CHAPTER 11

LINES AND PLANES

IN
3-DIMENSIONS

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
3 Different types of dimensions

One- Dimensional
A line
Only has length

MATHEMATICS FORM 4

Two- Dimensional
One surface
length and width

Three- Dimensional
more than one surface
length, width and height

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
Trigonometric Ratios
c
b

Pythagoras Theorem

MATHEMATICS FORM 4

11.1 ANGLE BETWEEN LINES AND PLANES

A. Identify Plane

PLANE: is a flat surface

Plane

Not a
Plane

MATHEMATICS FORM 4

11.1 ANGLE BETWEEN LINES AND PLANES

3 types of plane
Horizontal plane

MATHEMATICS FORM 4

Vertical plane

Inclined plane

Horizontal plane

Vertical plane

Vertical plane

Inclined plane

Activity 1
1.

According to the prism below. Name the specific

plane.
E
A

Horizontal plane
ABFE
DHGC

B
H
G

Inclined plane
BFGC

D
C
MATHEMATICS FORM 4

Vertical plane
ABCD
EFGH
ADHE

11.1 ANGLE BETWEEN LINES AND PLANES

B. Identify Lines

Lines that lie on a plane

D

MATHEMATICS FORM 4

11.1 ANGLE BETWEEN LINES AND PLANES

Lines that intersect with a plane

MATHEMATICS FORM 4

11.1 ANGLE BETWEEN LINES AND PLANES

Normal to a plane
Definition:
Normal to a plane is a perpendicular straight line
to the intersection of any lines on the plane.
X
Normal to a plane
S

R
Y

P
MATHEMATICS FORM 4

Activity 2
1.

Identify the normal(s) to each of the given planes.

E
A

Example:
Normal to the plane ADHE are

Answer:
AB, DC, EF and HG

B
H

G
D
C
MATHEMATICS FORM 4

Activity 2
(a) Normal to the plane CDHG are
E

AD and HE

(b) Normal to the plane BCGF are

A

No normal line

B
H

G
D
C
MATHEMATICS FORM 4

11.1 ANGLE BETWEEN LINES AND PLANES

Orthogonal Projection
Definition:
Is a perpendicular projection of the object on a plane.
B

Orthogonal projection
of line AB on the plane
PQRS

MATHEMATICS FORM 4

Plane at bottom

Plane at top

Plane at right hand side

Plane at left hand side

Plane at the back

Plane in front

REMEMBER THIS

Imagine
Screen=PLANE
Object=LINE

MATHEMATICS FORM 4

Activity 3
Find the orthogonal projection of a given line on a
specific plane given.

1.

C
B

S
P
MATHEMATICS FORM 4

Line

Plane

Orthogonal
Projection

a)

AC

ADSP

AD

b)

BD

DCRS

CD

c)

AR

PQRS

PR

d)

PC

ABCD

AC

e)

QC

DCRS

RC

f)

DQ

PQRS

SQ

Angle between a line and a plane

B

BC is normal to the
plane PQRS

S
A
P

Orthogonal projection
of line AB on the plane
PQRS is line AC

Angle between the line AB and the plane PQRS is the angle form between
the line AB and the orthogonal projection on the plane.

ANSWER: B A C
MATHEMATICS FORM 4

Angle between a line and a plane

TECHNIQUE

__ __ __
Point
NOT TOUCH
on plane

MATHEMATICS FORM 4

Point
TOUCH
on plane

NORMAL
of not touch
point on plane

Identify the angle between the line AB

and the plane PQRS
B

S
A
P

C
Q

__
B __
A __
C
NOT TOUCH

TOUCH

NORMAL

Activity 4
S

Based on the diagram, name the

angles between the following:

NOT
TOUCH

TOUCH

Answers
A

(a) Line BR and plane ABCD

(b) Line AS and plane ABCD
(c) Line AR and plane CDSR
(d) Line BS and plane PQRS

R __
B __
C
__
S __
A __
D
__
A __
R __
D
__
B __
S __
Q
__

NORMAL

Activity 5
Identify the angle of the line and the plane given.

1.

C
B

S
P
MATHEMATICS FORM 4

Line

Plane

Angle

a)

AC

ADSP

CAD

b)

BD

DCRS

BDC

c)

AR

PQRS

ARP

d)

PC

ABCD

PCA

e)

QC

DCRS

QCR

f)

DQ

PQRS

DQS

Example 1
S

P
P

3cm

3 cm

Based on the diagram,

(a)Identify the angle between the
line PB and the plane ABCD.

A
__
__
__
P
B
Not
Touch

Touch

Normal
of P

4 cm

4 cm

(b) Hence, calculate the angle

between the line PB and the
plane ABCD.
tan PBA =

PBA = tan -1
PBA = 3652

Example 2

(a) Find the angle between the line

SB and the plane ABCD.

D
__
__
__
S
B
Not
Touch

Touch

Normal
of S

(b) Calculate the angle between the

line SB and the plane ABCD if
SB = 19cm and BD= 13 cm.

cos SBD =
19 cm

SBD = cos -1

SBD= 4650

13 cm

Example 3 (SPM 2006 PAPER 2)

T

Diagram shows a right prism. The base PQRS is

a horizontal rectangle. The right angled triangle
UPQ is the uniform cross section of the prism.

