MATH 210: Exam 1 Review Solutions

University of Illinois Chicago

Summer 2024

1. Determine whether the angle between (1, 3, −1) and (2, 1, 1) is acute, right, or obtuse.
Solution: The dot product of these vectors is

(1, 3, −1) · (2, 1, 1) = 2 + 3 − 1 = 4.

Since the dot product is positive, the cosine of the angle between them is positive. Thus the
angle between them is acute.
2. Find the area of the triangle whose vertices are (3, 1, 1), (1, 2, 4), and (1, 0, −1). (Hint: The
magnitude of the cross product is equal to the area of the paralellogram spanned by these
points. The area of the triangle is related. If you can’t see how, try drawing a picture!)
Solution: The vectors starting at (1, 0, −1) and ending at (3, 1, 1) and (1, 2, 4) are

(3, 1, 1) − (1, 0, −1) = (2, 1, 2)

(1, 2, 4) − (1, 0, −1) = (0, 2, 5)

The magnitude of the cross product of these two vectors is the area of the parallelogram
spanned by them. So half of the magnitude gives the area of the triangle with given vertiecs.
So the area of the triangle is
 
1 1 î ĵ k̂
|(2, 1, 2) × (0, 2, 5)| = det 2 1 2
2 2
0 2 5
1
= |(1, −10, 4)|
2
1p 2
= 1 + (−10)2 + 42
2√ √
117 3 13
= = .
2 2

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3. Let u = (3, 1), v = (2, −2), and w = (−1, 3).
(a) Compute u + 2v + 3w.
(b) Find a vector a such that u − a + 2v = 0.
(c) Compute projv u.
Solution: For (a), we all of these operations are computed componentwise. We have
u + 2v + 3w = (3, 1) + 2(2, −2) + 3(−1, 3) = (3, 1) + (4, −4) + (−3, 9) = (4, 6).

For (b), we isolate a in the given equation

u − a + 2v = 0 ⇒ a = u + 2v.
Now, we compute u + 2v componentwise
a = u + 2v = (3, 1) + 2(2, −2) = (3, 1) + (4, −4) = (7, −3).

For (c), we use the projection formula

u·v (3, 1) · (2, −2) 4
projv u = v= (2, −2) = (2, −2) = (1, −1).
v·v (2, −2) · (2, −2) 8

4. Determine an equation for the line that contains the point (1, 0, 1) and is perpendicular to the
plane 2x − y + 3z = 6.
Solution: Lines are described by parametric equations ℓ(t) = p + tv where p is a point
containing the plane and v is the direction of the line. The given line contains the point
p = (1, 0, 1), and the given line points in the direction of the normal vector of the plane which
is (2, −1, 3). So the parametric description of the line is
ℓ(t) = (1, 0, 1) + t(2, −1, 3) = (2t + 1, −t, 3t + 1).

5. Consider the planes 2x − y + 3z = 6 and x + 3y − z = 0. These planes intersect in a line.

Find an equation for this line. (Hint: The direction of the line is perpendicular to the normal
vectors of both planes.)
Solution: There are several ways to solve this problem. One could simply find two points
that are contained in these planes. Then the desired line is the line between these two points.
Instead of that approach, we will follow the hint. Since the line is contained in the plane, the
direction of the line is perpendicular to the normal vectors of both planes. So we can generate
the direction of the line by computing the cross product of the normal vectors of the given
planes. We compute
 
î ĵ k̂
(2, −1, 3) × (1, 3, −1) = det 2 −1 3  = (−8, −5, 7).
1 3 −1

To complete the parametric description, we need a point that the line contains. We do this by
combining the two equations 2x − y + 3z = 6 and x + 3y − z = 0. The second equation gives
z = x + 3y. Substituting this expression for z in the first equation gives
2x − y + 3(x + 3y) = 6 ⇒ 3x + 8y = 6

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 Of course, there is a line’s worth of solutions to these equations. We simply choose one. If
y = 0, then 3x = 6 and x = 2. The z-coordinate of this point is z = 2 + 3(0) = 2. So the point
(2, 0, 2) is on the line.
Combining these, we get the following parametric description of the line

ℓ(t) = p + tv = (2, 0, 2) + t(−8, −5, 7) = (2 − 8t, −5t, 2 + 7t).

6. Do the lines r1 (t) = (2 − 3t, t, 2t) and r2 (t) = (t − 1, 2t + 1, t + 2) intersect?

Solution: If these lines intersect, then r1 (t) = r2 (s) for some s and t. This condition is

(2 − 3t, t, 2t) = (s − 1, 2s + 1, s + 2).

Each coordinate gives an equation. First, we isolate s in the first coordinate

2 − 3t = s − 1 ⇒ s = 3 − 3t

Next, we plug this expression for s into the third coordinate

2t = s + 2 ⇒ 2t = 5 − 3t ⇒ t = 1.

If t = 1, then s = 3 − 3(1) = 0. These lines intersect if r1 (1) = r2 (0). We check

r1 (1) = (−1, 1, 2) and r2 (0) = (−1, 1, 2).

Since these are the same point, these lines do indeed intersect.
7. Find an equation for the plane that is perpendicular to the line r(t) = (2t − 1, t + 4, 3t) and
contains the point (2, 1, 2).
Solution: The direction of this line is the normal vector for the plane. Thus, the normal
vector is (2, 1, 3). So an equation for this plane is

2(x − 2) + (y − 1) + 3(z − 2) = 0.

