SSDN

11 – THREE DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRY

QUES DIRECTION COSINES AND
DIRECTION RATIOS OF A LINE
 If α, β and γ and are the angles which a directed line segment OP makes with the positive
directions of the coordinate axes OX, OY and OZ respectively, then cos α, cos β, and cos γ
are known as the direction cosines of OP and are generally denoted by the letters l, m, and
n respectively i.e.
l = cos α; m = cos β; n= cos γ

 Sum of squares of direction cosines are always unity i.e.,

2 2 2
l +m +n =1
 Relation between Direction Cosines and Direction Ratios
If the direction ratios of a line are proportional to a ,b, c then its direction cosines
are:
a b c
l=± m=± n=±
√ a2 + b2 + c2 ; √ a2 + b2 + c2 ; √ a 2 +b2 +c 2

Ques: Find the direction cosines of the line which makes equal angle with the coordinate axes?
Sol: Let the line makes an angle α with each of the three coordinate axes, then its direction cosines
are:
l = cos α; m = cos α; n= cos α
2 2 2
We know that: l +m +n =1
⇒ cos 2 α + cos2 α + cos 2 α =1
2
⇒ 3 cos α =1
1
⇒ cos2 α =
3
1
⇒ cos α =±
√3

1
 So, Direction cosines of the line are either
1 1 1
, ,
√3 √3 √ 3
OR
1 1 1
− ,− , −
√3 √ 3 √ 3
Ques: If a line makes angle 900, 600 and 300 with the positive direction of x, y and z – axis
respectively, find its direction cosines.
Sol: Let the direction cosines of the lines be l, m and n respectively, Then,
l=cos α=cos900=0
1
m=cos β=cos600=
2
n=cosγ=cos 300=
√3
2
1 √3
0, ,
So, d.c.’s are: 2 2 .
Ques: Find the direction cosines of a line which makes angles 90 0, 1350 and 450 with the positive
directions of the x-, y-, and z-axis respectively.

Ques: If a line has direction ratios 1, -1, -2 determine its direction cosines
Sol.: Direction cosines are:
2 2
l= =
√2 2+(−1)2+(−2)2 3
−1 −1
m= 2 =
√2 +(−1)2+(−2)2 3
−1 −2
n= 2 2 =
√ 2 +(−1 )2+(−2 )2 3
2 −1 −2
, ,
So, d.c.’s are: 3 3 3 .
Ques: If a line has direction ratios -18, 12, -4, then what are its direction cosines?

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Sol.:

Ques: Find the direction cosines of the line passing through the two points (-2, 4, -5) and (1, 2,
3).
Sol.: Let PQ be a line joining P( x1 , y 1 , z 1 ) and Q( x 2 , y 2 , z 2 ) . Then, the direction ratios of
the line PQ are ( x 2−x 1 ) , ( y 2 − y 1 ) , ( z 2 −z 1 ) and the direction cosines of PQ are
( x 2 −x 1 )
l=
√( x 2−x 1 )2 +( y 2− y 1 )2 +( z 2−z 1 )2
( y2− y1 )
m=
√( x 2−x 1 )2+( y 2− y 1 )2+( z 2−z 1 )2
( z 2 −z1 )
n=
√( x 2−x 1 )2+( y 2 − y 1 )2 +( z 2−z1 )2
Here P is (−2 , 4 , −5 ) and Q is (1 , 2 3)
So, the direction cosines of the line are:
(1−(−2 )) 3
l= =
√(1−(−2 ))2+(2−4 )2+(3−(−5))2 √77
(2−4 ) −2
m= =
√(1−(−2 ))2+(2−4 )2+(3−(−5))2 √77
(3−(−5 )) 8
n= =
√(1−(−2))2 +(2−4 )2+(3−(−5 ))2 √ 77
3 −2 8
, ,
So, the direction cosines of the line joining the two points are √77 √ 77 √77
Ques: Find the direction cosines of x, y and z axis.
Ans:

