Intersection Two Planes Handout

intersections of lines and planes
Intersections of Two Planes

MCV4U: Calculus & Vectors
There are three ways in which two planes may intersect each
other (or not).
Both planes are parallel and distinct (inconsistent)
Both planes are coincident (infinite solutions)
The two planes intersect in a line (infinite solutions)
J. Garvin
The first two cases can be checked by examining the

normals. The third case is more interesting.
J. Garvin Intersections of Two Planes
Slide 2/14
Slide 1/14
Example
Example
Determine if the planes 1 : 3x 2y + z 7 = 0 and

2 : 6x 4y + 2z 9 = 0 intersect.
Determine any points of intersection of the planes

1 : 4x 4y 2z 10 = 0 and
2 : ~r = (3, 1, 1) + s(1, 0, 2) + t(1, 1, 0).
The two normals are n~1 = (3, 2, 1) and n~2 = (6, 4, 2).
Since n~2 = 2n~1 , but the equation for 2 is not twice that of
1 , the two planes are parallel and distinct.
Therefore, there are no points of intersection.
The normal for 1 is (4, 4, 2), and the normal for 2 is

n~2 = (1, 0, 2) (1, 1, 0) = (2, 2, 1).
Since n~1 = 2n~2 , the planes are either parallel and distinct or
coincident.
Testing point (3, 1, 1) in the equation for 1 gives
4(3) 4(1) 2(1) 10 = 0, so the point is common to
both planes.
Therefore, the planes are coincident and there are an infinite
number of intersections.
Slide 4/14

Slide 3/14
Example
Eliminate the x variable by subtracting the equation of 1

from that of 2 .
Determine parametric equations for the line of intersection of

the planes 1 : 2x 2y + 5z + 10 = 0 and
2 : 2x + y 4z + 7 = 0.
The planes are not parallel, since n~1 = (2, 2, 5) is not a
scalar multiple of n~2 = (2, 1, 4).
Since there are two equations with three variables, x, y , and

z, the values of any two variables will be determined by the
third.
2x 2y + 5z + 10 = 0
2x + y 4z + 7 = 0
3y + 9z + 3 = 0
Rearranging and simplifying this equation, y = 3z + 1.

Since y depends on z, assign a parameter to z.
For simplicity, let z = t. Then y = 3t + 1.
The simplest method of obtaining parametric equations,

then, is to assign an arbitrary parameter to one variable and
base the other variables on it.
Using the equation for 2 , 2x + (3t + 1) 4(t) + 7 = 0, or

x = 21 t 4.

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Slide 6/14
Thus, the line of intersection has parametric equations

x = 12 t 4, y = 3t + 1 and z = t.
The choice of parameter is arbitrary, and can assign any

value to any of the three variables.
Example
For instance, if z = 2t in the previous example, then the

parametric equations of the line of intersection are x = t 4,
y = 1 + 6t and z = 2t.
If y = 3z 1 was rearranged for z instead of y , then
z = 31 y + 13 .
Assigning y = t gives the parametric equations x =
y = t, z = 13 t + 13 .
1
6t
17
6 ,
All of these represent the same line of intersection.
Represent the line ~r = (3, 0, 1) + t(1, 1, 2) as the

intersection of two planes in scalar form.
Since the line is common to both planes, its direction vector
can be used as a direction vector in each plane.
To create the first plane, construct a vector from the known
point on the line to a point off of the line.
For example, the point (0, 0, 0) is not on the line (you can
verify this by trying to solve for t).
Therefore, an additional direction vector for the first plane is
(3 0, 0 0, 1 0) = (3, 0, 1).

Slide 7/14

Slide 8/14
Find the normal to 1 using the cross-product.
To find an additional direction vector for 2 , we must be

careful not to choose a direction vector that is parallel to
that in 1 .
(1, 1, 2) (3, 0, 1) = (1, 5, 3)

Find the equation of the plane by using the point (3, 0, 1).
1(3) 5(0) 3(1) + D = 0
D=0
Therefore, the equation of the plane is x 5y 3z = 0.
For instance, if we choose the direction vector (2, 10, 6),

then 2(3) 10(0) 6(1) + D = 0, so D = 0. This means that
the equation of 2 is 2x 10y 6z = 0, or x 5y 3z = 0.
Instead, using the point (1, 0, 0), a direction vector for 2 is
(3 1, 0 0, 1 0) = (2, 0, 1).
Since (2, 0, 1) is not a scalar multiple of (3, 0, 1), we may be

able to use this vector to define 2 .

