CHAPTER

13 Three Dimensional Geometry

1. Vector Representation of a Point: Position vector of point The line will be perpendicular if a1a2 + b1b2 + c1c2 = 0,
P ( x, y, z ) is xiˆ + yjˆ + zkˆ . a1 b1 c1
parallel if = = .
a2 b2 c2
2. Distance Formula
  7. Projection of a Line Segment on a Line: If P(x1, y1, z1) and
 x1  x2    y1  y2    z1  z2  , AB  OB  OA
2 2 2
Q(x2, y2, z2) then the projection of PQ on
3. Distance of P from Coordinate Axes a line having direction cosines l, m, n is
l ( x2  x1 )  m( y2  y1 )  n( z2  z1 ) .
PA  y 2  z 2 , PB  z 2  x 2 , PC  x 2  y 2 , A, B, C are on
8. Equation of a Plane: General form : ax + by + cz + d = 0,
x, y, z axis respectively. where a, b, c are not all zero, a, b, c, d ∈ R.
mx2 + nx1 my2 + ny1 mz2 + nz1 (i) Normal form: lx + my + nz = p
4. Section Formula:
= x = ,y = ,z
m+n m+n m+n
(ii) Plane through the point (x1, y1, z1):
x1  x2 y  y2 z z
a (x – x1) + b(y – y1) + c (z – z1) = 0.
Mid Point:    
x ,y 1 ,z  1 2
2 2 2
x y z
5. Direction Cosines and Direction Ratios (iii) Intercept Form:   1.
a b c
(i) Direction cosines: Let a, b, g be angles which a       
directed line makes with the positive directions (iv) Vector form:  r  a   n  0 or r  n  a  n
of the axes of x, y and z respectively, then cos a, (v) Any plane parallel to the given plane
cos b, cos g are called the direction cosines of the line.

ax + by + cz + d = 0 is ax + by + cz + l = 0.
The direction cosines are usually denoted by (l, m, n).
Thus l = cos a, m = cos b, n = cos g. Distance between ax + by + cz + d1 = 0 and
d1  d 2
(ii) If l, m, n be the direction cosines of a line, then ax + by + cz + d2 = 0 is  .
l2 + m2 + n2 = 1. a  b2  c2
2

(iii) Direction ratios: Let a, b, c be proportional to the (vi) Equation of a plane passing through a given point
direction cosines l, m, n then a, b, c are called the    
and parallel to the given vectors: r  a  b  c
direction ratios. (parametric form) where l & m are scalars.
(iv) If l, m, n be the direction cosines and a, b, c be the      
or r . (b  c )  a . (b  c ) (non parametric form)
direction ratios of a vector, then
9. A Plane and a Point
a b c
l ,m   ,n  
a 2  b2  c2 a 2  b2  c2 a 2  b2  c2
(i) Distance of the point (x′, y′, z′) from the plane
ax '+ by '+ cz '+ d
(v) If the coordinates P and Q are (x1, y1, z1) and (x2, y2, z2) ax + by + cz + d = 0 is given by .
a 2 + b2 + c2
then the direction ratios of line PQ are, a = x2 – x1,

b = y2 – y1 & c = z2 – z1 and the direction cosines of (ii) Length of the perpendicular from a point  a  to plane
y y z z  
x x   a n  d
line PQ are l  2 1 , m  2 1 and n  2 1 .
PQ PQ PQ r . n = d is given by p   .
n
6. Angle between Two Line Segments (iii) Foot (x′, y′, z′) of perpendicular drawn from the point
(x1, y1, z1) to the plane ax + by + cz + d = 0 is given
a1a2  b1b2  c1c2 x ' x1 y ' y1 z ' z1  ax  by  cz  d 

cos   . by     1 2 1 2 12 .
a  b12  c12 a22  b22  c22
2
1 a b c a b c
 (iv) To find image of a point w.r.t. a plane: Let P(x1, y1, z1) x  x1 y  y1 z  z1
is a given point and ax + by + cz + d = 0 is given plane. (ii) Symmetric form:    r.
a b c
Let (x′, y′, z′) is the image point then
  
x ' x1 y ' y1 z ' z1

 ax  by  cz  d  . (iii) V
 ector equation: r  a  b .
   2 1 2 1 2 12
a b c a b c (iv) R
 eduction of cartesion form of equation of a line to
aa ' bb ' cc ' vector form and vice versa
10. Angle between Two Planes: cos  
a 2 +b 2 +c 2 a '2 +b' 2 +c ' 2 x − x1 y − y1 z − z1
Planes are perpendicular if aa′ + bb′ + cc′ = 0 and planes
⇒
a
=
b
=
c

