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17.1 PARAMETERIZED CURVES

A curve in the plane may be parameterized by a pair of equations of the form x = f(t), y = g(t). As
the parameter t changes, the point (x, y) traces out the curve. In this section we find parametric
equations for curves in three dimensions, and we see how to write parametric equations using
position vectors.

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Parametric Equations in Three Dimensions
We describe motion in the plane by giving parametric equations for x and y in terms of t. To

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describe a motion in 3-space parametrically, we need a third equation giving z in terms of t.

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Example 1

Find parametric equations for the curve y = x2 in the xy-plane.

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Solution

A possible parameterization in two dimensions is x = t, y = t2. Since the curve is in the xy-

to
plane, the z-coordinate is zero, so a parameterization in three dimensions is
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Example 2
m

Find parametric equations for a particle that starts at (0, 3, 0) and moves around a circle as
shown in Figure 17.1.
@
ng
.ya
ao

Figure 17.1: Circle of radius 3 in the yz-plane, centered at origin

Solution
jih

Since the motion is in the yz-plane, we have x = 0 at all times t. Looking at the yz-plane from
the positive x-direction, we see motion around a circle of radius 3 in the clockwise direction.
Thus,

Example 17.1.2 Video: Finding parametric equations for a circle in the yz plane
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Example 3
Describe in words the motion given parametrically by

Solution
The particle’s x- and y-coordinates give circular motion in the xy-plane, while the z-coordinate

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increases steadily. Thus, the particle traces out a rising spiral, like a coiled spring. (See Figure
17.2.) This curve is called a helix.

o.
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ro
to
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Figure 17.2: The helix x = cos t, y = sin t, z = t
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Example 4
m

Find parametric equations for the line parallel to the vector and through the
point (1, 5, 7).
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Solution
Let’s imagine a particle at the point (1, 5, 7) at time t = 0 and moving through a displacement
ng

of for each unit of time, t. When t = 0, x = 1 and x increases by 2 units for every
unit of time. Thus, at time t, the x-coordinate of the particle is given by
.ya

Similarly, the y-coordinate starts at y = 5 and increases at a rate of 3 units for every unit of
ao

time. The z-coordinate starts at y = 7 and increases by 4 units for every unit of time. Thus,
the parametric equations of the line are
jih

We can generalize the previous example as follows:

Parametric Equations of a Line through the point (x0, y0, z0) and parallel to the vector

are

Notice that the coordinates x, y, and z are linear functions of the parameter t.
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Example 5
a. Describe in words the curve given by the parametric equations x = 3 + t, y = 2t, z = 1 − t.
b. Find parametric equations for the line through the points (1, 2, −1) and (3, 3, 4).
Solution

a. The curve is a line through the point (3, 0, 1) and parallel to the vector

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b. The line is parallel to the vector between the points P = (1, 2, −1) and Q = (3, 3, 4).

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Thus, using the point P, the parametric equations are

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Using the point Q gives the equations x = 3 + 2t, y = 3 + t, z = 4 + 5t, which represent the same
line. The point where t = 0 in the second equations is given by t = 1 in the first equations.

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Using Position Vectors to Write Parameterized Curves as Vector-Valued Functions
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A point in the plane with coordinates (x, y) can be represented by the position vector

in Figure 17.3. Similarly, in 3-space we write . (See Figure 17.4.)

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ng
.ya

Figure 17.3: Position vector for the point (x, y)

ao
jih

Figure 17.4: Position vector for the point (x, y, z)

We can write the parametric equations x = f(t), y = g(t), z = h(t) as a single vector equation
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called a parameterization. As the parameter t varies, the point with position vector traces out
a curve in 3-space. For example, the circular motion in the plane

and the helix in 3-space

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See Figure 17.5.

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ro
to
l.u
Figure 17.5: The parameterization sends the interval, a ≤ t ≤ b, to the curve, C, in 3-space
ai
m
@
ng
.ya
ao
jih
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prosecuted.

Example 6

Use vectors to give a parameterization for the circle of radius centered at the point (−1, 2).

Solution
The circle of radius 1 centered at the origin is parameterized by the vector-valued function

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The point (−1, 2) has position vector . The position vector, , of a point on
the circle of radius centered at (−1, 2) is found by adding to . (See Figures 17.6 and

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17.7.) Thus,

ro
or, equivalently,

to
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m
@
ng
.ya

Figure 17.6: The circle x2 + y2 = 1 parameterized by

ao
jih
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Figure 17.7: The circle of radius and center (−1, 2) parameterized by

Parametric Equation of a Line

Consider a straight line in the direction of a vector passing through the point (x0, y0, z0) with

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position vector . We start at and move up and down the line, adding different multiples of
to . (See Figure 17.8.)

