Lines and planes in space (Sect. 12.

5)

Planes in space.
I Equations of planes in space.
I Vector equation.
I Components equation.
I The line of intersection of two planes.
I Parallel planes and angle between planes.
I Distance from a point to a plane.

A point an a vector determine a plane.

Definition
The plane by a point P0 perpendicular to a non-zero vector n,
called the normal vector, is the set of points P solution of the
equation
−−→

P0 P · n = 0.
n

n
P
P0
PP
0
A point an a vector determine a plane.
n
Example
Does the point P = (1, 2, 3) belong to n
the plane containing P0 = (3, 1, 2) and P
P0
perpendicular to n = h1, 1, 1i? PP
0

−−→
Solution: We need to know if the vector P0 P is perpendicular to n.
−−→
We first compute P0 P,
−−→ −−→
P0 P = h(1 − 3), (2 − 1), (3 − 2)i ⇒ P0 P = h−2, 1, 1i.

This vector is orthogonal to n, since

−−→

P0 P · n = −2 + 1 + 1 = 0.

We conclude that P belongs to the plane. C

Lines and planes in space (Sect. 12.5)

Planes in space.
I Equations of planes in space.
I Vector equation.
I Components equation.
I The line of intersection of two planes.
I Parallel planes and angle between planes.
I Distance from a point to a plane.
Equation of a plane in Cartesian coordinates
Theorem
Given any Cartesian coordinate system, the point P = (x, y , z)
belongs to the plane by P0 = (x0 , y0 , z0 ) perpendicular to
n = hnx , ny , nz i iff holds
(x − x0 )nx + (y − y0 )ny + (z − z0 )nz = 0.
Furthermore, the equation above can be written as
nx x + ny y + nz z = d, d = nx x0 + ny y0 + nz z0 .
z n

P
P0

O y

Equation of a plane in Cartesian coordinates

Theorem
Given any Cartesian coordinate system, the point P = (x, y , z)
belongs to the plane by P0 = (x0 , y0 , z0 ) perpendicular to
n = hnx , ny , nz i iff holds
(x − x0 )nx + (y − y0 )ny + (z − z0 )nz = 0.
Furthermore, the equation above can be written as
nx x + ny y + nz z = d, d = nx x0 + ny y0 + nz z0 .

Proof: In Cartesian coordinates

−−→
P0 P = h(x − x0 ), (y − y0 ), (z − z0 )i.
−−→
Therefore, the equation of the plane, P0 P ⊥ n, is
−−→

0 = P0 P · n = (x − x0 )nx + (y − y0 )ny + (z − z0 )nz .
Equation of a plane in Cartesian coordinates
Example
Find the equation of a plane containing P0 = (1, 2, 3) and
perpendicular to n = h1, −1, 2i.

Solution: The point P = (x, y , z) belongs to the plane above iff

−−→

P0 P · n = 0, that is,

h(x − 1), (y − 2), (z − 3)i · h1, −1, 2i = 0.

Computing the dot product above we get

(x − 1) − (y − 2) + 2(z − 3) = 0.

The equation of the plane can be also written as

x − y + 2z = 5. C

Equation of a plane in Cartesian coordinates

Example
Find a point P0 and the perpendicular vector n to the plane
2x + 4y − z = 3.

Solution: The equation of a plane is nx x + ny y + nz z = d.

The components of the normal vector n are the coefficients that
multiply the variables x, y and z. Hence,

n = h2, 4, −1i.

A point P0 on the plane is simple to find. Just look for the

intersection of the plane with one of the coordinate axis.
For example: set y = 0, z = 0 and find x from the equation of the
plane: 2x = 3, that is x = 3/2. Therefore, P0 = (3/2, 0, 0). C
Equation of a plane in Cartesian coordinates

Example R

Find the equation of the plane Q

containing the points P = (2, 0, 0),
Q = (0, 2, 1), R = (1, 0, 3). y
P
x

z
Solution:
R
Find two tangent vectors to the plane,
−→
for example, PQ = h−2, 2, 1i and PR
Q
−→
PR = h−1, 0, 3i. y
PQ
P
x

