Question 13 Marks
A plane meets the coordinate axes at A, B and C, respectively, such that the centriod of triangle ABC is (1, -2, 3). Find the equation of the plane.
Answer
View full question & answer→Let a, b and c be the intercepts of the given plane on the coordinate axes.
Then the plane meets the coordinate axes at
A(a, 0, 0), B(0, b, 0) and C(0, 0, c)
Given that the centroid of the triangle is (1, -2, 3)
$\Rightarrow\Big(\frac{\text{a}+0+0}{3},\frac{0+\text{b}+0}{3},\frac{0+0+\text{c}}{3}\Big)=(1,-2,3)$
$\Rightarrow\Big(\frac{\text{a}}{3},\frac{\text{b}}{3},\frac{\text{c}}{3}\Big)=(1,-2,3)$
$\Rightarrow\frac{\text{a}}{3}=1,\frac{\text{b}}{3}=-2,\frac{\text{c}}{3}=3$
$\Rightarrow\text{a}=3,\text{b}=-6,\text{c}=9\ ...(\text{i})$
Equation of the plane whose intercepts on the coordinate axes a, b and c is,
$\frac{\text{x}}{\text{a}}+\frac{\text{y}}{\text{b}}+\frac{\text{z}}{\text{c}}=1$
$\Rightarrow\frac{\text{x}}{3}+\frac{\text{y}}{-6}+\frac{\text{z}}{9}=1$ [From (i)]
$\Rightarrow6\text{x}-3\text{y}+2\text{x}=18$
Then the plane meets the coordinate axes at
A(a, 0, 0), B(0, b, 0) and C(0, 0, c)
Given that the centroid of the triangle is (1, -2, 3)
$\Rightarrow\Big(\frac{\text{a}+0+0}{3},\frac{0+\text{b}+0}{3},\frac{0+0+\text{c}}{3}\Big)=(1,-2,3)$
$\Rightarrow\Big(\frac{\text{a}}{3},\frac{\text{b}}{3},\frac{\text{c}}{3}\Big)=(1,-2,3)$
$\Rightarrow\frac{\text{a}}{3}=1,\frac{\text{b}}{3}=-2,\frac{\text{c}}{3}=3$
$\Rightarrow\text{a}=3,\text{b}=-6,\text{c}=9\ ...(\text{i})$
Equation of the plane whose intercepts on the coordinate axes a, b and c is,
$\frac{\text{x}}{\text{a}}+\frac{\text{y}}{\text{b}}+\frac{\text{z}}{\text{c}}=1$
$\Rightarrow\frac{\text{x}}{3}+\frac{\text{y}}{-6}+\frac{\text{z}}{9}=1$ [From (i)]
$\Rightarrow6\text{x}-3\text{y}+2\text{x}=18$