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Figure 17.8: The line

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In this way, every point on the line can be written as , which yields the following:
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Parametric Equation of a Line in Vector Form
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The line through the point with position vector in the direction of the
vector has parametric equation
m
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Example 7
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a. Find parametric equations for the line passing through the points (2, −1, 3) and (−1, 5, 4).
b. Represent the line segment from (2, −1, 3) to (−1, 5, 4) parametrically.
.ya

Solution
a. The line passes through (2, −1, 3) and is parallel to the displacement vector
ao

from (2, −1, 3) to (−1, 5, 4). Thus, the parametric equation is

jih

b. In the parameterization in part (a), t = 0 corresponds to the point (2, −1, 3) and t = 1
corresponds to the point (−1, 5, 4). So the parameterization of the segment is

Intersection of Curves and Surfaces

Parametric equations for a curve enable us to find where a curve intersects a surface.
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Example 8
Find the points at which the line x = t, y = 2t, z = 1 + t pierces the sphere of radius 10 centered
at the origin.
Solution
The equation for the sphere of radius 10 and centered at the origin is

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To find the intersection points of the line and the sphere, substitute the parametric

o.
equations of the line into the equation of the sphere, giving

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so

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which has the two solutions at approximately t = −4.23 and t = 3.90. Using the parametric

to
equation for the line, (x, y, z) = (t, 2t, 1 + t), we see that the line cuts the sphere at the two
points l.u
and
ai
m

We can also use parametric equations to find the intersection of two curves.
@
ng
.ya
ao
jih
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prosecuted.

Example 9

Two particles move through space, with equations and

. Do the particles ever collide? Do their paths

cross?
Solution

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To see if the particles collide, we must find out if they pass through the same point at the
same time t. So we must find a solution to the vector equation , which is the

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same as finding a common solution to the three scalar equations

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Separately, the solutions are t = −2/3, t = 0, and t = 2/3, so there is no common solution, and
the particles don’t collide. To see if their paths cross, we find out if they pass through the

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same point at two possibly different times, t1 and t2. So we solve the equations

to
We solve the first two equations simultaneously and get t1 = 2, t2 = −2. Since these values
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also satisfy the third equation, the paths cross. The position of the first particle at time t = 2
is the same as the position of the second particle at time t = −2, namely the point (2, 5, −1).
Example 17.1.9 Video: Determining if particles collide given parametric equations for their
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paths
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Example 10
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Are the lines x = − 1 + t, y = 1 + 2t, z = 5 − t and x = 2 + 2t, y = 4 + t, z = 3 + t parallel? Do they

intersect?
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Solution
In vector form the lines are parameterized by
.ya
ao

Their direction vectors and are not multiples of each other, so the
jih

lines are not parallel. To find out if they intersect, we see if they pass through the same point
at two possibly different times, t1 and t2:

The first two equations give t1 = 1, t2 = −1. Since these values do not satisfy the third
equation, the paths do not cross, and so the lines do not intersect.

The next example shows how to tell if two different parameterizations give the same line.
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prosecuted.

Example 11
Show that the following two lines are the same:

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Solution

o.
The direction vectors of the two lines, and , are multiples of each
other, so the lines are parallel. To see if they are the same, we pick a point on the first line

nt
and see if it is on the second line. For example, the point on the first line with t = 0 has

position vector . Solving

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to
we get t = 2, so the two lines have a point in common. Thus, they are the same line,
parameterized in two different ways.
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Summary for Section 17.1
Parametric equations in three dimensions: To describe motion in 3-space parametrically,
ai
we need three equations: x = f(t), y = g(t), and z = h(t).
Parametric equations of a line through the point (x0, y0, z0) and parallel to the vector
m

are
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ng

Vector form of parameterized curves: We can write the parametric equations x = f(t), y =
g(t), z = h(t) as a single vector equation
.ya

Parametric equation of a line in vector form: The line through the point with position
ao

vector in the direction of the vector has parametric

equation
jih

Exercises and Problems for Section 17.1

Online Resource: Additional Problems for Section 17.1

EXERCISES
In Exercises 1–6, find a parameterization for the curve.
1.