Tangent Planes & Normal Lines

SUGGESTED REFERENCE MATERIAL:

As you work through the problems listed below, you should reference Chapter 13.7 of the rec-
ommended textbook (or the equivalent chapter in your alternative textbook/online resource)
and your lecture notes.

EXPECTED SKILLS:

• Be able to compute an equation of the tangent plane at a point on the surface z =

f (x, y).

• Given an implicitly defined level surface F (x, y, z) = k, be able to compute an equation

of the tangent plane at a point on the surface.

• Know how to compute the parametric equations (or vector equation) for the normal
line to a surface at a specified point.

• Be able to use gradients to find tangent lines to the intersection curve of two surfaces.
And, be able to find (acute) angles between tangent planes and other planes.

PRACTICE PROBLEMS:
For problems 1-4, find two unit vectors which are normal to the given surface S
at the specified point P .

1. S : 2x − y + z = −7; P (−1, 2, −3)

 
− → 2 1 1
n1,2 = ± √ , − √ , √
6 6 6

2. S : x2 − 3y + z 2 = 11; P (−1, −2, 2)

 
− → 2 3 4
n1,2 = ± − √ , − √ , √
29 29 29

3. S : z = y 4 ; P (3, −1, 1)
 
− → 4 1
n1,2 = ± 0, − √ , − √
17 17

2
 π 
4. S : z = 2 − x cos (xy); P −1, , 2
2
− 2 π
n→
D E
1,2 = ± √ − , 1, −1
π2 + 8 2

1
For problems 5-9, compute equations of the tangent plane and the normal line
to the given surface at the indicated point.

5. S : ln (x + y + z) = 2; P (−1, e2 , 1)
→
−
x + y + z = e2 ; ` (t) = h−1, e2 , 1i + th1, 1, 1i
√ √ √ !
3 3 3
6. S : x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 1; P , ,
3 3 3
*√ √ √ +
√ → − 3 3 3
x + y + z = 3; ` (t) = , , + th1, 1, 1i
3 3 3

√ π
 
x 
7. S : z = arcsin ; P −1, − 2,
y 4
√ * √ +
2 π →− D √ πE 2
−x + y − z = − ; ` (t) = −1, − 2, + t −1, , −1
2 4 4 2

8. S : x2 − xy + z 2 = 9; P (2, 2, 3)
→
−
x − y + 3z = 9; ` (t) = h2, 2, 3i + th1, −1, 3i
√ !
π π 3π
9. S : z = x cos (x + y); P , ,−
2 3 4
√ !
√  π  π 3π
(π + 2 3) x − +π y− +4 z+ =0
2 3 4
* √ +
→
− π π π 3 D √ E
` (t) = , ,− + t π + 2 3, π, 4
2 3 4

10. Consider the surfaces S1 : x2 + y 2 = 25 and S2 : z = 2 − x

(a) Find an equation of the tangent line to the curve of intersection of S1 and S2 at
the point (3, 4, −1).
→
−
` (t) = h3, 4, −1i + th−4, 3, 4i
(b) Find the acute angle between the planes which are tangent to the surfaces S1 and
S2 at the point (3, 4, −1).
 
−1 −3
π − cos √
5 2

2
11. Consider the surfaces S1 : z = x2 − y 2 and S2 : y 2 + z 2 = 10

(a) Find an equation of the tangent line to the curve of intersection of S1 and S2 at
the point (2, 1, 3).
→
−
` (t) = h2, 1, 3i + th5, 12, −4i
(b) Find the acute angle between the planes which are tangent to the surfaces S1 and
S2 at the point (2, 1, 3).
 
