Question

Consider the points below. P(1, 0, 1), Q(−2, 1, 4), R(6, 2, 7) (a) Find a nonzero vector orthogonal to the plane through the points P, Q, and R. Correct: Your answer is correct. (b) Find the area of the triangle PQR.

Answer 1

Answer:

a) (0, -33, 12)

b) area of the triangle : 17.55 units of area

Explanation:

a)

We know that the cross product of linearly independent vectors $\vec{A}$ and $\vec{B}$ gives us a nonzero, orthogonal to both, vector. So, if we can find two linearly independent vectors on the plane through the points P, Q, and R, we can use the cross product to obtain the answer to point a.

Luckily for us, we know that vectors $\vec{A} = \vec{P}-\vec{Q}$ and $\vec{B} = \vec{R} - \vec{Q}$ are living in the plane through the points P, Q, and R, and are linearly independent.

We know that they are linearly independent, cause to have one, and only one, plane through points P Q and R, this points must be linearly independent (as the dimension of a plane subspace is 3).

If they weren't linearly independent, we will obtain vector zero as the result of the cross product.

So, for our problem:

$\vec{A} = \vec{P} - \vec{Q} \\\\\vec{A} = (1,0,1) - (-2,1,4)\\\\\vec{A} = (1 +2,0-1,1-4)\\\\\vec{A} = (3,-1,-3)$

$\vec{B} = \vec{R} - \vec{Q} \\\\\vec{B} = (6,2,7) - (-2,1,4)\\\\\vec{B} = (6 +2,2-1,7-4)\\\\\vec{B} = (8,1,3)$

$\vec{A} \times  \vec{B} = (A_y B_z - B_y A_z) \  \hat{i} - ( A_x B_z-B_xA_z) \ \hat{j} + (A_x B_y - B_x A_y ) \ \hat{k}$

$\vec{A} \times  \vec{B} = ( (-1) * 3 - 1 * (-3) ) \  \hat{i} - ( 3 * 3 - 8 * (-3)) \ \hat{j} + (3 * 1 - 8 * (-1) ) \ \hat{k}$

$\vec{A} \times  \vec{B} = ( - 3 + 3 ) \  \hat{i} - ( 9 + 24 ) \ \hat{j} + (3 + 8 ) \ \hat{k}$

$\vec{A} \times  \vec{B} = 0 \  \hat{i} - 33 \ \hat{j} + 12 \ \hat{k}$

$\vec{A} \times  \vec{B} =(0, -33, 12)$

B)

We know that $\vec{A}$ and $\vec{B}$ are two sides of the triangle, and we also know that we can use the magnitude of the cross product to find the area of the triangle:

$|\vec{A} \times  \vec{B} | = 2 * area_{triangle}$

so:

$\sqrt{(-33)^2 + (12)^2} = 2 * area_{triangle}$

$\sqrt{1233} = 2 * area_{triangle}$

$35.114= 2 * area_{triangle}$

$17.55 \ units \  of \ area =  area_{triangle}$