
ሬሬ
Ԧ− ሬ
ሬሬ
ሬ
𝑂𝐴ሬ
Ԧ),
𝑟ҧ − 𝑎ത= (𝑏ത− 𝑎ത)
the required equation of the line
and known as vector form of
straight line.
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If ሬሬ
ሬ
𝑂𝐴ሬ
ሬԦ = 𝑎ത= 𝑥1 𝑖Ƹ+ 𝑦1 𝑗Ƹ+ 𝑧1 𝑘෠ and
ሬሬሬ
𝑂𝐵ሬԦ = 𝑏ത= 𝑥2 𝑖Ƹ+ 𝑦2 𝑗Ƹ+ 𝑧2 𝑘෠ then catesian form of the line will be
ሬ
𝒙−𝒙𝟏 𝒚−𝒚𝟏 𝒛−𝒛𝟏
as = =
𝒙𝟐 −𝒙𝟏 𝒚𝟐 −𝒚𝟏 𝒛𝟐 −𝒛𝟏
Example-6: Find the equation of line passes through A(3, 4, -7) &
B(5, 1, 6).
Solution: A(3, 4, -7)  𝑎ത= ൫3𝑖Ƹ+ 4𝑗Ƹ− 7𝑘෠൯
B(5, 1, 6)  𝑏ത= ൫5𝑖Ƹ+ 𝑗Ƹ+ 6𝑘෠൯
Vector form: 𝑟ҧ− 𝑎ത= 𝑏ത− 𝑎ത
 𝑟ҧ− ൫3𝑖Ƹ+ 4𝑗Ƹ− 7𝑘෠൯= ൫5𝑖Ƹ+ 𝑗Ƹ+ 6𝑘෠൯− ൫3𝑖Ƹ+ 4𝑗Ƹ− 7𝑘෠൯
𝑟ҧ− ൫3𝑖Ƹ+ 4𝑗Ƹ− 7𝑘෠൯= ൫2𝑖Ƹ− 3𝑗Ƹ+ 13𝑘෠൯
𝒙−𝒙𝟏 𝒚−𝒚𝟏 𝒛−𝒛𝟏
Cartesian form: = =
𝒙𝟐 −𝒙𝟏 𝒚𝟐 −𝒚𝟏 𝒛𝟐 −𝒛𝟏
𝑥−3 𝑦−4 𝑧+7
= =
5−3 1−4 6+7
𝑥−3 𝑦−4 𝑧+7
 = =
2 −3 13 11
Thank you

End of Module 1/5

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