THREE DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRY 235

11.3 EXERCISE
Short Answer (S.A.)

1. Find the position vector of a point A in space such that OA is inclined at 60º to

OX and at 45° to OY and OA = 10 units.

2. Find the vector equation of the line which is parallel to the vector 3iˆ − 2 ˆj + 6kˆ
and which passes through the point (1,–2,3).
3. Show that the lines

x −1 y − 2 z − 3
= =
2 3 4

x − 4 y −1
and = = z intersect.
5 2
Also, find their point of intersection.
4. Find the angle between the lines
 
r = 3iˆ − 2 ˆj + 6kˆ +  (2iˆ + ˆj + 2kˆ) and r = (2 ˆj − 5kˆ) +  (6iˆ + 3 ˆj + 2kˆ)
5. Prove that the line through A (0, –1, –1) and B (4, 5, 1) intersects the line
through C (3, 9, 4) and D (– 4, 4, 4).
6. Prove that the lines x = py + q, z = ry + s and x = p′y + q′, z = r′y + s′ are
perpendicular if pp′ + rr′ + 1 = 0.
7. Find the equation of a plane which bisects perpendicularly the line joining the
points A (2, 3, 4) and B (4, 5, 8) at right angles.

8. Find the equation of a plane which is at a distance 3 3 units from origin and
the normal to which is equally inclined to coordinate axis.
9. If the line drawn from the point (–2, – 1, – 3) meets a plane at right angle at the
point (1, – 3, 3), find the equation of the plane.
10. Find the equation of the plane through the points (2, 1, 0), (3, –2, –2) and
(3, 1, 7).
 236 MATHEMATICS

11. Find the equations of the two lines through the origin which intersect the line
x − 3 y −3 z π
= = at angles of each.
2 1 1 3
12. Find the angle between the lines whose direction cosines are given by the
equations l + m + n = 0, l2 + m2 – n2 = 0.
13. If a variable line in two adjacent positions has direction cosines l, m, n and
l + δl, m + δm, n + δn, show that the small angle δθ between the two positions
is given by
δθ2 = δl2 + δm2 + δn2
14. O is the origin and A is (a, b, c).Find the direction cosines of the line OA and
the equation of plane through A at right angle to OA.
15. Two systems of rectangular axis have the same origin. If a plane cuts them at
distances a, b, c and a′, b′, c′, respectively, from the origin, prove that

1 1 1 1 1 1
+ 2+ 2= 2+ 2+ 2 .
a b c a′ b′
2
c′
Long Answer (L.A.)
16. Find the foot of perpendicular from the point (2,3,–8) to the line

4 − x y 1− z
= = . Also, find the perpendicular distance from the given point
2 6 3
to the line.
17. Find the distance of a point (2,4,–1) from the line

x+5 y+3 z−6

= =
1 4 –9

 3 
18. Find the length and the foot of perpendicular from the point 1, , 2  to the
 2 
plane 2x – 2y + 4z + 5 = 0.
19. Find the equations of the line passing through the point (3,0,1) and parallel to
the planes x + 2y = 0 and 3y – z = 0.
 THREE DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRY 237

20. Find the equation of the plane through the points (2,1,–1) and (–1,3,4), and
perpendicular to the plane x – 2y + 4z = 10.

21. Find the shortest distance between the lines given by r = (8 + 3λiˆ − (9 + 16λ ) ˆj +

(10 + 7λ )kˆ and r =15 iˆ + 29 ˆj + 5 kˆ + µ (3iˆ + 8 ˆj − 5kˆ) .
22. Find the equation of the plane which is perpendicular to the plane
5x + 3y + 6z + 8 = 0 and which contains the line of intersection of the planes
x + 2y + 3z – 4 = 0 and 2x + y – z + 5 = 0.
23. The plane ax + by = 0 is rotated about its line of intersection with the plane
z = 0 through an angle α. Prove that the equation of the plane in its new
position is ax + by ± ( a 2 + b 2 tan α) z = 0.

24. Find the equation of the plane through the intersection of the planes
 
r . ( iˆ + 3 ĵ ) – 6 = 0 and r . (3 iˆ – ĵ – 4 k̂ ) = 0, whose perpendicular
distance from origin is unity.

25. Show that the points (iˆ − ˆj + 3kˆ) and 3(iˆ + ˆj + kˆ) are equidistant from the plane

r .(5iˆ + 2 ˆj − 7 kˆ) + 9 = 0 and lies on opposite side of it.
 
