How would you show that a vector is normal to a plane in 3D space?

There are 2 main methods for finding a normal vector.

  1. If you know two vectors that lie in the plane e.g. (a,b,c) and (d,e,f), we can find a normal vector by calculating the vector/cross product of (a,b,c) and (d,e,f). This works because the vector product produces a new vector perpendicular to both your starting vectors, so it must be at right angles to the plane.

  2. If on the other hand you know the Cartesian equation of a plane, which looks like (ax)+(by)+(cz)=0, then the vector (a,b,c) is a normal vector!

Answered by Fionn K. Maths tutor

21542 Views

See similar Maths A Level tutors

Related Maths A Level answers

All answers ▸

How do I sketch the graph y = (x^2 + 4*x + 2)/(3*x + 1)


Differentiate ln(x^3 +2) with respect to x


Differentiation: How to use the chain rule


What method should I use to differentiate equations with an x as the power of a number. E.g. 2^x


We're here to help

contact us iconContact usWhatsapp logoMessage us on Whatsapptelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo
Cookie Preferences