MATH 2023 • Spring 2015-16 • Multivariable Calculus

Problem Set #1 • Lines, Planes and Curves

1. (F) Consider the two straight-lines:

L1 : r1 (t) = h1, 2, 3i + t h1, −1, −1i

L2 : r2 (t) = h2 + t, 3 − 3t, −2 + 3ti

(a) Show that L1 and L2 intersects each other. Find the coordinates of the intersection
point.
(b) Find an equation of the plane containing both L1 and L2 .

2. (F) Consider the following four points in three-dimensional space:

Chapter 11 Practice Exercises 645
A(0, 2, −1), B(4, 0, −1), C (7, −3, 0) and D ( 13 , 16 , 91 )
s2i - 3j + 3kd # ssx + 2di + s y - 1dj + zkd = 0
45. The planes 3x + 6z = 1 and 2x + 2y - z = 3 intersect in a line.
Determine whether or not these four points are a.coplanar (i.e. contained in a single plane).
a. Show that the planes are orthogonal. b. x = 3 - t, y = -11t, z = 2 - 3t

3. (F) A parallelogram in R has vertices: 3

b. Find equations for the line of intersection. c. sx + 2d + 11s y - 1d = 3z
46. Find an equation for the plane that passes through the point d. s2i - 3j + 3kd * ssx + 2di + s y - 1dj + zkd = 0
(1, 2, 3) parallel to u = 2i + 3j + k and v = i - j + 2k. s2i - j + 3kd * s -3i + kd # ssx + 2di + s y - 1dj + zkd
A(2, −1, 4), B(1, 0, −1),
47. Is v = 2i - 4j + k related in any special way to the plane
Ce.(1,
=0
2, 3), D ( x0 , y0 , z0 )
2x + y = 5 ? Give reasons for your answer. 62. The parallelogram shown here has vertices at As2, -1, 4d,
n # Pin
as equation
shown 1 the figure below. Answer the following questions:
Bs1, 0, -1d,
48. The 0 P = 0 represents the plane through P0 normal Cs1, 2, 3d , and D. Find
to n. What set does the inequality n # P0 P 7 0 represent?
1

(a)theFind
49. Find distancethe
fromcoordinates oftoD.
the point P(1, 4, 0) the plane through
z
A(0, 0, 0), Bs2, 0, -1d, and Cs2, -1, 0d .
50. (b)theFind
Find distancethe
fromarea of (2,the2, 3)parallelogram
the point to the plane
D

2x + 3y ABCD.
+ 5z = 0 .
51. Find a vector parallel to the plane 2x - y - z = 4 and orthogo-
nal(c)
to i +Find
j + k.an equation of the plane contain-
ingvector
52. Find a unit the orthogonal
parallelogram ABCD.
to A in the plane of B and C if A(2, –1, 4)
A = 2i - j + k, B = i + 2j + k, and C = i + j - 2k.
(d) Project the parallelogram ABCD or- C(1, 2, 3)
53. Find a vector of magnitude 2 parallel to the line of intersection of
thogonally
the planes x + 2y + z - 1onto
= 0 and the + 2z + 7 z= 0 =
x - y plane . −1.
54. Find theFind
point in the
whichcoordinates
the line through thethe
originprojection
perpendicular of y
to the plane 2x - y - z = 4 meets the plane 3x - 5y + 2z = 6 .
each vertices, then find the area of the
55. Find the point in which the line through P(3, 2, 1) normal to the B(1, 0, –1)
projected parallelogram.
plane 2x - y + 2z = -2 meets the plane.
x

56. What angle does the line of intersection of the planes a. the coordinates of D,
2x + y - z = 0 and x + y + 2z = 0 make with the positive b. the cosine of the interior angle at B,
(F) Consider a particle whose path is represented by:
4. x-axis? 1 1
c. the vector projection of BA onto BC ,
57. The line  d. −the1 area of thep
 parallelogram,
2


r(t) = ln(t + 1) i + tan t j + t2 + 1k
e. an equation for the plane of the parallelogram,
L: x = 3 + 2t, y = 2t, z = t
f. the areas of the orthogonal projections of the parallelogram
Find the
intersects velocity,
the plane x + 3y -speed and
z = - 4 in acceleration
a point P. Find the co- of the particle t = 0.planes.
on the threeatcoordinate
ordinates of P and find equations for the line in the plane through 63. Distance between lines Find the distance between the line L1
5. P(perpendicular to L. a plane through the point P0 ( x0through , y0 , zthe points As1, 0, -1d and Bs -1, 1, 0d and the line L2
FF) Consider 0 ) with normal vector n = h A, B, C i.
through the points Cs3, 1, -1d and Ds4, 5, -2d . The distance is to
58. Show that for every real number k the plane
Prove that the perpendicular distance d from abe measured given along point Q(perpendicular
the line x1 , y1 , z1to) the
totwo
the plane
lines. First findis
1
given a vector n perpendicular to both lines. Then project AC onto n.
x -by:
2y + z + 3 + k s2x - y - z + 1d = 0
−−→  64. (Continuation of Exercise 63.) Find the distance between the line

contains the line of intersection of the planes  P0 Q · n 
 Ax1 + through
By 1
A(4,
+ 0,
Cz 1 −
2) and D

