Plane and Line Lecture Note

1.5.
Lines and Planes
Lines in Three Dimensions
These vector techniques can be used to give a very simple way of

describing straight line in space. We use the fact that there is exactly one line
through a particular point in space that is parallel to a given non-zero vector.
Definition:- Given a straight line any non-zero vector that is parallel to the
line is called a direction vector for the line
Every line has money direction vector, in fact any non- zero multiple of a
direction vector also serves as a direction vector. Suppose p o(x0,y0,z0) is any
point and d=(a,b,c) is any vector there is a unique line through p 0 with
direction vector d. the line parallel to d ≠ 0,through the point with position
vector p0. If a line l in space is uniquely determined by a point p 0(x0,y0,z0) on l
and a vector v parallel to the line. Thus a point p(x,y,z) is on l if and only if
⃗
p0 p is parallel to v i.e ⃗ p0 p =tv .A line is determined by a point and a direction.
Thus, to find an equation representing a line in three dimensions choose a
point P0 on the line and a non-zero vector v parallel to the line. Since any
constant multiple of a vector still points in the same direction, it seems
reasonable that a point on the line can be found be starting at the point P 0 on
the line and following a constant multiple of the vector v (see the figure below).
If r0 is the position vector of the point P0, then the line must have the form
This is the vector equation of a line in three dimensions. By letting r=<x,y,z>,

r0=<x0,y0,z0>, and v=<a,b,c> we obtain the equation
Which leads to the parametric equations of the line passing through the point
P0=(x0,y0,z0) and parallel to the vector v=<a,b,c>:
Example
To find the parametric equations of the line passing through the point (-1,2,3)
and parallel to the vector <3,0,-1>, we first find the vector equation of the line.
Here, r0=<-1,2,3> and v=<3,0,-1>. Thus, the line has vector equation r=<-
1,2,3>+t<3,0,-1>. Hence, the parametric equations of the line are x=-1+3t, y=2,
and z=3-t.
It is important to note that the equation of a line in three dimensions is not

unique. Choosing a different point and a multiple of the vector will yield a
different equation. If we had taken the point to be (2,2,-4) and the vector to be
<-6,0,2> in the previous example we would have found the parametric
equations of the line to be x=2-6t, y=2, and z=-4+2t. This is representation of
the line is equivalent to the one found above.
There is a third representation of a line in three dimensions. Consider solving

each of the parametric equations for t and then setting them equal:
These are the symmetric equations of the line. Note that we must have a, b,
and c non-zero to use this representation; the line in the example above would
have symmetric equations
Exercise
Find a vector equation of a line that contains (-1, 3,0) and parallel to ⃗p=(2,-3,-1)
Planes
A plane is determined by a point P0 in the plane and a vector n (called the

normal vector) orthogonal to the plane. If P is any other point in the plane and
r0 and r are the position vectors of the points P0 and P, respectively, then an
equation of the plane is
since each vector in the plane must be orthogonal to the normal vector n and
the vector r-r0 is a vector in the plane. Either of these equations is called a
vector equation of the plane. With the substitutions n=<a,b,c>, r=<x,y,z>, and
r0=<x0,y0 ,z0> and some simplification we have an equation of the plane passing
through the point P0(x0,y0,z0) with normal vector <a,b,c>:
This is frequently written as ax+by+cz=d. Notice that the normal vector can be
identified directly from the coefficients on the left hand side of the equation:
n=<a,b,c>. As with equations of lines in three dimensions, it should be noted
that there is not a unique equation for a given plane. The graph of the plane -
2x-3y+z=2 is shown with its normal vector.
Example
Find an equation of the plane passing through the points P(1,-1,3), Q(4,1,-2),
and R(-1,-1,1). Since we are not given a normal vector, we must find one. By
taking the cross product of the vector a from P to Q and the vector b from Q to
R, we obtain a vector which is orthogonal to each of the original vectors (and
thus orthogonal to the plane). Hence, a=<3,2,-5>, b=<-5,-2,3>, and
n=a × b =¿−4 ,16 ,−4 >¿

So, an equation of the plane is
Exercise ;- find an equation of plane that contain the point(-2,4,5) and has
normal vector (7,0,6)

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1.5.

Lines and Planes

Lines in Three Dimensions

These vector techniques can be used to give a very simple way of

This is the vector equation of a line in three dimensions. By letting r=<x,y,z>,

It is important to note that the equation of a line in three dimensions is not

There is a third representation of a line in three dimensions. Consider solving

A plane is determined by a point P0 in the plane and a vector n (called the

n=a × b =¿−4 ,16 ,−4 >¿

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