Concept understanding — Equation of a Line (vector/Cartesian)
A line in R3 is uniquely fixed by (i) one point plus a direction, or (ii) two points (whose difference gives the direction). Every form below is built from these two ingredients.
Point + direction, through A(a) parallel to b:
Parametric vector: r=a+tb,t∈R.
Non-parametric vector: (r−a)×b=0.
Cartesian (symmetric): b1x−x1=b2y−y1=b3z−z1, where b1,b2,b3 are the direction ratios of b (or, scaled to unit length, the line's direction cosines).
Through two points A(a),B(b): identical forms with b−a in place of b — direction ratios x2−x1,y2−y1,z2−z1.
Reading off direction ratios/cosines is the master skill: whatever form a line is given in, the numbers under x,y,z in the symmetric form (or the coefficients of t in the parametric form) are its direction ratios; dividing by their magnitude b12+b22+b32 gives the direction cosines l,m,n (with l2+m2+n2=1). …
Q.The point of intersection of the lines −6x−6=4y+4=−8z−4 and 2x+1=4y+2=−2z+3 is :
(a) (0,0,−4)
(b) (1,0,0)
(c) (0,2,0)
(d) (1,2,0)
›Reveal solutionSolution
Write both lines in parametric form and check each candidate point against both sets of parametric equations; (0,0,−4) satisfies both lines (at t=1 on line 1 and s=0.5 on line 2), confirming it as the intersection.
Line 1: −6x−6=4y+4=−8z−4=t, giving parametric form x=6−6t,y=−4+4t,z=4−8t.
Line 2: 2x+1=4y+2=−2z+3=s, giving parametric form x=−1+2s,y=−2+4s,z=−3−2s.
Test option (a), (0,0,−4), against Line 1: from x: 6−6t=0⇒t=1. Check y: −4+4(1)=0✓. Check z: 4−8(1)=−4✓. So (0,0,−4) lies on Line 1 at t=1. …