Math 53 Quiz 3

Name:

Problem 1 [5 pts]. No justification is needed. Assume you are in R3 (i.e. three dimensions).
(a) TRUE or FALSE: If vectors a and b are perpendicular, then |a + b|2 = |a|2 + |b|2 .
(b) TRUE or FALSE: For all vectors a, b, and c, it is true that (a b) c = c (b a).
(c) TRUE or FALSE: Given any three distinct points, there is a unique plane that contains them.
(d) TRUE or FALSE: Given any two distinct parallel lines, there is a unique plane that contains them.
(e) TRUE or FALSE: The quadratic surface x2 + y 2 z 2 = 0 is a cone.

Problem 2.
(a) [3 pts] Find the equation of the plane that passes through the points P (0, 0, 1), Q(4, 3, 0), and the origin.
(b) [2 pt] Calculate the angle between the plane and the x-axis. You may use inverse trigonometric functions
such as cos1 in your answer.

Problem 3. Consider the vector equation r(t) = h2t 1, t2 t 2i.

(a) [3 pts] Find the vector equation for the line tangent to r(t) at the point (3, 4).
(b) [2 pt] Find all values of t such that r(t) is perpendicular to r0 (t).
(c) [1 pt] BONUS. What is the area of the circle centered at the origin and inscribed
by the curve above (i.e.

lies within the curve so that the boundaries touch but do not intersect)? Hint: 5 < 9/4

Solutions
Problem 1
T, T, F, T, T
(b) (a b) c = c (a b) = c (b a)
(c) If all three points lie on the same line, then there are an infinite number of planes that contain them.
Problem 2


 x
z

 y
(a) The vectors a = h0, 0, 1i and b = h4, 3, 0i lie on our plane. n = a b =  0 0 1  = h3, 4, 0i. Then
 4 3 0 
n r = n h0, 0, 0i 3x + 4y = 0 .
= h1, 0, 0i using n x
= |n||
(b) We find the angle between our perpendicular n = h3, 4, 0i and x
x| cos .
cos = h3, 4, 0i h1, 0, 0i/(5)(1) = 3/5. Thus = cos1 (3/5). Then the angle between the plane and the xaxis is the complement of this, or /2 cos1 (3/5) . Other acceptable answers derived geometrically include
cos1 (4/5), sin1 (3/5), tan1 (3/4).
Problem 3
(a) Using the x coordinate, 2t 1 = 3 t = 2. Then we derivate and get r0 (t) = h2, 2t 1i. At t = 2,
r0 (2) = h2, 3i. Thus our tangent line has the vector form h3, 4i + th2, 3i .
(b) We find all t such that r r0 = 0. r r0 = (2t 1)(2) + (t2 t 2)(2t 1) = (2t 1)(2 + t2 t 2) =
t(2t 1)(t 1) = 0 t = 0, 1/2, 1 .
(c) The key is noticing that the radius |r| has stationary points at the three values of t found in (b) (This notion
d
1
can be made rigorous by utilizing dt
|r| = |r|
r r0 , which you had to prove in the homework). In fact, when t = 0, 1

Thus,
as
5 < 9/4
the radius is 5 and minimum, and when t = 1/2 the radius is 9/4 and maximum (locally).

from the hint, the radius of the circle centered at the origin and inscribed by the curve is 5. The area is then 5 .