B(2,
 4, 1) and the line through C(1, 3, 2)
d= =  √and D(2, 2, 4). 
x - 2y + z + 3 = 0 and
|n|
2x - y - z + 1 = 0 .
 A2 + B2 + C 2 
Quadric Surfaces
where D = Ax + By + Cz . [Typo in previous version]
59. Find an equation for 0the plane0 through 0 As -2, 0, -3d and
Identify and sketch the surfaces in Exercises 65–76.
Bs1, -2, 1d that lies parallel to the line through 65. x 2 + y 2 + z 2 = 4 66. x 2 + s y - 1d2 + z 2 = 1
6. Cs(F
-2,) -13>5,
Suppose r(Ds16>5,
26>5d and t) represents
-13>5, 0d . the path of a particle traveling on a68.sphere
67. 4x 2 + 4y 2 + z 2 = 4
centered at the
36x 2 + 9y 2 + 4z 2 = 36
60. Isorigin.
the line x Show
= 1 + 2t,that the
y = -2 position
+ 3t, vector
z = -5t related r(t) and
in any the velocity r 0 ( t ) are orthogonal to each
69. z = -sx + y d
2 2
70. y = -sx 2 + z 2 d
way to the plane -4x - 6y + 10z = 9 ? Give reasons for your
other at any time.
answer. 71. x + y = z
2 2 2
72. x + z = y
2 2 2

61. Which of the following are equations for the plane through the 73. x 2 + y 2 - z 2 = 4 74. 4y 2 + z 2 - 4x 2 = 4
points Ps1, 1, -1d , Q(3, 0, 2), and Rs -2, 1, 0d ? 75. y - x - z = 1
2 2 2
76. z 2 - x 2 - y 2 = 1

Page 1
MATH 2023 Lines, Planes and Curves Problem Set #1

7. (FF) Suppose that the path of a particle at time t is given by r(t) and the force exerted
on the particle at time t is F(t). By Newton’s Second Law, F(t) and r(t) are related by:

F(t) = mr00 (t),

where m is the mass of the particle. The angular momentum L(t) about the origin of the
particle at time t is defined to be:

L(t) := r(t) × mr0 (t)

(a) Show that

d
L ( t ) = r ( t ) × F ( t ).
dt
(b) When L(t) is a constant vector, we say that the angular momentum is conserved.
According to the result in (a), under what condition on r(t) and F(t) will the angular
momentum be conserved? Also, give one example in physics that this condition is
satisfied.

8. (FF) Consider two point particles with masses m1 and m2 , and their trajectories are r1 (t)
and r2 (t) respectively. Denote F(t) to be the force exerted on the m1 -particle by the m2 -
particle at time t. By Newton’s Third Law, the force exerted on the m2 -particle by the
m1 -particle at time t (i.e. the reverse force) is given by −F(t). Assume there are no other
forces exerted on any of these particles.
(a) Consider the following vector:

m1 r1 ( t ) + m2 r2 ( t )
C(t) := .
m1 + m2
In physics, this vector is pointing at the center of mass of the two particles. Show
that C00 (t) = 0 for any t using Newton’s Second and Third Laws.
(b) Hence, show that there exist two constant vectors r0 and v such that
m1 r1 ( t ) + m2 r2 ( t )
= r0 + tv.
m1 + m2
[Question: What is the physical significance of this result?]

9. (F) For each of the following curves, first reparametrize it by arc-length and then compute
its curvature function κ (s):
2π
(a) r1 (t) = ( R cos ωt) i + ( R sin ωt) j, 0≤t≤ ω .
(b) r2 (t) = h1, 2, 3i + (ln t) h1, 0, −1i, 0<t<∞
3
(c) r3 (t) = (cos3 t) i + (sin t) j, 0≤t≤ π
2.
Give an example of a path whose arc-length parametrization cannot be explicitly found
even with computer softwares.

10. (FF) Suppose √

1 2 2 2 3
r(t) = t i + t 2 j + tk
2 3
represents the path of a race-car climbing up a hill from (0, 0, 0) at t = 0. A truck, on the
other hand, drives slowly in unit speed from (0, 0, 0) at time t = 0 along the same path
and direction as the race-car. Find a parametrization which represents the path of the
truck.

Page 2
MATH 2023 Lines, Planes and Curves Problem Set #1

11. (FFF) We define the curvature of a path by κ (s) = |r00 (s)| where r(s) is the arc-length
parametrization of the path. However, the arc-length parametrization r(s) is often difficult
to find explicitly. The purpose of this exercise is to derive an equivalent formula for the
curvature which does not require finding an arc-length parametrization.
Given a path r(t), we let r(s) be its arc-length parametrization so that s and t are related
by:
ˆ t
 0 
s= r (τ ) dτ.
0
(a) Show, using the chain rule, that:

ds
r0 (t) = r0 (s)
dt
2
d2 s

00 00 ds
r (t) = r (s) + r0 (s)
dt dt2

(b) Show that:

 3
ds
r0 (t) × r00 (t) = r0 (s) × r00 (s)
dt
[Typo in previous version]
(c) Using (a) and (b), show that the curvature, which is defined as κ (s) := |r00 (s)|, can be
expressed in terms of t as:
|r0 (t) × r00 (t)|
κ (t) =
|r0 (t)|3
Although it looks more complicated, this formula does not require the procedure of
finding arc-length parametrization.

Page 3