[Math] Point On a Plane Closest to a Point

algebra-precalculuscalculusvectors

  1. Let $\mathcal{P}$ be the plane containing the points $(-3,4,-2)$, $(1,4,0)$, and $(3,2,-1)$.
    Find the point in this plane that is closest to $(0,3,-1)$.

  1. Let $\mathcal{P}$ be the plane containing the points $(-3,4,-2)$, $(1,4,0)$, and $(3,2,-1)$.
    Let $\ell$ be the line containing the points $(2, 4, -3)$ and $(-1, -1, -9)$.
    Find the intersection of the plane $\mathcal{P}$ and the line $\ell$.

I don't know where to start. I don't know any formulas for calculating a closest point.

Best Answer

Problem 1.

The equation of the plane containing the points $(−3,4,−2)$, $(1,4,0)$ and $(3,2,−1)$ is given by \begin{align*} \begin{vmatrix} x & y & z & 1 \\ -3 & 4 & -2 & 1 \\ 1 & 4 & 0 & 1 \\ 3 & 2 & -1 & 1 \end{vmatrix} &= 0 \end{align*}

or, $x + 2y - 2z - 9 = 0$

The vector normal to this plane is given by $(1, 2, -2)$

The point in this plane that is closest to $(0,3,−1)$ must be the foot of the perpendicular from this point to the above plane.

The equation of the perpendicular is

$\frac{x - 0}{1} = \frac{y-3}{2} = \frac{z+1}{-2} = k$

or, $x = k, y = 2k + 3, z = -2k-1$

Putting this in the equation of the plane,

$k + 2(2k+3) + 2(2k+1) - 9 = 0$

or, $k = \frac{1}{9}$

Hence the point is $(\frac{1}{9}, \frac{29}{9}, -\frac{11}{9})$

Problem 2.

The equation of the line containing the points $(2,4,−3)$ and $(−1,−1,−9)$ is given by

$\frac{x - 2}{-1-2} = \frac{y-4}{-1-4} = \frac{z+3}{-9+3} = t$

or, $x = -3t+2, y = -5t+4, z = -6t-3$

Putting this in the equation of the plane,

$-3t+2 + 2(-5t+4) + 2(6t+3) - 9 = 0$

or, $t = 7$

So the point of intersection is $(-19, -31, -45)$

[Please check the calculations]

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