Eqn of Plane passing through a point and perpendicular to another plane's trace

In summary, the problem is to find the equation of a plane passing through the point (-3,1,4) and perpendicular to the trace of the plane x-3y+7z-3=0 in the xy plane. The attempted solution involves finding the coordinates of the plane's traces on the x and y axis, but this only determines a plane containing the trace in the xy plane. To find the equation of a plane perpendicular to the trace, the normal vector of the trace is needed. The final equation obtained by the attempt is x-3y+9/4z-3=0 or 4x-12y+9z-3=0, which differs from the answer in the book, 3
  • #1
Stumbleinn
1
0

Homework Statement


Here's the problem:Find the equation of the plane passing through the point (-3,1,4) and perpendicular to the trace of the plane x-3y+7z-3=0 in the xy plane.


Homework Equations



to me this should be as easy as finding the two coordiates of the plane's traces on the x and y axis. ie (3,0,0) and (0,-1, 0). Since these two points and the point (-3,1,4) determine the plane.

The Attempt at a Solution


since the general form of the plane is Ax+By+Cz+D=0. I should get 3 equations that look like this:
1) 3A+D=0
2) -B+D=0
3) -3A+B+4C+D=0
1) implies that -D/A=3 and thus D=-3 and A=1
substituting into eqn2 yields B=-3
and sunstituing into eqn3 gives C=9/4
so the eqn should be x-3y+9/4Z-3=0 or 4x-12y+9z-3=0
However the answer in the book is 3x+y+8=0. I find that the book is rarely wrong and usually it's me that is confused.

Please advise on where I went wrong
Thanks so much
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Stumbleinn said:

Homework Statement


Here's the problem:Find the equation of the plane passing through the point (-3,1,4) and perpendicular to the trace of the plane x-3y+7z-3=0 in the xy plane.


Homework Equations



to me this should be as easy as finding the two coordiates of the plane's traces on the x and y axis. ie (3,0,0) and (0,-1, 0). Since these two points and the point (-3,1,4) determine the plane.
These 3 points give the plane containing the trace in the xy plane, not perpendicular to it. The trace of the plane in the xy-plane is given, of course, by x- 3y- 3= 0 and z= 0. If you use y itself as parameter, x= 3y+ 2, y= y, z= 0 are parametric equation of that line. A vector pointing in the direction of that line is <3, 1, 0>. You want the equation of a plane containing (-3, 1, 4) and having normal vector <3, 1, 0>.


The Attempt at a Solution


since the general form of the plane is Ax+By+Cz+D=0. I should get 3 equations that look like this:
1) 3A+D=0
2) -B+D=0
3) -3A+B+4C+D=0
1) implies that -D/A=3 and thus D=-3 and A=1
substituting into eqn2 yields B=-3
and sunstituing into eqn3 gives C=9/4
so the eqn should be x-3y+9/4Z-3=0 or 4x-12y+9z-3=0

However the answer in the book is 3x+y+8=0. I find that the book is rarely wrong and usually it's me that is confused.

Please advise on where I went wrong
Thanks so much
 

What is the equation of a plane passing through a point and perpendicular to another plane's trace?

The equation of a plane passing through a point and perpendicular to another plane's trace can be written as Ax + By + Cz = D, where (A,B,C) is the normal vector of the plane and D is a constant. The normal vector can be found by taking the cross product of the normal vectors of the two given planes.

How do you find the normal vector of a plane?

To find the normal vector of a plane, you can use the coefficients of the variables in the equation of the plane. For example, if the equation of the plane is 2x + 3y + 4z = 5, then the normal vector is (2,3,4).

What does it mean for two planes to be perpendicular?

Two planes are perpendicular if their normal vectors are orthogonal, meaning they are at a 90 degree angle to each other. This can also be seen visually as the two planes intersecting at a right angle.

Can a plane be perpendicular to more than one plane?

Yes, a plane can be perpendicular to an infinite number of planes. This is because the normal vector of a plane can have infinitely many directions, and any two normal vectors that are perpendicular will result in a plane that is perpendicular to both of the original planes.

How do you determine if a point lies on a plane?

To determine if a point lies on a plane, you can substitute the coordinates of the point into the equation of the plane. If the resulting equation is true, then the point lies on the plane. If the resulting equation is false, then the point does not lie on the plane.

Similar threads

Replies
6
Views
3K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
8
Views
2K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
5
Views
1K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
5
Views
1K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
7
Views
2K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
2K
Back
Top