−1 −10
π − cos √ √
21 40

12. Find all points on the ellipsoid x2 + 2y 2 + 3z 2 = 72 where the tangent plane is parallel
to the plane 4x + 4y + 12z = 3.
(4, 2, 4) and (−4, −2, −4)

13. Find all points on the hyperboloid of 1 sheet x2 + y 2 − z 2 = 9 where the normal line
is parallel to the line which contains points A(1, 2, 3) and B(7, 6, 5).
√ √ ! √ √ !
3 3 √ 3 3 3 √ 3
, 3, − and − , − 3,
2 2 2 2

14. Two surfaces are called orthogonal at a point of intersection if their normal lines are
perpendicular at that point. Show that the sphere x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 1 and the cone
z 2 = x2 + y 2 are orthogonal at all points of intersection. (HINT: Assume that the
surfaces intersect at the arbitary point (x0 , y0 , z0 ).)
Suppose that S1 : x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 1 and S2 : z 2 = x2 + y 2 intersect at (x0 , y0 , z0 ).
We will find a normal vector to each surface at the point P0 . To do this, let
F (x, y, z) = x2 + y 2 + z 2 and G(x, y, z) = x2 + y 2 − z 2 . Notice that S1 is
the level surface F (x, y, z) = 1 and S2 is the level surface G(x, y, z) = 0. So,
∇F (x0 , y0 , z0 ) = h2x0 , 2y0 , 2z0 i and ∇G(x0 , y0 , z0 ) = h2x0 , 2y0 , −2z0 i are normal to S1
and S2 , respectively, at the point P0 . And, as a result, these vectors are parallel to
the normal lines to S1 and S2 at P0 .

Showing that the surfaces are orthogonal is equivalent to showing that

∇F (x0 , y0 , z0 ) ⊥ ∇G(x0 , y0 , z0 ); i.e, ∇F (x0 , y0 , z0 ) · ∇G(x0 , y0 , z0 ) = 0.

(Continued on next page)

3
 ∇F (x0 , y0 , z0 ) · ∇G(x0 , y0 , z0 ) = h2x0 , 2y0 , 2z0 i · h2x0 , 2y0 , −2z0 i
= 4x20 + 4y02 − 4z02
= 4(x20 + y02 − z02 )

Since (x0 , y0 , z0 ) is a point of intersection of S1 and S2 , it must satisfy both equations.

In particular, since it satisfies the equation for S2 , we have x20 + y02 = z02 . Using this
fact, we see that

∇F (x0 , y0 , z0 ) · ∇G(x0 , y0 , z0 ) = 4(x20 + y02 − z02 )

= 4(z02 − z02 )
=0

As a result the surfaces are orthogonal to one another at the point of intersection,
(x0 , y0 , z0 ).

15. Show that every plane which is tangent to the cone z 2 = x2 + y 2 must pass through
the origin. (HINT: Compute the equation of the plane which is tangent to the surface
at the point P0 (x0 , y0 , z0 ) and see what happens.)
Let F (x, y, z) = x2 + y 2 − z 2 . The given surface is the level surface F (x, y, z) = 0;
so, ∇F (x0 , y0 , z0 ) = h2x0 , 2y0 , −2z0 i is normal to the given surface at the point
(x0 , y0 , z0 ). Thus, an equation of the plane which is tangent to the given sur-
face at the point (x0 , y0 , z0 ) is 2x0 (x − x0 ) + 2y0 (y − y0 ) − 2z0 (z − z0 ) = 0; i.e.,
x0 x + y0 y + z0 z − x20 − y02 + z02 = 0.

Now, since (x0 , y0 , z0 ) is the point of tangency, it must also be a point on the
surface. Thus, x20 + y02 = z02 ⇒ −x20 − y02 = −z02 . Using this fact, the equation of the
tangent plane can be written as:

x0 x + y0 y + z0 z − x20 − y02 + z02 = 0

x0 x + y0 y + z0 z − z02 + z02 = 0
x0 x + y0 y + z0 z = 0

And, (0, 0, 0) satisfies this equation. Thus, since (x0 , y0 , z0 ) was an arbitrary point on
the surface and its tangent plane passes through the origin, we have that all tangent
planes to the surface must pass through the origin.