Equation of a plane in Cartesian coordinates

Solution: z

R
Find two tangent vectors to the plane,
−→
for example, PQ = h−2, 2, 1i and PR
Q

−→
PR = h−1, 0, 3i. PQ
y
P
x
−→ −→
Find a vector n perpendicular to both PQ and PR.
−→ −→
One way is using the cross product: n = PQ × PR. That is,
 
 i j k
−→ −→  
n = PQ × PR = −2 2 1 = (6 − 0) i − (−6 + 1) j + (0 + 2) k.
−1 0 3

The result is: n = h6, 5, 2i. Choose any point on the plane,
say P = (2, 0, 0). Then, the equation of the plane is:

6(x − 2) + 5y + 2z = 0. C
Lines and planes in space (Sect. 12.5)

Planes in space.
I Equations of planes in space.
I Vector equation.
I Components equation.
I The line of intersection of two planes.
I Parallel planes and angle between planes.
I Distance from a point to a plane.

The line of intersection of two planes.

Example N
n N

Find a vector tangent to the line of n

intersection of the planes

2x + y − 3z = 2 and −x + 2y − z = 1.
Solution: n N

N
We need to find a vector perpendicular
n
to both normal vectors n = h2, 1, −3i V

and N = h−1, 2, −1i.

We choose v = N × n. That is,
 
 i j k 
 
v = N × n = −1 2 −1 = (−6 + 1) i − (3 + 2) j + (−1 − 4) k
 2 1 −3

Result: v = h−5, −5, −5i. A simpler choice is v = h1, 1, 1i. C

Lines and planes in space (Sect. 12.5)

Planes in space.
I Equations of planes in space.
I Vector equation.
I Components equation.
I The line of intersection of two planes.
I Parallel planes and angle between planes.
I Distance from a point to a plane.

Parallel planes and angle between planes

Definition
Two planes are parallel if their normal vectors are parallel. The
angle between two non-parallel planes is the smaller angle between
their normal vectors.

n
n N
N
N

n
Parallel planes and angle between planes
Example
Find the angle between the planes 2x + y − 3z = 2 and
−x + 2y − z = 1.
Solution: We need to find the angle between the normal vectors
n = h2, 1, −3i and N = h−1, 2, −1i.
n·N
We use the dot product: cos(θ) = .
|n| |N|
The numbers we need are:

n · N = −2 + 2 + 3 = 3,
√ √ √ √
|n| = 4 + 1 + 9 = 14, |N| = 1 + 4 + 1 = 6
√
Therefore, cos(θ) = 3/ 84. We conclude that

θ = 70◦ 530 3600 . C

Lines and planes in space (Sect. 12.5)

Planes in space.
I Equations of planes in space.
I Vector equation.
I Components equation.
I The line of intersection of two planes.
I Parallel planes and angle between planes.
I Distance from a point to a plane.
Distance formula from a point to a plane
Theorem
The distance d from a point P to a plane containing P0 with
normal vector n is the shortest distance from P to any point in the
plane, and is given by the expression
−−→

| P0 P · n|
d= .
|n|

P n

n
PP
0

P0

Distance formula from a point to a plane

Proof: It is simple to obtain the

distance formula P n

−−→
d

| P0 P · n| n
d= . PP
0

|n|
P0

−−→
From the picture above, and denoting θ is the angle between P0 P
and n, we see that
−−→
 −−→   (P0 P) · n 
d = |P0 P| cos(θ) =  .
|n|
Distance formula from a point to a plane

Example
Find the distance from the point P = (1, 2, 3) to the plane
x − 3y + 2z = 4.

Solution: We need to find a point P0 on the plane and its normal

−−→

vector n. Then, use the formula d = | P0 P · n|/|n|.

To find a point on the plane: for example, if y = 0, z = 0, then

x = 4. That is, P0 = (4, 0, 0).

The normal vector is in the plane equation: n = h1, −3, 2i.

−−→
We now compute P0 P = h−3, 2, 3i. Then,

| − 3 − 6 + 6| 3
d= √ ⇒ d=√ . C
1+9+4 14