⇔ r= ( x iˆ + y ˆj + z kˆ )
1 1 1

a b c
are parallel if = = . +λ ( aiˆ + bjˆ + ckˆ )
a' b' c'
    2. Angle between a Plane and a Line
The angle q between the planes r · n1 = d1 and r . n2 = d2 is
 
n n x  x1 y  y1 z  z1
given by, cos    1 2 . (i) If q is the angle between line  
n1  n2 l m n
  and the plane ax + by + cz + d = 0, Then
Planes are perpendicular if n1 . n2 = 0 & planes are parallel
   
if n1 = λn2 (l is a non zero scalar.) al  bm  cn
11. Angle Bisectors sin    .
 2 

(i) 
The equations of the planes bisecting the angle  a 2
 b2  c2  l m n 
2 2

between two given planes (ii) Vector form: If q is the angle between a line
a1x + b1y + c1z + d1 = 0 and a2x + b2y + c2z + d2 = 0 are
      b.n 

r  a  b = r . n = d then sin       .
a1 x  b1 y  c1 z  d1 a x  b2 y  c2 z  d 2 b n
 2 .  
a1  b1  c1
2 2 2
a22  b22  c22

(iii) C  ondition for perpendicularity l  m  n , b  n  0 .
(ii) Bisector of acute/obtuse angle: First make both the a b c
constant terms positive. Then  
a1a2 + b1b2 + c1c2 > 0 ⇒ origin lies on obtuse angle (iv) Condition for parallel al + bm + cn = 0, b . n = 0 .
a1a2 + b1b2 + c1c2 < 0 ⇒ origin lies in acute angle 3. Condition for a Line to Lie in a Plane
12. Family of Planes x  x1 y  y1 z  z1
(i) C
 artesian form:   would lie in
(i) Any plane through the intersection of l m n
a plane
a1x + b1y + c1z + d1 = 0 & a2x + b2y + c2z + d2 = 0 is
a1x +b1y + c1z + d1 + l (a2x + b2y + c2z + d2) = 0 ax + by + cz + d = 0, if ax1 + by1 + cz1 + d = 0 &
(ii) The equation of plane passing through the intersection al + bm + cn = 0.
       
of the planes r . n1  d1 & r  n2  d 2 is r   n1  n2   
(ii) Vector form: r  a  b would line in the plane
= d1 + ld2 where l is arbitrary scalar    
  r .n = d=
if b .n 0=& a. n d .
13. Area of Triangle: From two vector AB and AC . Then
1   4. Skew Lines
area is given by AB × AC .
2 (i) The
 straight lines which are not parallel and non-
14. Volume of a Tetrahedron: Volume of a tetrahedron coplanar i.e. non-intersecting are called skew lines. If
with vertices A (x1, y1, z1), B(x2, y2, z2), C(x3, y3, z3) and  '   '   ' 
x1 y1 z1 1 l m n  0. Then lines are skew.
1 x2 y2 z2 1 l' m' n'
D (x4, y4, z4) is given by V = .  
6 x3 y3 z3 1    
(ii) Vector Form: For lines r  a1  b1 and r  a2  b2
x4 y4 z4 1  
to be skew b1  b2   a2  a1   0 .
 
A Line
     
1. Equation of a Line (iii) Shortest distance between line r  a1  b & r  a2  b
(i) A straight line is intersection of two planes.   
It is represented by two planes a1x + b1y + c1z + d1 = 0        a2  a1   b
r  a1  b & r  a2  b is d = .
and a2x + b2y + c2z + d2 = 0. |b |

P Three Dimensional Geometry 27