Math Problem Statement

Determine the equation of the line that goes through the origin and forms a right angle with r(t)= <1+2t, 3-2t, 1-t> at their point of intersection

Solution

To find the equation of the line that goes through the origin and forms a right angle with the given vector equation r(t)=1+2t,32t,1t\mathbf{r}(t) = \langle 1 + 2t, 3 - 2t, 1 - t \rangle, we need to follow these steps:

Step 1: Find the point of intersection

Since the line goes through the origin (0,0,0)(0, 0, 0), let's first determine when the vector r(t)\mathbf{r}(t) intersects the origin.

We need to solve for tt such that: 1+2t=0,32t=0,1t=01 + 2t = 0, \quad 3 - 2t = 0, \quad 1 - t = 0 Solving these:

  • From 1+2t=01 + 2t = 0, we get t=12t = -\frac{1}{2}.
  • From 32t=03 - 2t = 0, we get t=32t = \frac{3}{2}.
  • From 1t=01 - t = 0, we get t=1t = 1.

These values of tt are not consistent. However, the system is over-determined, and this suggests that the vector r(t)\mathbf{r}(t) does not pass through the origin. Instead, we are tasked with finding the line through the origin that is orthogonal to r(t)\mathbf{r}(t) at their point of intersection, which likely refers to the position at a specific t0t_0.

Step 2: Find the direction vector of the line perpendicular to r(t)\mathbf{r}(t)

To find the line perpendicular to r(t)\mathbf{r}(t), we need the direction vector of r(t)\mathbf{r}'(t), which gives the direction of the curve at any point tt. We will take the derivative of r(t)\mathbf{r}(t):

r(t)=ddt1+2t,32t,1t=2,2,1\mathbf{r}'(t) = \frac{d}{dt} \langle 1 + 2t, 3 - 2t, 1 - t \rangle = \langle 2, -2, -1 \rangle

Thus, the tangent vector at any point tt is r(t)=2,2,1\mathbf{r}'(t) = \langle 2, -2, -1 \rangle.

Step 3: Equation of the line through the origin

The line we are looking for is orthogonal to this vector. To find the equation of this line, we use the fact that a vector perpendicular to r(t)=2,2,1\mathbf{r}'(t) = \langle 2, -2, -1 \rangle is needed.

One such vector perpendicular to 2,2,1\langle 2, -2, -1 \rangle can be found using cross products or inspection. But for simplicity, we note that since the line passes through the origin, any scalar multiple of the direction vector will suffice.

Hence, the direction vector for the line is v=2,2,1\mathbf{v} = \langle 2, -2, -1 \rangle, and the equation of the line can be written parametrically as: L(s)=s2,2,1=2s,2s,s\mathbf{L}(s) = s \langle 2, -2, -1 \rangle = \langle 2s, -2s, -s \rangle

Final Answer:

The parametric equation of the line through the origin that forms a right angle with r(t)\mathbf{r}(t) is: L(s)=2s,2s,s\mathbf{L}(s) = \langle 2s, -2s, -s \rangle

Would you like further details or have any questions about this solution?

Here are some related questions:

  1. How can we verify the perpendicularity of two vectors?
  2. How do parametric equations of lines differ from their Cartesian forms?
  3. What is the geometric interpretation of the derivative of a vector function?
  4. How is the cross product used to find perpendicular vectors in 3D?
  5. Can a line intersect a curve at more than one point in space?

Tip: To check if two vectors are perpendicular, use the dot product: if their dot product is zero, the vectors are orthogonal.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Vector Functions
Parametric Equations
Dot Product
Orthogonality

Formulas

Parametric equation of a line: L(s) = r_0 + s*v
Dot product: a · b = 0 (for perpendicular vectors)

Theorems

Orthogonality Theorem
Derivative of Vector Functions

Suitable Grade Level

Grades 11-12, College Level