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6. THREE DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRY

Synopsis :
1. The distance between the points (x1, y1, z1) and (x2, y2, z2) is ( x 2 − x1)2 + ( y 2 − y1)2 + ( z2 − z1)2 .

2. If A = (x1, y1, z1), B = (x2, y2, z2), the co-ordinates of point which divides AB in the ratio l:m
lx + mx1 ly 2 + my1 lz2 + mz1 ⎞
internally is ⎛⎜ 2 , , ⎟.
⎝ l+m l+m l+m ⎠

3. The co-ordinates of the point which divides AB in the ratio l:m externally is
⎛ lx 2 − mx1 ly 2 − my1 lz2 − mz1 ⎞
⎜ , , ⎟.
⎝ l−m l−m l−m ⎠

x +x y +y z +z
4. Mid point of AB = ⎛⎜ 1 2 , 1 2 , 1 2 ⎞⎟ .
⎝ 2 2 2 ⎠

5. The centroid of the triangle formed by the points

x +x +x y +y +y z +z +z
(x1, y1, z1), (x2, y2, z2) and (x3, y3, z3) is ⎛⎜ 1 2 3 , 1 2 3 , 1 2 3 ⎞⎟ .
⎝ 3 3 3 ⎠

6. The centroid of the tetrahedron formed by the points (x1, y1, z1), (x2, y2, z2), (x3, y3, z3) and
⎛ x1 + x 2 + x 3 + x 4 y 1 + y 2 + y 3 + y 4 z1 + z 2 + z 3 + z 4 ⎞
(x4, y4, z4) is ⎜⎜ , , ⎟⎟ .
⎝ 4 4 4 ⎠

7. The line segment joining (x1, y1, z1) and (x2, y2, z2) is divided by
i) YZ plane in the ratio x1:x2
ii) ZX plane in the ratio y1:y2
iii) XY plane in the ratio z1:z2
8. If A = (x1, y1, z1), B = (x2, y2, z2), P = (x3, y3, z3) are the vertices of a triangle and BC = a, CA = b,
ax + bx 2 + cx 3 ay1 + by 2 + cy 3 az1 + bz 2 + cz3 ⎞
AB = c, then the incentre of the triangle ABC is ⎛⎜ 1 , , ⎟.
⎝ a+b+c a+b+c a+b+c ⎠

9. If a directed line (ray) makes angle α, β, γ with positive directions of the axes of x,y and z
respectively the cosα, cosα, cosγ are called the direction cosines (d.c’s) of the line and these are
usually denoted by l,m,n.
10. Direction cosines of i) x – axis are (1,0,0) ii) y – axis are (0,1,0) iii) z – axis are (0,0,1)

11. If (l, m, n) are direction cosines of a ling OP and OP = r then the coordinates p are
(lr, mr, nr).
12. If the coordinates of a point P are (x,y, z) and OP=r then the direction Cosines of OP are (x/r, y/r/

z/r).

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Three Dimensional Geometry

2
13. If α, β, γ are the angles, made by a line with the positive direction of coordinate axes then cos α +

cos2β + cos2γ = 1
14. If α, β, γ are the angles, made by a directed line with the positive directions of the coordinate axes,

then sin2 α + sin2 β + sin2γ = 2.

15. If (a, b, c) are direction ratio of a line than
⎛ ⎞
⎜ a
,
b
,
c ⎟ are direction cosines of the line.
⎜⎜ 2 ⎟⎟
⎝ a + b + c 2
a + b 2
+ c 2 a 2
+ b2 + c 2 ⎠

16. Direction ratios of the line joining the points A (x1, y1, z1), B (x2, y2, z2) are (x2–x1, y2–y1, z2– z1).

17. If l1, m1, n1 and l2, m2, n2 are real numbers then

(l12 + m12 + n12) (l22 + m22 + n22) – (l1l2 + m1m2 + n1n2)2 = (m1n2 – m2n1)2 + (n1l2 – n2l1) + (l1m2 –
l2m2)2
18. If (l1, m1,,n1 ) and (l2,,m2,n2) are direction cosines of two lines and θ is an angle between then, then

cosθ = l1l2 + m1m2 + n1n2.

1 1 1
19. If a line makes equal angles with co-ordinate axes, then d.c.’s of a vector are ± ,± ,± and
3 3 3

number of such lines passing through the origin is 4.

20. If (a1, b1, c1) and (a2, b2, c2) are d.c.’s of two lines and is the angle between the lines, then cos
a1a2 + b1b2 + c1c 2
= .
2 2 2 2
a1 + b1 + c1 2 a2 + b2 + c 2 2

21. If two lines are perpendicular, then a1a2 + b1b2 + c1c2 = 0.

22. If l, m, n be the direction cosines of a line and P = (x1, y1, z1), Q = (x2, y2, z2). The projection of PQ
on a line is l( x 2 − x1) + m( y 2 − y1) + n( z2 − z1) .

23. If P = (x1, y1, z1), Q = (x2, y2, z2), then

i) The projection of PQ on x-axis is |x2x1|.
ii) The projection of PQ on y-axis is |y2y1|.
iii) The projection of PQ on z-axis is |z2z1|.
24. If l1, m1, n1 and l2, m2, n2 are d.R.’s of a two lines, then the d.R.’s of a line perpendicular to these
two lines are m1n2m2n1, n1l2n2l1, l1m2-l2m1.
25. If (l1, m1, n1), (l2, m2, n2), (l3, m3, n3) are d.c.’s of three mutually perpendicular lines, then d.R.’s of
the lines which makes equal angles with the three lines are l1 + l2 + l3, m1 + m2 + m3, n1 + n2 + n3
and each angle is Cos1(1/ 3 ).

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Three Dimensional Geometry

26. Angle between any two diagonals of a cube is Cos–1(1/3).
27. Angle between one diagonal of a cube and a diagonal of one face is Cos-1( 2 / 3 ).
28. If l, m, n are d.c.’s of a line then the maximum value of lmn is 1/3 3 .
29. If α, β, γ, δ are angles made by a line with diagonals of a cube, then cos2α + cos2β + cos2γ + cos2δ
= 4/3.

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