Vectors and geometrygeometryVegeometrygeometryVectors
in Geometry Answers by

Your answer

Your name to display (optional):
Privacy: Your email address will only be used for sending these notifications.
Anti-spam verification:
To avoid this verification in future, please log in or register.

1 Answer

Let's convert these points into vectors by joining each one to the origin (0,0,0), then label the vectors:

a=<2,-1,1>, b=<1,3,-2>, c=<-2,1,-3>, d=<3,2,0>. We can also label the corresponding points as A, B, C, D. The line AB not only joins points A and B, it's also a vector, written as:

AB=a-b=<2-1,-1-3,1+2>=<1,-4,3>.

Similarly we can write: BC=b-c=<3,2,1>.

These three points, A, B and C, define the plane. The normal to the plane is the same normal for the vectors AB and BC. To find this normal we use the vector cross product to generate the normal. AB×BC=n=

i    j  k |

| 1 -4  3  | = <-10,8,14>

| 3  2  1  |

If point D is coplanar with A, B and C, then AD (for example) will have the same normal. AD=<-1,-3,1>. (We could have used BD or CD instead of AD.)

The vector dot product of AD with the normal we just found will only be zero if D is in the same plane.

n.AD=0=<-10,8,14>.< -1,-3,1>=10-24+14=0. So the four points are coplanar.

(Just as a check we should carry out the dot product of n.AB, n.BC:

<-10,8,14>.< 1,-4,3>=-10-32+42=0; <-10,8,14>.< 3,2,1>=-30+16+14=0.)

by Top Rated User (1.2m points)

Related questions

1 answer
asked Aug 30, 2015 in Geometry Answers by alyssa | 778 views
1 answer
1 answer
asked Mar 26, 2019 in Algebra 1 Answers by anonymous | 1.1k views
1 answer
asked Nov 2, 2021 in Algebra 1 Answers by anonymous | 363 views
1 answer
0 answers
asked Nov 15, 2012 in Algebra 1 Answers by anonymous | 1.3k views
Welcome to MathHomeworkAnswers.org, where students, teachers and math enthusiasts can ask and answer any math question. Get help and answers to any math problem including algebra, trigonometry, geometry, calculus, trigonometry, fractions, solving expression, simplifying expressions and more. Get answers to math questions. Help is always 100% free!
87,516 questions
100,279 answers
2,420 comments
732,089 users