Chapter 2: Problem 219
Consider the parallelepiped with edges \(O A, O B,\) and \( O C, \) where \( A(2,1,0), B(1,2,0),\) and \(C(0,1, \alpha).\) a. Find the real number \(\alpha>0\) such that the volume of the parallelepiped is 3 units \(^{3}.\) b. For \(\alpha=1,\) find the height \(h\) from vertex \(C\) of the parallelepiped. Sketch the parallelepiped.
Short Answer
Step by step solution
Determine the Volume Formula for a Parallelepiped
Create Vectors from Points
Calculate the Cross Product \((\vec{b} \times \vec{c})\)
Calculate the Dot Product
Solve for \(\alpha\) with Given Volume
Find the Height from Vertex C with \(\alpha = 1\)
Sketch the Parallelepiped
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Volume of Parallelepiped
If you think of a parallelepiped, it's much like a more complex version of a box or a cube, where the sides slant rather than being perfectly perpendicular. To find its volume, we use a special operation involving vectors called the scalar triple product. This involves edges of the parallelepiped defined by vectors.
- The formula for volume is given by the absolute value of the scalar triple product: \( V = |\vec{a} \cdot (\vec{b} \times \vec{c})| \).
- Here, \(\vec{a}, \vec{b}, \vec{c}\) are vectors representing the edges of the parallelepiped.
Cross Product
The cross product of two vectors \(\vec{b}\) and \(\vec{c}\) is denoted as \(\vec{b} \times \vec{c}\). It results in a new vector that points in the direction perpendicular to both \(\vec{b}\) and \(\vec{c}\). This process involves a unique determinant calculation:
- Use the right-hand rule to determine the direction of the resulting vector.
- The magnitude of the cross product vector equals the area of the parallelogram spanned by the two vectors.
Dot Product
- The dot product of \(\vec{a}\) and \(\vec{b}\) is calculated as \(\vec{a} \cdot \vec{b} = a_1b_1 + a_2b_2 + a_3b_3\).
- This operation reflects the product of their magnitudes and the cosine of the angle between them.