Chapter 11: Problem 18
a. Find the area of the triangle determined by the points \(P, Q\) and \(R\) b. Find a unit vector perpendicular to plane \(P Q R\) $$P(-2,2,0), \quad Q(0,1,-1), \quad R(-1,2,-2)$$
Short Answer
Expert verified
a. The area of the triangle is \(\frac{\sqrt{14}}{2}\).
b. The unit vector perpendicular to the plane is \(\left( \frac{-2}{\sqrt{14}}, \frac{-3}{\sqrt{14}}, \frac{1}{\sqrt{14}} \right)\).
Step by step solution
01
Determine Vectors PQ and PR
Calculate the vectors \( \vec{PQ} \) and \( \vec{PR} \) using the given points.\[ \vec{PQ} = Q - P = (0 - (-2), 1 - 2, -1 - 0) = (2, -1, -1) \]\[ \vec{PR} = R - P = (-1 - (-2), 2 - 2, -2 - 0) = (1, 0, -2) \]
02
Compute the Cross Product
Find the cross product \( \vec{PQ} \times \vec{PR} \), which gives a vector perpendicular to the plane determined by \(P, Q, R\).Using the formula for the cross product:\[ \vec{PQ} \times \vec{PR} = \begin{vmatrix} \hat{i} & \hat{j} & \hat{k} \ 2 & -1 & -1 \ 1 & 0 & -2 \end{vmatrix} = (-2)\hat{i} - (-3)\hat{j} + 1\hat{k} = (-2, -3, 1) \]
03
Calculate Magnitude of Cross Product
Find the magnitude of the cross product to determine the area of the triangle.\[ |\vec{PQ} \times \vec{PR}| = \sqrt{(-2)^2 + (-3)^2 + 1^2} = \sqrt{4 + 9 + 1} = \sqrt{14} \]
04
Find Area of the Triangle
The area of the triangle is half the magnitude of the cross product.\[ \text{Area} = \frac{1}{2} \times \sqrt{14} \]
05
Compute a Unit Vector
The unit vector perpendicular to the plane is the cross product vector divided by its magnitude.The magnitude of vector \((-2, -3, 1)\) is \(\sqrt{14}\), so the unit vector is:\[ \vec{u} = \left( \frac{-2}{\sqrt{14}}, \frac{-3}{\sqrt{14}}, \frac{1}{\sqrt{14}} \right) \]
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
The Cross Product
The cross product is a fundamental operation in vector calculus used to find a vector that is perpendicular to two given vectors. For two vectors \( \vec{a} = (a_1, a_2, a_3) \) and \( \vec{b} = (b_1, b_2, b_3) \), the cross product \( \vec{a} \times \vec{b} \) is calculated using the determinant of a matrix:
- The first row consists of the unit vectors \( \hat{i}, \hat{j}, \hat{k} \) corresponding to the x, y, and z axes respectively.
- The second row is the components of \( \vec{a} \).
- The third row is the components of \( \vec{b} \).
Magnitude Calculation
Calculating the magnitude of a vector is an essential skill in 3D geometry, as it gives the length or size of a vector. For a vector \( \vec{v} = (v_1, v_2, v_3) \), the magnitude is determined as follows:
- Square each of the vector's components: \( v_1^2, v_2^2, v_3^2 \).
- Add those squares together: \( v_1^2 + v_2^2 + v_3^2 \).
- Take the square root of the sum: \( \sqrt{v_1^2 + v_2^2 + v_3^2} \).
Unit Vector
A unit vector is a vector with a magnitude of 1, pointing in a specific direction. It is obtained by dividing the vector \( \vec{v} \) by its magnitude \( |\vec{v}| \). The formula for finding a unit vector \( \vec{u} \) in the direction of vector \( \vec{v} = (v_1, v_2, v_3) \) is:\[\vec{u} = \left( \frac{v_1}{|\vec{v}|}, \frac{v_2}{|\vec{v}|}, \frac{v_3}{|\vec{v}|} \right)\]
- This process is known as normalization.
- It is frequently used in graphics and physics to represent direction without considering length.
Triangle Area in 3D
The area of a triangle in 3D space can be computed using the cross product of two of its defining vectors. For a triangle defined by points \( P, Q, R \), the vectors \( \vec{PQ} \) and \( \vec{PR} \) are first determined. Then the cross product \( \vec{PQ} \times \vec{PR} \) is calculated to find a vector perpendicular to the plane of the triangle, but its magnitude also relates to the area.
- The area of the triangle is given by half the magnitude of this cross product: \( \frac{1}{2} |\vec{PQ} \times \vec{PR}| \).
- This method is effective because it accounts for the orientation and placement of the triangle in 3D space.
3D Geometry
3D geometry involves understanding shapes and figures in a three-dimensional space, comprising x, y, and z coordinates. Unlike 2D geometry, 3D involves an additional dimension that adds depth.
- Points in 3D space are specified by three coordinates \( (x, y, z) \).
- Understanding vectors and their operations, such as the cross product, is crucial in 3D geometry.
- Using vectors allows for the calculation of distances, angles, and areas more systematically.