U
9 cm

R Identify and calculate the angle between the

line RU and the base PQRS.
[3 marks]

P 5 cm Q

U __
R __
P
__

Calculate
angle

U
9 cm
P

Identify angle

tan URP=
13 cm

URP = tan -1
URP= 3442

MATHEMATICS FORM 4

Example 4(SPM 2008 PAPER 2)

E

Diagram shows a cuboid. M is the midpoint of

the side EH and AM = 15 cm.

a) Name the angle between the line AM and

the plane ADEF
b) Calculate the angle between the line AM
and the plane ADEF
[3 marks]

G
D
A

C
8cm
B

(a)

M __
A __
E
__

(b)

sin MAE=

MAE= sin -1

4cm
M

15 cm

H
A
MATHEMATICS FORM 4

MAE= 1528

Name angle

Example 5 (SPM 2007 PAPER 2)

T
U

5 cm

Diagram shows a right prism. The base PQRS

Is a horizontal rectangle. Right-angled triangle
QRU is the uniform cross section of the prism.
V is the midpoint of PS.

Identify and calculate the angle between the

line UV and the plane RSTU.
[3 marks]

V __
U __
S
__

Calculate
angle

Q
S

13 cm

8cm

tan VUS=
VUS= tan -1

V
MATHEMATICS FORM 4

Identify angle

VUS= 3136

11.2 ANGLE BETWEEN PLANES AND PLANES

Identify the angle between the plane ABCD and the plane BCEF.

__
A __
B __
F
D __
C __
E OR __
E
D
D

MATHEMATICS FORM 4

11.1 ANGLE BETWEEN PLANES AND PLANES

Identify the angle between the plane ABCD and the plane BCF.

F __
B __
A
__
D

F
D

A
MATHEMATICS FORM 4

11.1 ANGLE BETWEEN PLANES AND PLANES

Identify the angle between the plane ABC and the plane BCD.

A __
B __
F
__
C
F
C

F
A
MATHEMATICS FORM 4

11.1 ANGLE BETWEEN PLANES AND PLANES

Identify the angle between the plane ABCD and the plane BCE.

E __
F __
G
__
E
D
D

A
MATHEMATICS FORM 4

E
G

SPM 2006 (PAPER 1)

1) Name the angle between the plane PQWT and the

plane SRWT.
Q

MATHEMATICS FORM 4

P __
T __
S
__
OR

Q __
W __
R
__

SPM 2007 (PAPER 1)

2) Vertex P is vertically above T. Name the angle
between the plane PTS and the plane PTQ.
P

Q __
T __
S
__
S

Q
MATHEMATICS FORM 4

SPM 2008 (PAPER 1)

3) What is the angle between the plane STU and the
base QSTV.

U __
T __
V
__

MATHEMATICS FORM 4

SPM 2009 (PAPER 1)

3) Given M and N is the midpoint of the line QR and PS. Name
the angle between the plane VQR and the base PQRS.
V

V __
M __
N
__

N
P

MATHEMATICS FORM 4

M
Q

SPM 2010 (PAPER 2)

Diagram in the answer space shows a right prism. The base CDHG is a horizontal
rectangle. Trapezium ABCD is the uniform cross section of the prism.
(a) On diagram in the answer space, mark the angle between the plane BCGF and
the base CDHG .
(b) Hence, calculate the angle between the plane BCGF and the base CDHG.
[3 marks]
B
Answer :
(b)
E 2 cm
F
(a)
A

Mark

13 cm

21 cm
MATHEMATICS FORM 4

13 cm
19 cm

tan BCD =
BCD= tan -1

BCD= 3423

SPM 2005 (PAPER 2)

Diagram shows a right prism. Right-angled triangle PQR is the uniform cross
section of the prism.
(a) Name the angle between the plane RTU and
12 cm
T
S
the plane PQTU.
5 cm
(b) Hence, calculate the angle between
U
the plane RTU and the base PQTU.

[3 marks]

Answer :
(a)
R

18 cm

T __
Q
__ __

Q
R
P

(b) T
18 cm

Q
MATHEMATICS FORM 4

tan RTQ=
RTQ= tan -1
12 cm

RTQ= 3341

SPM 2009 (PAPER 2)

Diagram below shows a cuboid with horizontal base ABCD. J is the midpoint of the
side AF.
E
(a) Name the angle between the plane BCJ
and the base ABCD.
H

F
J

8 cm

C
6 cm

10 cm
B

(b) Calculate the angle between the plane

BCJ and the base ABCD.
[3 marks]
Answer :
(a)
J

B __
A
__ __

(b)

tan JBA=

J
JBA= tan -1

4 cm
A
MATHEMATICS FORM 4

10 cm

JBA= 2148

Example (PAPER 2)
Diagram shows a right pyramid. V is the vertex of the pyramid and the base PQRS is
a horizontal square. M and N is the midpoint of QR and PS. The height of the pyramid
is 11 cm.
V
Identify and calculate the angle between
the plane VQR and the base PQRS.
[3 marks]
U

V __
M __
N
__

N
P

V
tan VMX=

M
VMX= tan -1

11 cm
10 cm

Q
VMX= 6533
X 5 cm