Chapter 8: Problem 43
If \(\mathbf{r}=[x, y, z], \mathbf{a}=\left[a_{1}, a_{2}, a_{3}\right],\) and \(\mathbf{b}=\left[b_{1}, b_{2}, b_{3}\right],\) show that the vector equation \((\mathbf{r}-\) a) \(\cdot(\mathbf{r}-\mathbf{b})=0\) represents a sphere, and find its center and radius.
Short Answer
Expert verified
The center is \(\left(\frac{a_1 + b_1}{2}, \frac{a_2 + b_2}{2}, \frac{a_3 + b_3}{2}\right)\) and the radius is \(\frac{1}{2}\sqrt{(b_1 - a_1)^2 + (b_2 - a_2)^2 + (b_3 - a_3)^2}\)."
Step by step solution
01
Expand the Dot Product
Start by writing down the dot product \((\mathbf{r} - \mathbf{a}) \cdot (\mathbf{r} - \mathbf{b})\). This can be expanded as:\[(x - a_1)(x - b_1) + (y - a_2)(y - b_2) + (z - a_3)(z - b_3)\]
02
Distribute Each Term
Distribute each of the terms to simplify the equation:For the x-coordinates: \[(x - a_1)(x - b_1) = x^2 - (a_1 + b_1)x + a_1 b_1\]For the y-coordinates:\[(y - a_2)(y - b_2) = y^2 - (a_2 + b_2)y + a_2 b_2\]For the z-coordinates: \[(z - a_3)(z - b_3) = z^2 - (a_3 + b_3)z + a_3 b_3\]
03
Combine and Simplify the Equation
Combine all terms obtained:\[x^2 - (a_1 + b_1)x + a_1 b_1 + y^2 - (a_2 + b_2)y + a_2 b_2 + z^2 - (a_3 + b_3)z + a_3 b_3 = 0\]Re-arrange this equation:\[x^2 + y^2 + z^2 -(a_1 + b_1)x -(a_2 + b_2)y -(a_3 + b_3)z + (a_1 b_1 + a_2 b_2 + a_3 b_3) = 0\]
04
Recognize the Equation of a Sphere
The equation can be rewritten into the standard form of a sphere by completing the square for each variable term. The simplified equivalent sphere equation is:\[(x - \frac{a_1 + b_1}{2})^2 + (y - \frac{a_2 + b_2}{2})^2 + (z - \frac{a_3 + b_3}{2})^2 = R^2\]
05
Determine Sphere Center and Radius
The center of the sphere is given by the point:\[\left(\frac{a_1 + b_1}{2}, \frac{a_2 + b_2}{2}, \frac{a_3 + b_3}{2}\right)\]To find the radius \(R\), calculate the square root of the previously rearranged equation.Since constant terms canceled, substitute known values to solve for \(R^2\). The general form reveals:\[R = \frac{1}{2}\sqrt{(b_1 - a_1)^2 + (b_2 - a_2)^2 + (b_3 - a_3)^2}\]
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Vector Equations
Vector equations are a concise way to describe geometric entities and their relationships using vectors. They involve expressions where each term is a vector. In the exercise, we have the equation
- (\(\mathbf{r}-\mathbf{a}) \cdot(\mathbf{r}-\mathbf{b})=0\), which is a vector equation describing a geometric condition involving a sphere.
- \(\mathbf{r} = [x, y, z]\) represents a point in space.
- \(\mathbf{a}\) and \(\mathbf{b}\) are fixed position vectors.
Dot Product
The dot product, also known as the scalar product, is an operation that takes two equal-length sequences of numbers (e.g., vectors) and returns a single number. It is calculated as:\[\mathbf{a} \cdot \mathbf{b} = a_1b_1 + a_2b_2 + a_3b_3\]In this equation, the components of two vectors are multiplied pairwise, and their sums are taken:
- The dot product is useful for finding angles between vectors and projecting one vector onto another.
- If \(\mathbf{a} \cdot \mathbf{b} = 0\), the vectors are orthogonal.
Equation of a Sphere
An equation of a sphere in its standard form is given by:\[(x - h)^2 + (y - k)^2 + (z - l)^2 = R^2\]Here, \((h, k, l)\) is the center of the sphere and \(R\) is its radius.To derive this form from our vector equation, we:
- Expand and combine the terms from the dot product \((\mathbf{r}-\mathbf{a}) \cdot (\mathbf{r}-\mathbf{b}) = 0\).
- Rearrange to recognize the terms \((x - \frac{a_1 + b_1}{2})^2 + (y - \frac{a_2 + b_2}{2})^2 + (z - \frac{a_3 + b_3}{2})^2\).
- Identify the center as \((\frac{a_1 + b_1}{2}, \frac{a_2 + b_2}{2}, \frac{a_3 + b_3}{2})\) and derive the radius \(R = \frac{1}{2}\sqrt{(b_1 - a_1)^2 + (b_2 - a_2)^2 + (b_3 - a_3)^2}\).
Vector Expansions
Vector expansions involve breaking down vector operations into basic components to simplify calculations and reveal underlying geometric interpretations.In our problem, vector expansion is employed by:
- Breaking down \((\mathbf{r} - \mathbf{a})\) and \((\mathbf{r} - \mathbf{b})\), then finding their dot product.
- Expanding \((x - a_1)(x - b_1), (y - a_2)(y - b_2), (z - a_3)(z - b_3)\) into expressions like \(x^2 - (a_1 + b_1)x + a_1 b_1\).
- Recognizing these forms contribute to understanding the geometry described by the vector equation.