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EXAMPLES FOR SECTION 13.7

 

Here is an animation of planes tangent to the paraboloid whose equation is z = x2 + y2.

More planes tangent to the paraboloid whose equation is z = x2 + y2 (slower loading).  

DPGraph Version     Quicktime Version

Here are some of my notes on normal lines and tangent planes.

PowerPoint Presentation and Examples (#10 and #46 and #43)

 

Example--Finding The Equation Of A Tangent Plane
Here is a link to a video presentation with audio of me describing how to find a tangent plane and  normal line to the surface shown here.

The picture on the right shows part of the graph of 

z = f(x,y) = 9 - x2 - y2  

and the plane tangent to the surface at (1,1,7).  Click on the picture to see an animation.  Write the equation of the surface as

 

F(x,y,z) = x2 + y2 + z - 9 = 0

grad F = < 2x , 2y , 1 >

grad F(1,1,7) = n = < 2, 2 , 1 > so the equation of the tangent plane will be

2x + 2y + z = d    and substituting in (1,1,7) yields d = 11.

 

     2x + 2y + z = 11

 

A line normal to the surface at (1,1,7) would be given by

x = 1 + 2t,    y = 1 + 2t,    z = 7 + t.

 

DPGraphPicture     Blow-up (zoom) of DPGraphPicture

Click here to zoom in on the point of tangency.

Maple picture of the surface, plane, and normal line

Maple picture, different view

 


 

Example--A Plane Tangent to a Sphere

DPGraph of the sphere and the plane--Use the scrollbar and activate "a" to zoom in on the point of tangency.

DPGraph2 of the sphere and the plane--The graph will automatically zoom in and out on the point of tangency.

What I Notice

 


 

Section 13.7 #10

Find a unit normal vector to the surface at the indicated point.

Let's look at the tangent plane and normal line at the same point.  A normal to the tangent plane would be < 4 , 3 , 12 >.  Thus an equation for the tangent plane would be

 

4x + 3y + 12z = d

 

and if we substitute in the point (2,-1,2) we find that

 

d = 4(2) + 3(-1) + 12(2) = 29.

 

Tangent Plane:  4x + 3y + 12z = 29

 

A direction vector for the normal line would be < 4 , 3 , 12 >.

The line with this direction vector passing through the point

(2,-1,2) would be given parametrically by 

 

x = 2 + 4t

y = -1 + 3t

z = 2 + 12t

Picture of the Surface and the Unit Normal Vector

Picture of the Surface with the Tangent Plane, Normal Line, and Unit Normal Vector

 


 

Section 13.7 #43

(a)  Find symmetric equations of the tangent line to the curve of intersection of the surfaces at the indicated point, and (b) find the cosine of the angle between the gradient vectors.  State whether or not the surfaces are orthogonal at the given point.

Click on the picture above to see an animation.

DPGraph Picture of the surfaces.

DPGraph picture of the surfaces similar to the picture above.

 

Click on the picture above to see an animation.  The picture shows the curve of intersection of the two surfaces in red and the tangent line at the point (3,3,4) in blue.

Click here to see a picture that includes the two normal (gradient) vectors that were found at the left not to be orthogonal.  (The angle between them is about 50.2o.)  Click here to view them from a different angle.

 

 


 

Section 13.7 #46

(a)  Find symmetric equations of the tangent line to the curve of intersection of the surfaces at the indicated point, and (b) find the cosine of the angle between the gradient vectors.  State whether or not the surfaces are orthogonal at the given point.

Pictures of the Surfaces, Curve of Intersection, Tangent Line at (1,2,5), and Unit Normal Vectors at (1,2,5)  Larger Pictures with Audio

 


 

Section 13.7 #50

Click on the picture above to see an animation.  The surface is in red, the tangent plane in blue, and the xy-coordinate plane in green.

DPGraph Picture 1

DPGraph Picture 2

 

 


 

Example--Finding Where the Tangent Plane Is Horizontal

DPGraph Picture of the surface and the tangent plane.

 


 

Finding Tangent Planes

Find the equation of the plane tangent to the given surface at the point (1,0,1) and find the points where the tangent plane is horizontal.

DPGraphpicture including the tangent planes (tilt the graph to see them clearly)  DPGraphpicture with blue planes

Click on the Maple picture to see a different view.  The blue traces intersect at (0,0,0) and the red traces intersect at (1,1,-1).

Maple Picture of the tangent plane at (1,0,1) along with the normal line at the same point.  Maple Picture, different view.  This Quicktime movie shows many views of the surface.

 

 

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        Lane Vosbury, Mathematics, Seminole State College   email:  vosburyl@seminolestate.edu

        This page was last updated on 08/21/14          Copyright 2002          webstats