Animated Solution for Mathematics - Three Dimensional Geometry: Let d be the distance between the foot of perpendiculars of the points P(1,2,−1) and Q(2,−1,3) on the plane −x+y+z=1. Then d2 is equal to ____.
Enter Numerical Value:
Visualized Solution
Visualizing the Problem Setup
Given points: P(1,2,−1) and Q(2,−1,3)
Plane equation: −x+y+z−1=0
Objective: Find d2, where d is the distance between the foot of perpendiculars of P and Q on the plane.
Distance of a Point from a Plane
The perpendicular distance h from a point (x1,y1,z1) to a plane ax+by+cz+d=0 is given by:
h=a2+b2+c2∣ax1+by1+cz1+d∣
Setting up Distance for P
For point P(1,2,−1) and plane −x+y+z−1=0:
hP=(−1)2+12+12∣−(1)+(2)+(−1)−1∣
Calculating Distance hP
hP=1+1+1∣−1+2−1−1∣
hP=3∣−1∣=31
Setting up Distance for Q
For point Q(2,−1,3) and plane −x+y+z−1=0:
hQ=(−1)2+12+12∣−(2)+(−1)+(3)−1∣
Calculating Distance hQ
hQ=1+1+1∣−2−1+3−1∣
hQ=3∣−1∣=31
Geometric Deduction: Parallelism
Since hP=hQ=31, both points are at the same perpendicular distance from the plane.
This implies the line segment PQ is parallel to the plane.
Equating Distances
Because PQ is parallel to the plane, the quadrilateral formed by P,Q,Q′,P′ is a rectangle.
Therefore, the distance between the foot of perpendiculars d is exactly equal to the distance PQ.
d=PQ⟹d2=PQ2
Setting up PQ2
Using the 3D distance formula:
PQ2=(x2−x1)2+(y2−y1)2+(z2−z1)2
Substitute P(1,2,−1) and Q(2,−1,3):
d2=(2−1)2+(−1−2)2+(3−(−1))2
Calculating the Differences
d2=(1)2+(−3)2+(4)2
d2=1+9+16
Final Conclusion
d2=26
Key Takeaway: Recognizing geometric symmetries (like equal distances implying parallelism) can save you from calculating complex foot of perpendicular coordinates.
00:00 / 00:00
The Sigma Insight: Intersection of a Line and a Plane
Solution Diagram
Analyzing the Setup
The floor is defined by the plane equation −x+y+z−1=0. We are given two points in space, P(1,2,−1) and Q(2,−1,3).
We need to find the square of the distance between the projections P′ and Q′ of these points onto the plane.
The Insight
Measuring the Hover
The perpendicular distance h from a point (x1,y1,z1) to a plane ax+by+cz+d=0 is given by:
h=a2+b2+c2∣ax1+by1+cz1+d∣
For point P(1,2,−1), the distance hP to the plane −x+y+z−1=0 is:
hP=(−1)2+12+12∣−(1)+(2)+(−1)−1∣=3∣−1∣=31
For point Q(2,−1,3), the distance hQ to the same plane is:
hQ=(−1)2+12+12∣−(2)+(−1)+(3)−1∣=3∣−1∣=31
The Moment of Clarity
Since hP=hQ=31, both points are at the exact same height above the floor. This implies that the line segment PQ is parallel to the plane.
Geometrically, the points P,Q,Q′, and P′ form a rectangle. In any rectangle, the distance between the projections P′Q′ is equal to the distance between the original points PQ.
Final Calculation
We now calculate the square of the distance between P(1,2,−1) and Q(2,−1,3) using the 3D distance formula: