Q.Find the angle between the line r=(2i^−j^+k^)+t(i^+2j^−2k^) and the plane r⋅(6i^+3j^+2k^)=8.
Concept understanding — Angle and Distance between Lines and Planes
Four closely related "how far / how tilted" computations, all built from a plane's normal n or a line's direction b.
Angle between two planes = angle between their normals: θ=cos−1(∣n1∣∣n2∣∣n1⋅n2∣); perpendicular iff n1⋅n2=0, parallel iff n1=λn2.
Angle between a line and a plane = complement of the angle between the line's direction b and the plane's normal n (since a line lying flat in the plane is perpendicular to the normal, and vice versa): θ=sin−1(∣b∣∣n∣b⋅n); the line is perpendicular to the plane iff b∥n, and parallel to the plane iff b⋅n=0.
Distance from a point u to a plane r⋅n=p: δ=∣n∣∣u⋅n−p∣ (Cartesian: δ=a2+b2+c2∣ax1+by1+cz1−p∣); taking u=0 gives the distance from the origin, δ=a2+b2+c2∣d∣ for ax+by+cz+d=0. The foot of that perpendicular is u+∣n∣2p−u⋅nn.
Distance between two PARALLEL planes ax+by+cz+d1=0 and ax+by+cz+d2=0 (identical normal direction ratios): δ=a2+b2+c2∣d1−d2∣ — always rescale one equation first if the normals are only proportional, not identical.
Meeting point of a line r=a+tb and a plane r⋅n=p (when b⋅n=0, i.e. not parallel): substitute the line into the plane's equation, solve the resulting LINEAR equation in t for t1=b⋅np−a⋅n, then the meeting point is a+t1b.
"Angle with a NORMAL/another plane" ⇒ use cos−1. "Angle with a LINE'S direction against a plane" ⇒ use sin−1 (because of the complementary-angle relationship) — mixing these up is the most common slip in this topic.
sinθ=∣b∣∣n∣b⋅n with b=(1,2,−2),n=(6,3,2).
sinθ=218⇒θ=sin−1(218).
The angle between a line and a plane uses sin−1 of the (normalised) dot product between the line's direction and the plane's normal.
Step 1. Data. b=(1,2,−2), n=(6,3,2).
Step 2. Dot product. b⋅n=(1)(6)+(2)(3)+(−2)(2)=6+6−4=8.
Step 3. Magnitudes. ∣b∣=1+4+4=3,∣n∣=36+9+4=7.
Step 4. Compute sinθ. sinθ=3×7∣8∣=218.
Step 5. Solve for θ. θ=sin−1(218).
θ=sin−1(218).
Line-plane angle formula: sinθ=∣b⋅n∣/(∣b∣∣n∣)
- Using cos−1 instead of sin−1 (that formula is for plane-plane or line-line angles, not line-plane)
- Arithmetic slip computing ∣n∣=49
- CBSE 2026Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.If the image of the point A(1,2,3) with respect to the plane r⋅(i^+2j^+4k^)=38 is A′(3,6,11), then the foot of the perpendicular from the point A to the given plane is :(a) (2,5,7)(b) (2,3,7)(c) (2,−4,7)(d) (2,4,7)
›Reveal solutionSolution
The foot of the perpendicular from a point to a plane is exactly the midpoint of that point and its reflected image in the plane.
- When a point A is reflected in a plane to get its image A′, the line segment AA′ is perpendicular to the plane, and the plane bisects AA′.
- So the foot of the perpendicular from A to the plane is the midpoint M of A and A′.
- A=(1,2,3), A′=(3,6,11). Midpoint: M=(21+3,22+6,23+11)=(24,28,214)=(2,4,7).
- (Check: M satisfies the plane x+2y+4z=38: 2+8+28=38 ✓.)
✓Final answer(d) (2,4,7)
- CBSE 2025Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.The angle between the lines 3x−2=−2y+1, z=2 and 1x−1=32y+3=2z+5 is :(a) 3π(b) 6π(c) 2π(d) 4π
›Reveal solutionSolution
Extracting each line's direction vector (rewriting the second line's 2y+3 term into standard symmetric form) and finding their dot product is zero shows the lines are perpendicular.
- Line 1: 3x−2=−2y+1, z=2. Since z is fixed (no variation with the parameter), its direction ratios are d1=(3,−2,0).
- Line 2: 1x−1=32y+3=2z+5. Rewrite the middle term: 2y+3=2(y+23), so 32y+3=3/2y+3/2.
- So Line 2 in standard symmetric form is 1x−1=3/2y+3/2=2z+5, giving direction ratios (1,23,2); doubling to clear the fraction: d2=(2,3,4).
- Angle between the lines: cosθ=∣d1∣∣d2∣d1⋅d2.
- d1⋅d2=(3)(2)+(−2)(3)+(0)(4)=6−6+0=0.
- Since the dot product is 0, cosθ=0⇒θ=2π.
✓Final answer(c) 2π
- CBSE 2024Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.The angle between the line r=(i^+2j^−3k^)+t(2i^+j^−2k^) and the plane r⋅(i^+j^)+4=0 is :(a) 45∘(b) 0∘(c) 90∘(d) 30∘
›Reveal solutionSolution
The angle between a line and a plane uses sinθ=∣d⋅n∣/(∣d∣∣n∣) with the line's direction and the plane's normal.
- Line direction: d=(2,1,−2) (from r=(i^+2j^−3k^)+t(2i^+j^−2k^)).
- Plane r⋅(i^+j^)+4=0 has normal n=(1,1,0).
- d⋅n=2(1)+1(1)+(−2)(0)=3. ∣d∣=4+1+4=3. ∣n∣=1+1=2.
- Angle θ between line and plane: sinθ=∣d∣∣n∣∣d⋅n∣=323=21.
- θ=45∘.
✓Final answer(a) 45∘
- CBSE 2023Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.Distance from the origin to the plane 3x−6y+2z+7=0 is :(a) 2(b) 0(c) 3(d) 1
›Reveal solutionSolution
Using the point-to-plane distance formula on 3x−6y+2z+7=0 from the origin.
- For a plane ax+by+cz+d=0, the perpendicular distance from a point (x0,y0,z0) is a2+b2+c2∣ax0+by0+cz0+d∣.
- Here a=3,b=−6,c=2,d=7 and the point is the origin (0,0,0).
- Distance =32+(−6)2+22∣3(0)−6(0)+2(0)+7∣=9+36+47=497=77=1.
✓Final answer(d) 1
- CBSE 2022Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.The angle between the lines 2x−4=1y=−2z+1 and 4x−1=−4y+1=2z−2 is :(a) 2π(b) 4π(c) 32π(d) 3π
›Reveal solutionSolution
The direction-ratio dot product of the two lines is zero, so the lines are perpendicular and the angle between them is 2π.
- The first line 2x−4=1y=−2z+1 has direction ratios d1=(2,1,−2).
- The second line 4x−1=−4y+1=2z−2 has direction ratios d2=(4,−4,2).
- The angle θ between the lines satisfies cosθ=∣d1∣∣d2∣d1⋅d2.
- Compute the dot product: d1⋅d2=2(4)+1(−4)+(−2)(2)=8−4−4=0.
- Since the numerator is 0, cosθ=0, so θ=2π.
✓Final answerThe angle between the lines is 2π — option (a).
- CBSE 2020Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.The distance between the planes x+2y+3z+7=0 and 2x+4y+6z+7=0 is :(a) 227(b) 227(c) 27(d) 27
›Reveal solutionSolution
Writing both planes with the same normal direction and applying the parallel-plane distance formula gives 227.
- The two planes are x+2y+3z+7=0 and 2x+4y+6z+7=0.
- Divide the second equation by 2 so both planes share the same coefficients for x,y,z: 2x+4y+6z+7=0⇒x+2y+3z+27=0.
- Now both planes have the form x+2y+3z+d=0, with d1=7 for the first and d2=27 for the second — confirming the planes are parallel (same normal vector (1,2,3)).
- The distance between two parallel planes ax+by+cz+d1=0 and ax+by+cz+d2=0 is a2+b2+c2∣d1−d2∣.
- Here ∣d1−d2∣=7−27=27, and a2+b2+c2=12+22+32=14.
- So the distance is 147/2=2147.
- Simplify: 14=2⋅7, so 2277=77⋅221=7⋅221=227.
✓Final answerThe distance between the planes is 227 — option (b).
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