Lines & Planes in 3 Dimensions 07/01/13

1/ The Equation of a Line in 3 Dimensions

Begin with the Point Slope Formula in 2 Dimensions
y y1 = m ( x x1 ) y y1 = [ (y2 y1) / (x2 x1) ] (x x1)

3/ The Equation of a Plane in 3 Dimensions

a) Standard Form Ax+By+Cz = D Normal vector to the Plane = an = < A, B, C> where A B C are the direction numbers One Pt value for "D" = an dot v0 The Point Normal method for generating this form is an dot ( v v0 ) = 0 ( v v0 ) is a vector in Plane < A , B , C > dot < x x0 , y y0 , z z0 > = 0 b) Intercept Form x y z This form makes it easy a = b = c = 1 to sketch the Plane where a b c are the x y z Axis intercepts of the Plane c) Vector Form r0 + s v + t w s & t parameters r0 = vector from Origin to r0 , starting point in the plane v & w are any two non || vectors in the plane d) Normal Form l1 x + l2 y + l3 z = p l i = direction cosines p = distance from Origin to l12 + l22 + l32 = 1 the Plane [ The components of the normalized direction vector are direction cosines, the cosines of angles , , between the line/vector & the 3 coordinate axes ] -------------------------------------------------------------------------4/ To find the Equation of a Plane Given . a/ Normal Direction vector an and any Point in the Plane Dot Product of an and < x x0 , y y0 , z z0 > = 0 OR Ax + By + Cz = D find "D" by D = an dot < x0 , y0 , z0 > b/ 3 Points in the Plane Find 2 direction vectors and then the Cross Product to get the Plane Normal vector; use 1 Point and proceed as in "a/" above. OR | x x1 y y1 z z1 | ( x x1 ) dot b x c = Det | x2 x1 y2 y1 z2 z1 | = 0 | x3 x1 y3 y1 z3 z1 | Note; A vector and a point OR 2 points line Two vectors and a point OR 3 points plane --------------------------------------------------------------------------5/ Dot Product [ Scalar / Direct / Inner ] Result is a scalar u . v or u dot v a) If u = <a,b,c> v = <d,e,f> u dot v = a d + b e + cf
e.g. <1,4,3> dot <2,3,5> = ( 1 x 2 ) + ( 4 x 3 ) + ( 3 x 5) = 29 b) u . v = ||u|| ||v|| cos x [x = angle between u & v] c) u . v = matrix multiplication of uT x v

since m = [ (y2 y1) / (x2 x1) ] thus (y y1) / (y2 y1) = ( x x1 ) / (x2 x1) this is . a) The Symmetric or Cartesian Form of the Equation of a Line in 2 Dimensions Extending this to 3 Dimensions with axis z (x x1) / (x2 x1) = (y y1) / (y2 y1) = (z z1) / (z2 z1) equivalently ( x x1 ) (y y1) ( z z1 ) a1 = a2 = a3 < a1, a2, a3 > = < (x2 x1) , (y2 y1) , (z2 z1) > a = direction vector = < a1, a2, a3 > a1, a2, a3 are the direction numbers of the line ( x1 , y1 , z1 ) is any point on the line. A point on the line + direction vector Symmetric Eq b) The Scaler Parametric Form of the Line is also known if you have a Point & a Direction Vector If the Starting Point P1 = ( x1, y1, z1 ) is on the line x = x1 + a1 t x = 3 + 4t P1 y = y1 + a2 t Ex: y = 2 t (3,2,1) z = z1 + a3 t z=1+2t where t is the parameter and a = direction vector = < a1, a2, a3 > = < 4, 1 , 2 > c) The Vector Form of the Line is v = v1 + a t often written v v1 = a t v1 is a vector from the Origin to the Starting Point = the Starting Vector < x1, y1, z1 > v = < x y z > = < x1, y1, z1 > + < a1, a2, a3 > t v = < x y z > = < x1 + a1 t , y1 + a2 t , z1 + a3 t >

-----------------------------------------------------------2/ To find the Equation of a Line Given

a/ One Point and direction vector write directly b/ 2 Pts find direction vector by subtraction and use either point as in "a/" above. c/ 2 Planes Find the Cross Product of the Normals for the direction vector of the intersection. Then solve for a point on the common line by finding y = f(x) and z = f(x) + elimination with Plane Eqs. Plug back to either Plane Eq to get "x". Back substitute d/ A Point P0 on a Line Perpendicular to the Plane Can write the Equation directly using the Normal of the Plane and the Point Point ( x0,y0,z0) Normal < ABC> for Ax+By+Cz = D ( x x0 ) (y y0) ( z z0 ) A = B = C ------------------------------------------------------------------------7/ Component of u in the v direction [ a scaler ] ** Comp v u is the length of the Projection of u on to v Comp v u = || Proj v u || x = angle between u & v From Basic Trig .. Cos x = ||v|| / ||u|| so ||v|| = ||u|| Cos x Comp v u = ||u|| Cos x ** Comp v u = Dot product of u with the unit vector of v Comp v u = [ u dot v / ||v|| ] = ||u|| ||v|| Cos x / ||v|| Comp v u = ||u|| Cos x same as above 8/ Projection of u on to v [ a vector ] ** Proj v u is the vector that results by dropping a perpendicular from u on to v Proj v u = [ Length of v ] x [ Unit vector for v ] Proj v u = [ Comp v u ] x [ Unit vector for v ]

