Calculus 3

Project 1 - Report

Planes and Lines of Intersection

February 27, 2019

Saul Sanchez Diaz de Leon

Saul Sanchez Austin Community College Calculus 3

1. Plane through three non-collinear points

An early topic that lends itself well to this sort of exercise is determining the plane

determined by three non-linear points.

Exercise:

a. Find the equation of the plane containing the points

𝑃 = (2, 0, 1), 𝑅 = (−1, 2, 3), 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑄 = (0, 2, −2).

We can get two vectors in the plane by subtracting pairs of points in the

plane:

−1 2 −3
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
[ 2 ] − [0] = [ 2 ] → 𝑃𝑅
3 1 2

0 2 −2
⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗
[ 2 ] − [0] = [ 2 ] → 𝑃𝑄
−2 1 −3

Now we want to get the normal vector 𝑛⃗ with the two vectors above.

The cross product of these two vectors will be in the unique direction

orthogonal to both, and hence in the direction of the normal vector to

the plane.

−3 −2 𝑖̂ 𝑗̂ 𝑘̂
𝑛⃗ = ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ ⃗⃗⃗⃗⃗ = [ 2 ] × [ 2 ] = [−3 2
𝑅𝑃 × 𝑅𝑄 2]
2 −3 −2 2 −3

̂ (−3 ∗ 2)
= 𝑖̂[(2 ∗ −3) − (2 ∗ 2)] − 𝑗̂[(2 ∗ −2) − (−3 ∗ −3)] + 𝑘[

− (−2 ∗ 2)]

= −10𝑖̂ − 13𝑗̂ − 2𝑘̂

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−10
= [−13]
−2

𝑎
The equation of a plane is 𝑎(𝑥 − 𝑥0 ) + 𝑏(𝑦 − 𝑦0 ) + 𝑐(𝑧 − 𝑧0 ) = 0, where [𝑏 ] is
𝑐

the normal vector to the plane.

Now we can plug in 𝑎 = −10, 𝑏 = −13, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐 = −2 and the point 𝑃 = (2, 0, 1)

as our origin point (𝑥0 , 𝑦0 , 𝑧0 );

−10(𝑥 − 2) − 13(𝑦 − 0) − 2(𝑧 − 1) = 0

−10𝑥 − 13𝑦 − 2𝑧 + 20 + 2 = 0

−10𝑥 − 13𝑦 − 2𝑧 + 22 = 0
13
𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑧 … 𝑧 = −5𝑥 − 𝑦 + 11
2

13
Therefore, 𝑧 = −5𝑥 − 𝑦 + 11 is the general equation of the plane
2

b. Graph this plane along with three points to verify that all three points lie on the

plane. To do this, first solve the plane equation for z and graph the plane,

entering it in Function 1. Then select Add a Point from the Graph menu and

enter the coordinates of one of the points. Select the default size and colors.

Repeat these steps to add the other two points. Rotate the plot to verify that the

points lie on the plane and then find a clear view of the plane with the three

points on it. Use the Print Graph menu option on the File menu at the top left

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corner of the applet to print out your resulting view and hand this printout in

with this assignment.

The figure below (figure 1) shows the plane that passes through the three

previous points, viewed from the first octant.

Figure 1

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The figure below (figure 2) contains the same objects, but from a

different view. A view from the xy-plane.

Figure 2

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Yet another figure (figure 3) with the same objects but a view almost

perpendicular to the edge of the plane. From which we can confidently

say that our plane passes through the three points.

Figure 3

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2. Line of intersection of two planes

Exercise:

a. Determine the line of intersection of the following two planes. Write the

parametric equations for this line, showing all work.

2𝑥 + 𝑦 − 2𝑧 = 5 (𝑛
⃗⃗⃗⃗1 ) and 3𝑥 − 6𝑦 − 2𝑧 = 15 (𝑛
⃗⃗⃗⃗2 )

We first need to find a point on 𝐿 (the line of intersection). For instance,

we can find the point where the line intersects the xy-plane by setting

𝑧 = 0 in the equations od both planes. This gives the equations 2𝑥 +

𝑦 = 5 and 3𝑥 − 6𝑦 = 15, which can be solved as follows;

2𝑥 + 𝑦 = 5
} → 𝑦 = 5 − 2𝑥 → we substitute this for y
3𝑥 − 6𝑦 = 15

→ 3𝑥 − 6(5 − 2𝑥) = 15

3𝑥 + 12𝑥 − 30 = 15

15𝑥 = 45

𝑥 = 3 → we substitute this to any of the previous equations

→ 𝑦 = 5 − 2(3)

𝑦 = −1

These solutions give us the point (3, −1, 0) that lies on 𝐿.

Let it be (a, b, c)

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Now we observe that, since 𝐿 lies in both planes, it is perpendicular to

both of the normal vectors. Thus, a vector 𝑣 parallel to 𝐿 is given by the

cross product of the direction vectors ⃗⃗⃗⃗

𝑛1 and ⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑛2 .

𝑖̂ 𝑗̂ 𝑘̂
𝑣 = ⃗⃗⃗⃗
𝑛1 × 𝑛
⃗⃗⃗⃗2 = |2 1 −2|
3 −6 −2

𝑣 = 𝑖̂[(1 ∗ −2) − (−6 ∗ −2)] − 𝑗̂ [(−2 ∗ 3) − (−2 ∗ 2)] +

̂ (2 ∗ −6) − (3 ∗ 1)]
𝑘[

𝑣 = −14𝑖̂ − 2𝑗̂ − 15𝑘̂

And so, the symmetric equation of 𝐿 can be written as

𝑥−𝑎 𝑦−𝑏 𝑧−𝑐

= 𝑣⃗ = 𝑣⃗ → which when substituting gives;
𝑣
⃗ 𝑖̂ ̂
𝑗̂ 𝑘

𝑥−3 𝑦+1 𝑧
= = −15 → symmetrical equations of the line
−14 −2

Thus, the parametric for of the line can be given by;

〈𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧〉 = 〈𝑎 + 𝑣𝑖̂ , 𝑏 + 𝑣𝑗̂ , 𝑐 + 𝑣𝑘̂ 〉

Which in our problem would be;

〈𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧〉 = 〈3 − 14𝑡, −1 − 2𝑡, −15𝑡〉 → which is the space curve

that intersects the two planes

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b. Use the CalcPlot3D applet to display these two planes. To do this, solve each

planar equation for z, and enter them in Function 1 and 2 on the left side of the

3D plot window. Zoom out a couple times until you can see both planes along

with their intersection. Now add the line of intersection. (To do this, choose Add

a Space Curve from the Graph menu, and enter the parametric equation for the

line.) Rotate the 3D view to verify that your line is indeed the intersection of the

two planes. Rotate until you have a good view of the two planes and the line of

intersection. Use the Print Graph menu option on the File menu at the top left

corner of the applet to print out your resulting view and hand this printout in

with this assignment.

The following figure (figure 4) shows the two planes along with the space curve

that we calculated show their nature. First octant view.

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Figure 4

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The following figure (figure 5) contains the same objects but in the xy-plane view.

Figure 5

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And lastly, another figure (figure 6) with a view along the edge of the, which shows how
our line of intersection is perfectly aligned with the visual and theoretical intersection
line of said planes.

Figure 6

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