8. Find an equation for the plane that contains the points (1, 2, 1), (3, 0, 1), and (−1, −1, 1).
Solution: We find the vectors that emanate from (−1, −1, 1) and end at the other two points.
We can take the normal vector for this plane to be the cross product of these two vectors. We
compute coordinates for the vectors by subtracting

(1, 2, 1) − (−1, −1, 1) = (2, 3, 0)

(3, 0, 1) − (−1, −1, 1) = (4, 1, 0).

Then we compute the cross product

 
î ĵ k̂
(2, 3, 0) × (4, 1, 0) = det 2 3 0 = (0, 0, −10).
4 1 0

We can scale the normal vector since only the direction matters. We take the normal vector
to be (0, 0, 1). Since the plane contains the point (−1, −1, 1), we get the equation

0(x + 1) + 0(y + 1) + (z − 1) = 0 ⇒ z = 1.

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 9. Suppose r(t) = (2 cos t, 2 sin t, 5t).
(a) Determine the velocity vector and the acceleration vector for t = π/2.
(b) Determine whether the angle between the velocity vector and the acceleration vector at
t = π/2 is acute, obtuse, or right.
Solution: For (a), we compute the velocity and acceleration vectors by taking the first and
second derivative. We have

r′ (t) = (−2 sin t, 2 cos t, 5) and r′′ (t) = (−2 cos t, −2 sin t, 0).

Plugging in t = π/2 gives

r′ (π/2) = (−2, 0, 5) and r′′ (π/2) = (0, −2, 0).

For (b), to determine the angle between these vectors, we compute the dot product

(−2, 0, 5) · (0, −2, 0) = 0.

Since the dot product is 0, these vectors are perpendicular.

10. Let r(t) = (3t2 + 1, et , arctan(t)). Find the tangent line to this trajectory at the point t = 0.
Solution: The tangent line is given by ℓ(s) = r(0)+r′ (0)s. So we must compute the derivative
 
1
r′ (t) = 6t, et , .
1 + t2
Plugging in t = 0 gives
r′ (0) = (0, 1, 1).
Since r(0) = (1, 1, 0), the tangent line is

ℓ(s) = r(0) + sr′ (0) = (1, 1, 0) + s(0, 1, 1) = (1, 1 + s, s).

11. Find the length of the trajectory

t2 √
 
r(t) = , ln t, 2t
2
for 1 ≤ t ≤ 2.
Solution: The length of the trajectory is computed by the integral
Z 2 Z 2 √ Z 2p
|r′ (t)| dt = (t, 1/t, 2) dt = t2 + 1/t2 + 2 dt.
1 1 1

To compute this integral, we notice that the expression t2 + 1/t2 + 2 is a perfect square. Indeed
t2 + 1/t2 + 2 = (t + 1/t)2 . Then the length of the trajectory is
Z 2p Z 2p Z 2
1
t2 + 1/t2 + 2 dt = (t + 1/t)2 dt = t + dt
1 1 1 t
2
t2 4−1 3
= + ln t = + ln 2 − ln 1 = + ln 2.
2 1 2 2

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12. Find the length of the trajectory

r(t) = (2 cos t, 2 sin t, 4t)

for 0 ≤ t ≤ 2.
Solution: The length of the trajectory is computed by the integral
Z 2 Z 2 Z 2p
|r′ (t)| dt = |(−2 sin t, 2 cos t, 4)| dt = 4 sin2 t + 4 cos2 t + 16 dt
0 0 0
Z 2 √ √ √
= 20 dt = 2 20 = 4 5
0

13. Use the Two-Path Test to show that the limit

xy
lim
(x,y)→(0,0) x2 + y 2

does not exist.

Solution: Let f (x, y) = x2xy
+y 2 . First, we consider the linear path along the x-axis (i.e. the
line y = 0). A parametrization for this path is γ1 (t) = (t, 0). Then the limit along this path is
t·0
lim f (γ1 (t)) = lim = lim 0 = 0.
t→0 t→0 t2 + 02 t→0

Next, we consider the linear path along the line y = x. This path is parametrized by γ2 (t) =
(t, t). Then the limit is

t2 1 1
lim f (γ2 (t)) = lim = lim = .
t→0 t→0 t2 + t2 t→0 2 2
Since these limits are not equal, the given limit does not exist.
14. Draw the level curve of the function f (x, y) = x2 + y for at level 1.
Solution: The desired level curve is x2 + y = 1 which is also written y = 1 − x2 . So this is a
standard parabola with vertex at (0, 1) facing downward.
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15. Compute the partial derivatives fxx , fyy , fxy , and fyx for the function f (x, y) = ex y .
Solution: We compute the first derivatives
2 2
fx = 2xyex y
and fy = x2 ex y .

Then the second derivatives are

2 2
fxx = 2yex y
+ 4x2 y 2 ex y

2 2
fxy = 2xex y
+ 2x3 yex y

2 2
fyx = 2xex y
+ 2x3 yex y

2
fyy = x4 ex y

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16. Compute the partial derivatives fxx , fyy , fxy , and fyx for the function f (x, y) = sin(x cos(y)).
Solution: First, we compute the first derivatives

fx = cos(y) cos(x cos(y)) and fy = −x sin(y) cos(x cos(y)).

Then the second derivatives are

fxx = − cos2 (y) sin(x cos(y))

fxy = − sin(y) cos(x cos(y)) + x cos(y) sin(y) sin(x cos(y))
fyx = − sin(y) cos(x cos(y)) + x cos(y) sin(y) sin(x cos(y))
fyy = −x cos(y) cos(x cos(y)) − x2 sin2 (y) sin(x cos(y))