Tangent Planes to Level

Surfaces
Multivariate Calculus
Mr. Ruel I. Cueto
TIP_MPD
See the figure:
 Tangent Planes to Level Surface
Suppose S is a surface with equation F(x,y,z) = k, that is a level
surface of a function F of three variables, and let P(xo, yo, zo) be a
point on S. Let C be any curve that lies on the surface S and passes
through the point P. Recall that the curve C is described by a
continuous vector function r(t) = < x(t), y(t), z(t)>. Let to be the
parameter value corresponding to P; that is r(to) = < xo, yo, zo >. Since
C lies on S, any point (x(t), y(t), z(t) must satisfy the equation of S,
that is,
F(x,t), y(t), z(t)) = k
If x, y, and z are differentiable functions of t and F is
also differentiable, then we can use the chain rule to
differentiate both sides of the equation
F(x,t), y(t), z(t)) = k
𝜕𝐹 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝐹 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝐹 𝜕𝑧
+ + =0
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑡

But, since ∇F = < Fx, Fy, Fz > and r’(t) = <x’(t), y’(t), z’(t)>
𝜕𝐹 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝐹 𝜕𝑦 𝜕𝐹 𝜕𝑧
The equation + + = 0 can be written in
𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑡 𝜕𝑥 𝜕𝑡
terms of dot product as
∇F ⸱ r’(t) = 0
In particular when t = to we have r(to) = < xo, yo, zo > so,

∇F (xo, yo, zo) ⸱ r ‘(to) = 0

This equation ∇F (xo, yo, zo) ⸱ r ‘(t) = 0 says that the gradient vector
at P,

∇F (xo, yo, zo), is perpendicular to the tangent vector r ‘(to) to any

curve C on S that passes through P.

If ∇F (xo, yo, zo) ≠ 0, it is therefore natural to define the tangent plane

to the level surface F(x,y,z) = k at P(xo, yo, zo) as the plane that passes
through P and has a normal vector ∇F (xo, yo, zo) .
Using the standard equation of a plane, we can write
the equation of this tangent plane as

Fx(xo, yo, zo)(x – xo) + Fy(xo, yo, zo)(y – yo) + Fz(xo, yo, zo)(z – zo) =0
See the figure:
The normal line to S at P is the line passing through P
and perpendicular to the tangent plane. The direction
of the normal line is therefore given by the gradient
vector
∇F(xo, yo, zo) and so, its symmetric
equations are
𝑥 −𝑥𝑜 𝑦 −𝑦𝑜 𝑧 −𝑧𝑜
= =
𝐹𝑥 (𝑥𝑜, 𝑦𝑜, 𝑧𝑜 ) 𝐹𝑦 (𝑥𝑜, 𝑦𝑜, 𝑧𝑜 ) 𝐹𝑧 (𝑥𝑜, 𝑦𝑜, 𝑧𝑜 )
In the special case in which the equation of a surface S is of the form
z = f(x,y) (that is, S is the graph of a function f of two variables), we can
rewrite the equation as
F(x,y,z) = f(x,y) – z = 0
and regard S as a level surface (with k = 0) of F. Then
Fx(xo, yo, zo) = fx (xo, yo)
Fy(xo, yo, zo) = fy (xo, yo)
Fz(xo, yo, zo) = fz (xo, yo)

So the equation becomes:

fx (xo, yo) (x – xo) + fy (xo, yo) (y – yo) – (z – zo) = 0
Example
Find the equation of the tangent plane and
normal line at the point (-2,1,-3) to the ellipsoid
𝑥 2 𝑧 2
2
+𝑦 + = 3.
4 9
Solution:
• The ellipsoid is the level surface (with k = 3) of the function
𝑥2 𝑧2
F(x,y,z) = + 𝑦2 +
4 9

Therefore we have

𝑥 2𝑧
Fx(x,y,z) = Fy(x,y,z) = 2y Fz(x,y,z) =
2 9
2
Fx(-2,1,-3) = -1 Fy(-2,1,-3) = 2 Fz(-2,1,-3) = -
3
The equation:

Fx(xo, yo, zo)(x – xo) + Fy(xo, yo, zo)(y – yo) + Fz(xo, yo, zo)(z – zo) =0

gives the equation of the tangent plane at (-2,1,-3) as

𝟐
-1(x + 2) + 2(y – 1) - (z+3) =0
𝟑
Which simplifies to 3x – 6y + 2z + 18 = 0.
 𝑥 −𝑥𝑜 𝑦 −𝑦𝑜 𝑧 −𝑧𝑜
Then the equation = =
𝐹𝑥 (𝑥𝑜, 𝑦𝑜, 𝑧𝑜 ) 𝐹𝑦 (𝑥𝑜, 𝑦𝑜, 𝑧𝑜 ) 𝐹𝑧 (𝑥𝑜, 𝑦𝑜, 𝑧𝑜 )

Symmetric equations of the normal line are

𝒙+𝟐 𝒚 −𝟐 𝒛+𝟑
= = 𝟐
−𝟏 𝟐 −
𝟑
In parametric equation:
𝟐𝒕
x = -1(2+t), y = 2 + 2t, z = -1(3+ )
𝟑
 Or express this parametrically as

Parametric equations: x = x(t), y = y(t), z = z(t)

Definition. A parametric equation is one where the x and y

coordinates of the curve are both written as functions of
another variable called a parameter
Example:
Example 2:
Consider the ellipsoid x2+4y2+z2=18.

(a) Find an equation of the tangent plane to the

ellipsoid at the point (1, 2, 1).

(b) Find parametric equations of the line that is

normal to the ellipsoid at the point (1, 2, 1).
TANGENT PLANES TO SURFACES OF THE
FORM z=f(x,y)

Find an equation for the tangent plane and parametric equations

for the normal line to the surface z=x2y at the point (2,1,4).

Let F(x,y,z)=z−x2y . Then F(x,y,z)=0 on the surface, so we can find

the gradient of F at the point (2,1,4):
The tangent plane has the equation

Or
And the normal line has the equation
Activity 3: Individual
Find equations of the ff.
a. The tangent plane
b. The normal line to the given surface at the specified point.

Given:
1. 2(x-2)2 + (y-1)2 + z – 3)2 = 10 , (3,3,3)
2. xy2z3 = 8 , (2,2,1)
Research
USING GRADIENTS TO FIND TANGENT LINES
TO INTERSECTIONS OF SURFACES
• The intersection of two
surfaces F(x,y,z)=0 and G(x,y,z)=0 will be a curve in 3-
space. If (x0,y0,z0) is a point on this curve,
then ∇F(x0,y0,z0) will be normal to the
surface F(x,y,z)=0 at (x0,y0,z0) and ∇G(x0,y0,z0) will be
normal to the surface G(x,y,z)=0 at (x0,y0,z0). Thus, if the
curve of intersection can be smoothly parametrized,
then its unit tangent vector T at (x0,y0,z0) will be
orthogonal to both ∇F(x0,y0,z0) and ∇G(x0,y0,z0).
If ∇F(x0,y0,z0)×∇G(x0,y0,z0)≠0 then this cross
product will be parallel to T and hence will be
tangent to the curve of intersection. This
tangent vector can be used to determine the
direction of the tangent line to the curve of the
intersection at the point (x0,y0,z0).
 Problem Set: by 3s
1. Find parametric equations of the tangent line to the
curve of intersection of the paraboloid z=x2+y2 and
the ellipsoid 3x2+2y2+z2=9 at the point (1, 1, 2).

2. Find parametric equations for the tangent line to the

curve of intersection of the paraboloid z = x2 + y2 and the
ellipsoid 4x2 + y2 + z2 = 9.
3. Use a computer to graph the surface, the tangent plane,
and the normal line on the screen. Choose the domain
carefully so that you avoid extraneous vertical planes.
Choose the viewpoint so that you get a good view of all
three objects.

a. xy + yz + zx = 3, (1,1,1)
4. If f(x,y), find the gradient vector ∇F(3,2) and
use it to find the tangent line to the level curve
f(x,y) = 6 at the point (3,2). Sketch the level curve,
the tangent line and the gradient vector.
 Thank You!

T.I.P.
Math and Physics Department