Chapter 11: Problem 90
Find the distance between the point and the plane.\((3,2,1)\) \(x-y+2 z=4\)
Short Answer
Expert verified
The shortest distance from the point (3,2,1) to the plane \(x - y + 2z = 4\) is \(d = \frac{1}{\sqrt6}\) or approximately 0.408
Step by step solution
01
Identify the coefficients from the plane equation
From the given plane equation \(x - y + 2z = 4\), you can see that a=1, b=-1 and c=2 are the coefficients of x, y and z respectively. The constant d, which is on the right side of the equation, is equal to -4.
02
Identify the coordinates of the given point
The given point in the 3-dimensional space is (3,2,1). Therefore, \(x_0=3\), \(y_0=2\), and \(z_0=1\).
03
Substitute values into the distance formula
The distance \(d\) from the point to the plane can be calculated by substituting the identified values into the formula. Therefore, \(d = \frac{{\left| a*x0 + b*y0 + c*z0 + d \right|}}{{\sqrt{a^2 + b^2 + c^2}}}\) becomes \(d = \frac{{\left| 1*3 + -1*2 + 2*1 - 4 \right|}}{{\sqrt{1^2 + (-1)^2 + 2^2}}}\)
04
Simplify and calculate the distance
After substitution, the calculation becomes \(d = \frac{{\left| -1 \right|}}{{\sqrt{1 + 1 + 4}}}\). This simplifies to \(d = \frac{1}{\sqrt6}\) or approximately 0.408.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
3-dimensional geometry
In the fascinating world of 3-dimensional geometry, we explore the spatial relationships and measurements in a three-dimensional space. This branch of geometry considers points, lines, and planes, allowing us to understand how objects interact in space. A point in 3D space is represented by coordinates \((x, y, z)\), which specify its position along three axes:
- x-axis for horizontal position
- y-axis for vertical position
- z-axis for depth or height
- a, b, c are the coefficients that dictate the plane's orientation
- d is a constant that influences its position
- When determining the distance from a specific point within this 3-dimensional realm to a plane, understanding these spatial coordinates and how they relate through geometry is essential.To find the distance from a point \((3, 2, 1)\) to a plane \(x - y + 2z = 4\), we use fundamental concepts like vectors and the distance formula to calculate spatial separation.
formula derivation
Deriving the formula for the distance from a point to a plane requires a structured approach using the components given in the plane's equation and the point's coordinates.We start with the standard equation of a plane: \(ax + by + cz = d\). The distance \(d\) from a point \((x_0, y_0, z_0)\) to this plane is calculated using the formula:\[ d = \frac{{|ax_0 + by_0 + cz_0 + d|}}{{\sqrt{a^2 + b^2 + c^2}}} \]**Steps in Derivation:**
- Identify coefficients: From \(x - y + 2z = 4\), coefficients \(a = 1\), \(b = -1\), and \(c = 2\) are recognized. Constant \(d\) becomes -4 since the equation is usually in the form \(ax + by + cz - d = 0\).
- Substitute point's coordinates: For point \((3, 2, 1)\), substitute into the formula: \(1\cdot3 + (-1)\cdot2 + 2\cdot1 - 4\).
- Simplify and solve: Calculate the numerator as \(|(-1)|\) and the denominator as \(\sqrt{1 + 1 + 4}\) to arrive at the result \(\frac{1}{\sqrt{6}}\).
vector analysis
Vector analysis plays a crucial role in solving geometric problems, particularly when measuring distances in 3-dimensional geometry.Vectors are essentially quantities represented by both magnitude and direction. In our context, the plane equation \(x - y + 2z = 4\) defines a vector normal to the plane. This normal vector is \(\langle 1, -1, 2 \rangle\), extracted directly from the plane's coefficients.**Steps in Vector Analysis:**
- Identifying the Normal Vector: The components \(1, -1, 2\) represent a direction perpendicular to the plane surface.
- Relate Point to the Normal: The shortest distance from a point to a plane is along a line parallel to this normal vector. Understanding this geometry assures that the distance derived is indeed the minimal separation.
- Apply in Calculations: By integrating vector concepts, the distance formula slots directly into regular geometric analysis, resulting in more profound insights into space relations.