Chapter 12: Problem 90
Use projections to find a general formula for the (smallest) distance between the point \(\left.P\left(x_{0}, y_{0}\right) \text { and the line } a x+b y=c . \text { (See Exercises } 62-65 .\right)\)
Short Answer
Step by step solution
Find the normal vector of the line
Find the unit normal vector of the line
Project the point P onto the line
}{a^2+b^2}, y_0 - b\frac{\left\cdot\left }{a^2+b^2}\right)
$
Calculate the distance between point P and its projection Q
}{a^2+b^2}\right)^{2}+\left(y_0 - b\frac{\left\cdot\left }{a^2+b^2}\right)^{2}}
$
Simplify the expression and obtain the general formula for the distance
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Projection
The projection of a point onto a line helps us determine the perpendicular distance to the line from that point.
- To project a point onto a line means finding the closest point on that line.
- This involves utilizing vectors and dot products for accuracy.
- It describes how far along the line a particular point is when viewed directly from a perpendicular perspective.
Normal Vector
In the equation of the line given by \[ ax + by = c \], the normal vector is represented by the coefficients of \( a \) and \( b \).
- For a line \( ax + by = c \), the normal vector is \( N = (a,b) \).
- This vector points perpendicularly from the line, determining direction and slope characteristics of the line.
- The normal vector is crucial as it becomes a baseline for more complex vector calculations like finding distances and projections.
Distance Formula
For our specific task of finding the distance between a point and a line, this formula is slightly adapted.
- For two points \( (x_1, y_1) \) and \( (x_2, y_2) \), the Euclidean distance is given by \[ \sqrt{(x_2 - x_1)^2 + (y_2 - y_1)^2} \].
- In determining the distance from a point to a line, we utilize the formula: \[ \frac{|ax_0 + by_0 - c|}{\sqrt{a^2 + b^2}} \].
- This results from projecting the point onto the line and calculating the magnitude of that point's vector perpendicular to the line.
Vector Magnitude
It represents how long or large a vector is in a given space, irrespective of its direction.
- The magnitude of a vector \( (a, b) \) is computed via \[ \sqrt{a^2 + b^2} \].
- This forms the basis for computing a unit normal vector, which scales the normal vector to just a unit length.
- When finding distances, this magnitude factors into normalizing vectors, leading to simpler calculations.