6/

uT is the transpose of vector u The Dot Product is used to find Lengths by Projection of one vector on to another. Cross Product [ Vector / Skew ] uxv a) Result is a vector perpendicular to both u and v Geometric interpretation; = area of parallelogram formed by the two vectors u and v u x v = [ ||u|| ||v|| sin x ] n x = angle between the vectors u & v n is a unit vector perpendicular to u & v formed by the "right hand rule" b) Another method for finding the Cross Product
u x v = the determinant of a Matrix of 3 row vectors | i j k |

u x v =

| u1 u2 u3 |
| v1 v2 v3 |

If vectors u & v are Parallel, then u x v = 0

Lines & Planes in 3 Dimensions 07/01/13

9/ If 2 vectors are parallel Cross product is = 0 If 2 vectors are perpendicular Dot product = 0 If 2 Planes are parallel Cross product of normals = 0 If 2 Planes are perpendicular Dot product of normals = 0 10/ The Cross Product of 2 Plane's Normal vectors is a vector 1/ || to both Planes and thus is the direction vector of the intersection Line of the 2 Planes AND 2/ Normal to all Planes Perpendicular to both Planes

Distance Problems
1/ Point to Point; d = [ (x2 x1)2 + (y2 y1)2 + (z2 z1)2 ](1/2) This is just an application of the Pythagorean Theorem 2/ Point P0 to Line Find the vector from the point P0 & P1 a point on the line L1 . If an is the line normal, then the Component of P1P0 on an is the distance d = P1P0 dot an / || an || OR If P2 is also on line L1 ; x = angle between P1P2 & P1P0 d = || P1P0 || sin x from basic Trigonometry d = || P1P2 || || P1P0 || sin x / || P1P2 || d = || P1P2 x P1P0 || / || P1P2 || 3/ Point P0 to Plane Same as Point to Line using Plane normal . P0P1 vector P1 point in the plane The Comp of P0P1 on an is the distance d = P1P0 dot an / || an || an = < A , B , C > if only the Plane normal is known Ax0 + By0 + Cz0 ( Ax1 + By1 + Cz1 ) d= [ A2 + B2 + C2 ](1/2) if the full Plane Equation is known Ax0 + By0 + Cz0 + D____ d= [ A2 + B2 + C2 ](1/2) 4/ Line to Line Parallel Connect 1 point on each line and find the resulting vector n d = Component of n on to the common Unit Normal an of the lines d = Comp n on an = n dot an / || an || 5/ Line to Line Skew Find the common normal to the lines with Cross Product Then it is same process as Line to Line Parallel 6/ Line || to Plane Find a point in the line and use Point Plane Method 7/ Plane to || Plane 1/ Find a point in one plane and use Point Plane Method 2/ For Ax+By+Cz = D1 & Ax+By+Cz = D2 d = || [ D1 D2 ] || / || an ||

2/ Line Plane Point Solve Cartesian Line Eq for y = f(x) and z = f(x) The point of intersection is on both line and plane, so Plug these in to the Plane Equation and solve for x Back substitute to get y and z. Check the point in both Line and Plane Equations 3/ Plane Plane Line If direction vectors are not multiples of each other then the planes are not || parallel. Cross Product of the 2 nor mals is direction vector of intersecting line. Find a point on the line by letting x = 0 in both plane eq's. This yields 2 Eq in y and z. Solve for the point ( 0, y0, z0 ). Direction vector + Point Equation of the Intersection

Angle Problems
1/ Line Line cos x = a dot b / ||a|| ||b|| a & b direction vectors 2/ Line Plane 90 deg arcos (a dot b / ||a|| ||b|| ) a & b are the direction vectors of the line & plane normal The arccos term is the angle between the line and the plane normal. So the complement is the line to Plane angle.. 3/ Plane Plane Angle between Planes = Angle between Normals ||a|| ||b|| cos x = a dot b Angle x = Arccos [ a dot b / ||a|| ||b|| ] a & b are the Normals of the Planes 4/ Vector Coordinate Axes x , y & z Recall the Normalized Direction Vectors of a line are the Direction Cosines of the line/vector. So given an = < 1, 2, 3 > , to find the angle this vector makes with the xyz Axes, find | an | to get the normal an vector, and the arccosine of these numbers are the angles.

x y

Intersecting Planes an1 x an2 = aL1 aL1 x an2 = an1 aL1 x an1 = an2

Intersection Problems
1/ Line Line Point The lines can be || or Skew or Intersecting First find the direction vectors; if they are multiples of each other lines are || If not then Equate fx(t) with fx(s) and fy(t) with fy(s) This gives 2 Eq / 2 Unknowns in t and s. Solve for t1 and s1 ; Then check if fz(t1) = fz(s1) If it checks, then the intersection is ( fx(t1) , fy(t1) , fz(t1) ) or ( fx(s1) , fy(s1) , fz(s1) ) If not the lines are skew Ex. x = 1 + 2t x = 2 s y=2t y = 3 + 3s z=t z = 1 + 4s so let 1 + 2t = 2 s and 2 t = 3 + 3s Solve for t & s and check if z(t) = z(s).

aL1 an1

an2