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Ques: A line makes angle 600 and 450 with the positive direction of x-axis and y-axis
respectively. What acute angle does it make with the z-axis?
Sol:

Ques: Show that the points A(2, 3, -4), B(1, -2, 3) and C(3, 8, -1) are collinear
Sol:

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Ques: Show that the points (2, 3, 4), (-1, -2, 1), (5,8,7) are collinear

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QUES EQUATION OF A LINE IN SPACE
The equation of the line in the Cartesian form / The Cartesian Equation of the line is:
x−x 1 y − y1 z−z1
= =
a b c
Where a, b, c are the direction ratios of the line.
If l, m, n are the direction cosines of the line, then the equation of line in Cartesian Form is
x−x 1 y − y 1 z−z1
= =
l m n
Ques: Find the vector and the Cartesian equations of the line through the point (5, 2, -4) and
which is parallel to the vector 3 ^i+2 ^j−8 k^ .
Sol:

Ques: Find the vector and the Cartesian equations of the line through the point (1, 2, 3) and
which is parallel to the vector 3 ^i+2 ^j−2 k^ .
Sol:

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Ques: Find the vector equation for the line passing through the points (-1, 0, 2) and (3, 4, 6)
Sol:

Ques: The Cartesian equation of a line is

x +3 y−5 z +6
= =
2 4 2
Find the vector equation for the line.
Sol:

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Ques: x−5 y + 4 z−6
= =
The Cartesian equation of a line is 3 7 2 . Write its vector form.
Sol.:

Ques: Find the equation of the line in vector and in Cartesian form that passes through the
point with position vector 2 ^i− ^j+4 k^ and is in the direction
^i+2 ^j−k^
Sol.:

Ques: Find the Cartesian equation of the line which passes through the point (-2, 4, -5) and
x +3 y−4 z +8
= =
parallel to the line given by 3 5 6 .
Sol:

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Ques: Find the vector and the Cartesian equations of the lines that passes through the origin
and (5, -2, 3)
Sol:

Ques: Find the vector and the Cartesian equations of the lines that passes through the points
(3, -2, -5) and (3, -2, 6).

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Ques: x−3 y +2 z−5
= =
If the equation of the line AB is 1 −2 4 , find the direction ratios of a line
parallel to AB.
Sol:

Ques: Find the vector and Cartesian equations of the line which is perpendicular to the lines
x +2 y−3 z +1 x−1 y −2 z−3
= = and = =
with equations 1 2 4 2 3 4 and passes through the
point (1, 1, 1).

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Ques: Find the vector and Cartesian equations of the line passing through the point (1, 2, -4)
x−8 y+19 z−10 x −15 y −29 z−5
= = and = =
and perpendicular to the two lines 31 −16 7 3 8 −5
Sol:

Ques: Find the vector equation of the line passing through the point (–1, 5, 4) and
perpendicular to the plane
a. z = 0
b. x = 0
c. y = 0

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Ques: Find the equation of a line parallel to x- axis and passing through the origin.
Sol:

Ques: Find the equation of a line parallel to y- axis and passing through the origin.

Ques: Find the vector equation of the line passing through (1, 2, 3) and perpendicular to the
⃗
plane ⃗r .( ^i +2 ^j−5 k^ )+9=0

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Ques: Find the vector equation of the line passing through (1, 2, 3) and parallel to the planes
⃗ ^ ⃗
⃗r .( ^i − ^j+2 k)=5 and ⃗r .(3 ^i + ^j+ k^ )=6

Ques: Write the direction cosines of the line given by the equations
−x −1 y +3 z−5
= =
2 1 2

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Ques: x +1 y+ 3 z +5 x−2 z−6
= = and =3=
Show that the lines 3 5 7 1 5 intersect. Also, find
their point of intersection.

Ques: Find the vector equation of a line passing through the point (2, 3, 2) and parallel to the
⃗ ⃗
line ⃗r =(−2 ^i +3 ^j) + λ(2 ^i −3 ^j+6 k^ ) . Also, find the distance between these two lines.

Ques: 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.
Ans:

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Ques: →
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.

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