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Direction Ratios and Direction Cosines

This document discusses direction ratios and direction cosines of straight lines. It defines that direction cosines are the cosines of the angles a line makes with the x, y, and z axes, denoted by l, m, and n. It shows that if a point P has coordinates (x, y, z), then x = lr, y = mr, z = nr, where l, m, n are the direction cosines and r is the distance from the origin O to P. It also presents that the direction ratios of a line are proportional to its direction cosines, and discusses finding the angle between two lines given their direction cosines.

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MohammadFaizan
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
12K views

Direction Ratios and Direction Cosines

This document discusses direction ratios and direction cosines of straight lines. It defines that direction cosines are the cosines of the angles a line makes with the x, y, and z axes, denoted by l, m, and n. It shows that if a point P has coordinates (x, y, z), then x = lr, y = mr, z = nr, where l, m, n are the direction cosines and r is the distance from the origin O to P. It also presents that the direction ratios of a line are proportional to its direction cosines, and discusses finding the angle between two lines given their direction cosines.

Uploaded by

MohammadFaizan
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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DIRECTION RATIOS AND DIRECTION COSINES

If a straight line makes angles α , β and γ with x-axis , y-axis and z- axis respectively,

then cosα ,cosβ ,cosγ are called direction cosines of the straight line. Direction cosines are generally
denoted by l , m , n.

If O be origin and P is a point whose co-ordinates are ( x , y , z ),

then x = lr , y = mr , z = nr , where l , m , n are direction cosines of OP.

PROOF: Through P draw PL perpendicular to x-axis so that OL = x.

Let OP = r

From the right triangle OPL , we have LOP i.e. or

Similarly

RELATION BETWEEN DIRECTION COSINES OF A LINE

If are direction cosines of a straight line, then

PROOF: Let O be the origin and P be a point whose co-ordinates are such that length of OP is
r, then as we have shown in the previous article.

By the distance formula the distance between O and P =

But as assumed the distance between O and P is r.

So r or ………………(1)

Substituting in the equation (1), we get


DIRECTION RATIOS OF A LINE:

Any three numbers a , b , c proportional to the direction cosines of a line are called direction ratios of
the line.

If l , m , n are the direction cosines of a line and are its direction ratios, then

l= m= , n= .

DIRECTION RATIOS OF THE LINE JOINING TWO POINTS :

Let P( and Q( be two given points,

Draw QM and PL perpendiculars to OX and PN perpendicular to QM.

PN = LM = OM – OL =

cos∠QPN = = , ,

So the direction ratios of the line joining P and Q are


ANGLE BETWEEN TWO STRAIGHT LINES WHEN THEIR DIRECTION COSINES ARE GIVEN:

If and are the direction cosines of the lines and θ is the angle between them,
then ( ).

PROOF:

Through O, draw OA and OB parallel to the two st.


lines such that OA = OB = 1. So the co-ordinates of the point A are ( ) and the co-ordinates of
the point B are ( )

=( )+( ) ( )

= ( )

From triangle AOB, by the cosine formula, we have

cos∠AOB = = =

cos θ = or θ= ( )

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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