Equation of Plane w/ Origin 3 Units Away: Solved

  • Thread starter Thread starter nhartung
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Plane
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
1 reply · 1K views
nhartung
Messages
56
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



Find the equation of a plane with distance 3 units from the origin and perpendicular to the line through P(1,2,3) and Q(-2,4,1).


Homework Equations



[tex]\vec{n}[/tex] = [tex]\frac{\vec{PQ}}\left|{\vec{PQ}}\left|[/tex]

Plane Equation: a(x-x0) + b(y-y0) + c(z-z0)


The Attempt at a Solution



Ok so I think I can solve this all the way up until the end.

We have [tex]\vec{PQ}[/tex] = <-3, -2, 2>

so [tex]\vec{n}[/tex] = [tex]\frac{1}{\sqrt{17}}[/tex]<-3,-2,2>

Now if I scale that vector by 3 or -3 I can get a point on the plane that I am looking for, I need to put this into the form of a plane so I use the equation above and end up getting:
[tex]\frac{-3}{\sqrt{17}}[/tex]x + [tex]\frac{2}{\sqrt{17}}[/tex]y - [tex]\frac{2}{\sqrt{}17}[/tex]z = [tex]\frac{-27}{17}[/tex] + [tex]\frac{18}{17}[/tex] + [tex]\frac{18}{17}[/tex]

This can be simplified further but this is where mine and my professors work differs. He gets the following on the right side of the equation = [tex]\frac{27}{17}[/tex] + [tex]\frac{12}{17}[/tex] + [tex]\frac{12}{17}[/tex]

Any ideas?
 
Physics news on Phys.org