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It is possible, however, that this direction vector is also

contained in 1 .
Calculate the TSP of (1, 1, 2), (3, 0, 1) and (2, 0, 1), to see
if they are coplanar.
Recall that the triple-scalar-product was used to calculate the

volume of a parallelepiped (i.e. it calculates the area of the
base parallelogram and multiplies it by the height of the
parallelepiped).
The TSP, then, can be used to check if three vectors are
coplanar: if the TSP=0, there is no height and the vectors
are coplanar.
(1, 1, 2) (3, 0, 1) (2, 0, 1) = (1, 5, 3) (2, 0, 1)

=1
Since the TSP is non-zero, the three vectors are not coplanar.
This means that (2, 0, 1) is not contained in 1 , and we can
use it as a basis for a second plane that contains (1, 1, 2).
Coplanar Vectors
~ are coplanar if ~u ~v w
~ = 0.
Vectors ~u , ~v and w

Slide 11/14

Slide 12/14
Questions?
Fine the normal for 2 .

(2, 0, 1) (1, 1, 2) = (1, 3, 2)
Use (3, 0, 1) and solve for D.
1(3) 3(0) 2(1) + D = 0
D = 1
Therefore an equation for 2 is x 3y 2z 1 = 0.
Therefore, the line can be represented as the intersection of

the planes 1 : x 5y 3z = 0 and 2 : x 3y 2z 1 = 0.

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intersections of lines and planes

intersections of lines and planes

Intersections of Two Planes

Intersections of Two Planes

Both planes are coincident (infinite solutions)

The two planes intersect in a line (infinite solutions)

The first two cases can be checked by examining the

intersections of lines and planes

intersections of lines and planes

Intersections of Two Planes

Intersections of Two Planes

Determine if the planes 1 : 3x 2y + z 7 = 0 and

Determine any points of intersection of the planes

The normal for 1 is (4, 4, 2), and the normal for 2 is

J. Garvin Intersections of Two Planes

intersections of lines and planes

intersections of lines and planes

Intersections of Two Planes

Intersections of Two Planes

Eliminate the x variable by subtracting the equation of 1

Determine parametric equations for the line of intersection of

Since there are two equations with three variables, x, y , and

Rearranging and simplifying this equation, y = 3z + 1.

The simplest method of obtaining parametric equations,

Using the equation for 2 , 2x + (3t + 1) 4(t) + 7 = 0, or

J. Garvin Intersections of Two Planes

J. Garvin Intersections of Two Planes

Thus, the line of intersection has parametric equations

intersections of lines and planes

intersections of lines and planes

Intersections of Two Planes

Intersections of Two Planes

The choice of parameter is arbitrary, and can assign any

For instance, if z = 2t in the previous example, then the

All of these represent the same line of intersection.

Represent the line ~r = (3, 0, 1) + t(1, 1, 2) as the

J. Garvin Intersections of Two Planes

J. Garvin Intersections of Two Planes

intersections of lines and planes

intersections of lines and planes

Intersections of Two Planes

Intersections of Two Planes

Find the normal to 1 using the cross-product.

To find an additional direction vector for 2 , we must be

(1, 1, 2) (3, 0, 1) = (1, 5, 3)

Therefore, the equation of the plane is x 5y 3z = 0.

For instance, if we choose the direction vector (2, 10, 6),

Since (2, 0, 1) is not a scalar multiple of (3, 0, 1), we may be

J. Garvin Intersections of Two Planes

J. Garvin Intersections of Two Planes

intersections of lines and planes

intersections of lines and planes

Intersections of Two Planes

Intersections of Two Planes

It is possible, however, that this direction vector is also

Recall that the triple-scalar-product was used to calculate the

(1, 1, 2) (3, 0, 1) (2, 0, 1) = (1, 5, 3) (2, 0, 1)

J. Garvin Intersections of Two Planes

J. Garvin Intersections of Two Planes