WTW 164

Unit 1.1: Lines and planes

(part 3)
Dr HR (Maya) Thackeray
<maya.thackeray@up.ac.za>
Question: Line and plane
The line L is given by the following list of parametric equations:
x = 2 – 7t, y = –1 + 8t, z = 2 + 8t (t ).
The plane H has equation 3x + y – z – 24 = 0. Where does L intersect H?
Solution: Line and plane
The line L is given by the following list of parametric equations:
x = 2 – 7t, y = –1 + 8t, z = 2 + 8t (t ).
The plane H has equation 3x + y – z – 24 = 0. Where does L intersect H?
Solution. An arbitrary point on L has the form
P = (x,y,z) = (2 – 7t,–1 + 8t,2 + 8t), where t ranges over .
The point P is on H if and only if 3(2 – 7t) + (–1 + 8t) – (2 + 8t) – 24 = 0,
that is, if and only if –21t – 21 = 0, that is, if and only if t = –1, which
corresponds to (x,y,z) = (2 – 7(–1),–1 + 8(–1),2 + 8(–1)) = (9,–9,–6).
Therefore, L and H intersect at only the point (9,–9,–6).
Planes: Parallel and intersecting
Let n1 ∙ (r – r1) = 0 and n2 ∙ (r – r2) = 0 be two different planes.
• The two planes are parallel if and only if n1 and n2 are parallel, that is,
if and only if n1 is a multiple of n2.
• If the two planes are not parallel, then their intersection is a line, and
if the angle of intersection of the two planes is θ, then
cos θ =
(note the absolute value).
• In particular, the two planes are orthogonal
if and only if n1 and n2 are orthogonal.
Example: Intersecting planes (page 1)
The plane H1 has the equation x + 2y – 5z – 15 = 0; the plane H2 has the
equation x – 3y + 5z + 15 = 0. Find the line of intersection of H1 and H2.
Solution 1. Let L be the required line of intersection.
The first equation gives x = –2y + 5z + 15.
Substituting into the second yields (–2y + 5z + 15) – 3y + 5z + 15 = 0,
that is, –5y + 10z + 30 = 0. Solving for y, we get y = 2z + 6.
Substituting back gives x = –2(2z + 6) + 5z + 15 = z + 3.
So (taking z as parameter) L is given by x = 3 + t, y = 6 + 2t, z = t (t ).
Example: Intersecting planes (page 2)
The plane H1 has the equation x + 2y – 5z – 15 = 0; the plane H2 has the
equation x – 3y + 5z + 15 = 0. Find the line of intersection of H1 and H2.
Solution 2. Let L be the required line of intersection.
• Taking z = 0 yields x + 2y = 15 and x – 3y = –15, so 5y = 30, so y = 6 and x =
15 – 2y = 3, which gives the point (3,6,0). Checking, we have (3) + 2(6) –
5(0) – 15 = 0 and (3) – 3(6) + 5(0) + 15 = 0, so (3,6,0) is a point on L.
• The planes H1 and H2 have normal vectors n1 = and n2 = respectively. Each
of n1 and n2 is orthogonal to L, so n2 x n1 = = is parallel to L, so (1/5) = is
parallel to L.
A vector equation for L is r = + t (t ).
Example: Intersecting planes (page 3)
The plane H1 has the equation x + 2y – 5z – 15 = 0; the plane H2 has the
equation x – 3y + 5z + 15 = 0. The two planes intersect in a line. Find the
angle of intersection of H1 and H2.
Solution. Let θ be the angle of intersection of H1 and H2. The planes H1
and H2 have normal vectors n1 = and n2 = respectively. We have n1 ∙ n2
= (1)(1) + (2)(–3) + (–5)(5) = –30,
|n1|2 = 12 + 22 + (–5)2 = 30, and |n2|2 = 12 + (–3)2 + 52 = 35,
so cos θ = = = = = , so θ = arccos .
Distance from point to plane
Let a plane H have linear equation ax + by + cz + d = 0.
The distance from a point P1 = (x1,y1,z1) to H is
(that is, the absolute value of the left side of the linear equation
evaluated at P1, divided by the length of the normal vector ).
Question: Distance from point to plane
How far is the point (–4,1,–5) from the plane that is given by the
equation 2x – 3y + 6z – 1 = 0?

(The distance from (x1,y1,z1) to ax + by + cz + d = 0 is

.)
Solution: Distance from point to plane
How far is the point (–4,1,–5) from the plane that is given by the
equation 2x – 3y + 6z – 1 = 0?
Solution. The distance is = = 6.
Question: Distance between parallel planes
The plane H1 has equation x – 2y + 4z – 8 = 0.
The plane H2 has equation –x + 2y – 4z + 29 = 0.
What is the distance between H1 and H2?

(The distance from (x1,y1,z1) to ax + by + cz + d = 0 is

.)
Solution: Distance between parallel planes
(page 1)
The plane H1 has equation x – 2y + 4z – 8 = 0.
The plane H2 has equation –x + 2y – 4z + 29 = 0.
What is the distance between H1 and H2?
Solution. H1 and H2 are parallel: their normal vectors and are negatives
of each other.
Take x = 1 and y = 2; substituting into the equation for H2 yields
–1 + 2(2) – 4z + 29 = 0, that is, 4z = 32, that is, z = 8.
Checking, we have –1 + 2(2) – 4(8) + 29 = 0, so (1,2,8) is a point on H2.
Solution: Distance between parallel planes
(page 2)
The plane H1 has equation x – 2y + 4z – 8 = 0.
The plane H2 has equation –x + 2y – 4z + 29 = 0.
What is the distance between H1 and H2?
Solution. H1 and H2 are parallel: their normal vectors and are negatives of each other.
Take x = 1 and y = 2; substituting into the equation for H2 yields
–1 + 2(2) – 4z + 29 = 0, that is, 4z = 32, that is, z = 8.
Checking, we have –1 + 2(2) – 4(8) + 29 = 0, so (1,2,8) is a point on H2.
The distance from H2 to H1 is the distance from (1,2,8) to H1, which is

= =.
Question: Equidistance from points
Let A = (1,2,3) and B = (3,4,5). The set S consists of all points P such that
the distance from P to A equals the distance from P to B. Determine S.
Solution: Equidistance from points
Let A = (1,2,3) and B = (3,4,5). The set S consists of all points P such that the
distance from P to A equals the distance from P to B. Determine S.
Solution. A point P = (x,y,z) is in S if and only if (x – 1)2 + (y – 2)2 + (z – 3)2 and
(x – 3)2 + (y – 4)2 + (z – 5)2 have the same square root,
that is, if and only if (x – 1)2 + (y – 2)2 + (z – 3)2 = (x – 3)2 + (y – 4)2 + (z – 5)2,
that is, if and only if x2 – 2x + 1 + y2 – 4y + 4 + z2 – 6z + 9
= x2 – 6x + 9 + y2 – 8y + 16 + z2 – 10z + 25,
that is, if and only if 4x + 4y + 4z – 36 = 0,
that is, if and only if x + y + z – 9 = 0.
Therefore, S is the plane with linear equation x + y + z – 9 = 0.