Are the Given Planes Parallel, Perpendicular, or Intersecting at an Angle?

In summary, when given a set of planes and their equations, you can determine if they are parallel, perpendicular, or at an angle of intersection by using the dot product formula for angles and checking if the normal vectors are multiples of each other (for parallel) or if the dot product is 0 (for perpendicular). The input string for seeing the planes on a W|A graph is "graph {x+4y-3z=1, -3x+6y+7z=0}" (for the first problem) and "graph {2x+4y-2z=1, -3x+6y+3z=0}" (for the second problem).
  • #1
karush
Gold Member
MHB
3,269
5
$\tiny{{s4}.{13}.{5}.{41}}$

$\textsf{find if planes are $\parallel, \perp$ or $\angle$ of intersection }\\$
\begin{align}
\displaystyle
{P_1}&={x+z=1}\\
\therefore n_1&=\langle 1,0,1 \rangle\\
\\
{P_2}&={y+z=1}\\
\therefore n_2&=\langle 0,1,1 \rangle\\
\\
\cos(\theta)&=
\frac{n_1\cdot n_2}{|n_1||n_2|}\\
&=\frac{1(0)+0(1)+1(1)}
{\sqrt{1+1}\cdot\sqrt{1+1}}
=\frac{1}{2}\\
\cos^{-1}\left({\frac{1}{2}}\right)&=
\color{red}{60^o}
\end{align}

$\textit{there are 2 more problems like this so presume this is best method.. }\\$
$\textit{didn't know if it is
common notation to call a plane $P_1$}$
 
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  • #2
karush said:
$\tiny{{s4}.{13}.{5}.{41}}$

$\textsf{find if planes are $\parallel, \perp$ or $\angle$ of intersection }\\$
\begin{align}
\displaystyle
{P_1}&={x+z=1}\\
\therefore n_1&=\langle 1,0,1 \rangle\\
\\
{P_2}&={y+z=1}\\
\therefore n_2&=\langle 0,1,1 \rangle\\
\\
\cos(\theta)&=
\frac{n_1\cdot n_2}{|n_1||n_2|}\\
&=\frac{1(0)+0(1)+1(1)}
{\sqrt{1+1}\cdot\sqrt{1+1}}
=\frac{1}{2}\\
\cos^{-1}\left({\frac{1}{2}}\right)&=
\color{red}{60^o}
\end{align}

$\textit{there are 2 more problems like this so presume this is best method.. }\\$
$\textit{didn't know if it is
common notation to call a plane $P_1$}$

Everything you've posted is fine. You can give a plane any name you like, but I would write something like this:

$\displaystyle \begin{align*} P_1 : x + z = 1 \end{align*}$

That way we can see that $\displaystyle \begin{align*} P_1 \end{align*}$ is DEFINED as the relationship "the sum of the x and z values needs to be 1", not that it is some variable that has something to do with the equation.
 
  • #3
The problem asks you to do three things:
1) determine if the planes are parallel.
2) determine if the planes are perpendicular.
3) if neither of those, determine the angle of intersection of the two planes.

Yes, by using that formula to determine the angle, you can then answer all three questions but it should be simpler to determine the first two without using that formula:

The two planes are parallel if and only if the two normal vectors are parallel- if one is a multiple of the other.

The two planes are perpendicular if and only if the two normal vectors are perpendicular: if their dot product is 0.

If neither of those is true, then you can use the dot product you found as the numerator in the formula to determine the angle.
 
  • #4
that's very helpful
hard to see that in their examples

the next 2 problems are probably
\(\displaystyle \parallel , \perp\)
 
  • #5
$\tiny{s4.854.13.5.43}$
$\textsf{Determine if the 2 given planes are perpendicular, parallel or at an angle to each other}$
\begin{align}
\displaystyle
{p_1}&:{x+4y-3z=1}
\therefore n_1=\langle 1,4,-3 \rangle\\
\nonumber\\
{p_2}&:{-3x+6y+7z=0} \therefore n_2=\langle -3,6,7 \rangle
\end{align}
\begin{align}
\displaystyle
\cos(\theta)&= \frac{n_1\cdot n_2}{|n_1||n_2|}=0\\
\therefore p_1 &\perp p_2
\end{align}

$\tiny{s4.854.13.5.45}$
\begin{align}
\displaystyle
{p_1}&:{2x+4y-2z=1}
\therefore n_1=\langle 2,4,-2 \rangle\\
\nonumber\\
{p_2}&:{-3x+6y+3z=0} \therefore n_2=\langle -3,6,7 \rangle \\
n_1&=-\frac{2}{3} n_2 \\
&\therefore n_1\parallel n_2
\end{align}

$\textit{btw what is the input string to see the 2 plane on a W|A graph?}$
 
Last edited:

FAQ: Are the Given Planes Parallel, Perpendicular, or Intersecting at an Angle?

What is the definition of "relation of 2 planes" in S4.13.5.41?

The relation of 2 planes in S4.13.5.41 refers to the way in which two planes intersect or are positioned in relation to each other in a three-dimensional space.

How is the relation of 2 planes determined?

The relation of 2 planes is determined by their angle of intersection, the distance between them, and whether they are parallel or perpendicular to each other.

What are the different types of relations between 2 planes?

The different types of relations between 2 planes include parallel, perpendicular, intersecting, skew, and coincident planes.

How does the relation of 2 planes affect their properties?

The relation of 2 planes can affect their properties in terms of symmetry, angle measurements, and the number of points of intersection between them.

What are some real-life examples of the relation of 2 planes?

Some real-life examples of the relation of 2 planes include the wings of an airplane, the walls of a room, and the surface of a table intersecting with the floor.

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