26. AB = 3iˆ – ˆj + kˆ and CD = − 3iˆ + 2 ˆj + 4kˆ are two vectors. The position vectors
of the points A and C are 6iˆ + 7 ˆj + 4kˆ and – 9 ˆj + 2kˆ , respectively. Find the
position vector of a point P on the line AB and a point Q on the line CD such
  
that PQ is perpendicular to AB and CD both.

27. Show that the straight lines whose direction cosines are given by
2l + 2m – n = 0 and mn + nl + lm = 0 are at right angles.
28. If l1, m1, n1; l2, m2, n2; l3, m3, n3 are the direction cosines of three mutually
perpendicular lines, prove that the line whose direction cosines are proportional
to l1 + l2 + l3, m1 + m2 + m3, n1 + n2 + n3 makes equal angles with them.
Objective Type Questions
Choose the correct answer from the given four options in each of the Exercises from
29 to 36.
29. Distance of the point (α,β,γ) from y-axis is
 238 MATHEMATICS

(A) β (B) β (C)  + γ (D)  2 + γ2

30. If the directions cosines of a line are k,k,k, then

1 1
(A) k>0 (B) 0<k<1 (C) k=1 (D) k = or –
3 3

 2 3 6 ˆ
31. The distance of the plane r . iˆ + ˆj − k  = 1 from the origin is
7 7 7 

1
(A) 1 (B) 7 (C) (D) None of these
7

x−2 y −3 z −4
32. The sine of the angle between the straight line = = and the
3 4 5
plane 2x – 2y + z = 5 is

10 4 2 3 2
(A) (B) (C) (D)
6 5 5 2 5 10
33. The reflection of the point (α,β,γ) in the xy– plane is
(A) (α,β,0) (B) (0,0,γ) (C) (–α,–β,γ) (D) (α,β,–γ)
34. The area of the quadrilateral ABCD, where A(0,4,1), B (2, 3, –1), C(4, 5, 0)
and D (2, 6, 2), is equal to
(A) 9 sq. units (B) 18 sq. units (C) 27 sq. units (D) 81 sq. units
35. The locus represented by xy + yz = 0 is
(A) A pair of perpendicular lines (B) A pair of parallel lines
(C) A pair of parallel planes (D) A pair of perpendicular planes
36. The plane 2x – 3y + 6z – 11 = 0 makes an angle sin–1(α) with x-axis. The value
of α is equal to

3 2 2 3
(A) (B) (C) (D)
2 3 7 7
 THREE DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRY 239

Fill in the blanks in each of the Exercises 37 to 41.

37. A plane passes through the points (2,0,0) (0,3,0) and (0,0,4). The equation of
plane is __________.

38. The direction cosines of the vector (2iˆ + 2 ˆj – kˆ) are __________.

x–5 y+4 z –6
39. The vector equation of the line = = is __________.
3 7 2
40. The vector equation of the line through the points (3,4,–7) and (1,–1,6) is
__________.

41. The cartesian equation of the plane r .(iˆ + ˆj – kˆ) = 2 is __________.

State True or False for the statements in each of the Exercises 42 to 49.
42. The unit vector normal to the plane x + 2y +3z – 6 = 0 is
1 ˆ 2 ˆ 3 ˆ
i+ j+ k.
14 14 14
43. The intercepts made by the plane 2x – 3y + 5z +4 = 0 on the co-ordinate axis
4 4
are –2, ,– .
3 5

44. The angle between the line r = (5iˆ – ˆj – 4kˆ) +  (2iˆ – ˆj + kˆ) and the plane

 –1  5 
r .(3iˆ – 4 ˆj – kˆ) + 5 = 0 is sin  .
2 91 


45. The angle between the planes r .(2iˆ – 3 ˆj + kˆ) = 1 and r.(iˆ – ˆj ) = 4 is

 –5 
cos –1 
 58  .

 
46. The line r = 2iˆ – 3 ˆj – kˆ +  (iˆ – ˆj + 2kˆ) lies in the plane r .(3iˆ + ˆj – kˆ) + 2 = 0 .

x–5 y+4 z –6
47. The vector equation of the line = = is
3 7 2
 240 MATHEMATICS


r = 5iˆ – 4 ˆj + 6kˆ +  (3iˆ + 7 ˆj + 2kˆ) .

48. The equation of a line, which is parallel to 2iˆ + ˆj + 3kˆ and which passes through
x–5 y+2 z –4
the point (5,–2,4), is = = .
2 –1 3
49. If the foot of perpendicular drawn from the origin to a plane is (5, – 3, – 2),

then the equation of plane is r .(5iˆ – 3 ˆj − 2kˆ) = 38 .