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Homework Statement
The vertices of a triangle are given by A(-3, 1, 2), B(1, -3, -1), and C(3, -1, -1). What are the coordinates of D(x, y, z) such that ABCD is a rectangle?
Homework Equations
[tex]\vec{AB} = \vec{CD}[/tex]
[tex]\vec{AB} = \vec{OB} - \vec{OA}[/tex]
[tex]\vec{CD} = \vec{OD} - \vec{OC}[/tex]
The Attempt at a Solution
Since ABCD is a triangle, and two sides are equal:
[tex]\vec{AB} = \vec{CD}[/tex] [tex]\vec{BC} = \vec{AD}[/tex]
I decide to go with [tex]\vec{AB} = \vec{CD}[/tex] to find vector D
First I find [tex]\vec{AB}[/tex]:
[tex]\vec{AB} = \vec{OB} - \vec{OA}[/tex]
[tex]\vec{AB} = (1 - (-3), -3 - 1, -1 - 2)[/tex]
[tex]\vec{AB} = (4, -4, -3)[/tex]
So, now that I have found vector AB, I can now find vector CD:
[tex]\vec{CD} = \vec{OD} - \vec{OC}[/tex]
[tex]\vec{CD} = (x - 3, y - (-1), z - (-1)) = (4, -4, -3)[/tex]
So, by using the values of vector AB to find the unknowns of vector D, I yield:
x = 7, y = -5, z = -3 (7, -5, -3). But, my book says the solution is x = -1, y = 3, z= 2 (-1, 3, 2). Instead of calculating vector AB = vector CD, they went with vector BC = vector AD. But, since it was a rectangle, shouldn't I have come to same answer as the textbook? Where did I go wrong? Thanks in advance.