Questions: Find a function r(t) that describes the line passing through P(2,9,4) and Q(7,8,9).
Transcript text: Find a function $\mathbf{r}(\mathrm{t})$ that describes the line passing through $P(2,9,4)$ and $Q(7,8,9)$.
Solution
Solution Steps
To find the parametric equation of a line passing through two points \( P(2, 9, 4) \) and \( Q(7, 8, 9) \), we can use the following approach:
Determine the direction vector \(\mathbf{d}\) by subtracting the coordinates of \(P\) from \(Q\).
Use the point \(P\) and the direction vector \(\mathbf{d}\) to write the parametric equations for the line.
Step 1: Determine the Direction Vector
To find the parametric equation of the line passing through points \( P(2, 9, 4) \) and \( Q(7, 8, 9) \), we first determine the direction vector \(\mathbf{d}\). The direction vector \(\mathbf{d}\) is given by:
\[
\mathbf{d} = Q - P = (7 - 2, 8 - 9, 9 - 4) = (5, -1, 5)
\]
Step 2: Write the Parametric Equation
Using the point \( P \) and the direction vector \(\mathbf{d}\), we can write the parametric equation of the line as:
\[
\mathbf{r}(t) = P + t \mathbf{d} = (2, 9, 4) + t(5, -1, 5)
\]
This can be expanded to:
\[
\mathbf{r}(t) = (2 + 5t, 9 - t, 4 + 5t)
\]