Multi-variable Calculus

MTH 201
Quiz 1
September 6th, 2025

Time: 50 minutes Total: 20 marks

1. (a) Find a unit vector in R3 which is orthogonal to

both the vectors (i − j) and (i − k). [3 marks]
(b) Is the following statement true? Justify your answer.
For any u, v, w ∈ R3 , we have u × (v × w) = 0. [2 marks]

2. Find the distance from the line

1 t
x = 2 + t, y = 1 + t, z=− −
2 2
to the plane: x + 2y + 6z = 10. [5 marks]
3. At what point(s) do the following curves intersect?

r 1 (t) = t, 1 − t, 3 + t2 and r 2 (s) = 3 − s, s − 2, s2 .

Find their angle of intersection. [3+2 marks]

4. (a) Find length of the curve:

r(t) = (cos t, sin t, t) , for 0 ≤ t ≤ 2π.

[2 marks]
(b) Find parametric equation for the tangent line to

x = ln(t + 1), y = t cos 2t, z = 2t ; at the point (0, 0, 1).

[3 marks]

1
 Solutions
• Each coloured portions carry separate marks mentioned in the beginning
of the solution with colour codes.

Question 1
(a) Find a unit vector in R3 which is orthogonal to
both the vectors (i − j) and (i − k). [3 marks]
(b) Is the following statement true? Justify your answer.
For any u, v, w ∈ R3 , we have u × (v × w) = 0. [2 marks]

Solution (a):
(Marks distribution: 1 + 1 + 1)

Note that, the vector (i − j) × (i − k) is orthogonal to both the mentioned

vectors.
Simplifying the cross product expression we get

(i − j) × (i − k) =i × (i − k) − j × (i − k)
=i × i − i × k − j × i + j × k
=0 − (−j) − (−k) + i
=i + j + k.

So, the vector (i + j + k) is orthogonal to both the vectors (i − j) and (i − k).

In order to find a unit vector in the direction of (i + j + k) we calculate
1
v = [ki + j + kk]−1 (i + j + k) = √ (i + j + k).
3

Hence, the vector v = √1 (i

3
+ j + k) satisfies the conditions mentioned in the
question.

Solution (b):
(Marks distribution: 1 + 1)

The following statement is NOT true.

We see that
i × (i × j) = i × k = −j 6= 0.

2
Question 2
Find the distance from the line
1 t
x = 2 + t, y = 1 + t, z=− −
2 2
to the plane: x + 2y + 6z = 10. [5 marks]

Solution:
(Marks distribution: 1 + 1 + 2 + 1)

First of all, observe that there can be only two possibilities, that is case 1:
the line intersects the plane, case 2: the line is parallel to the plane. In the first
case, the distance must be 0. In the second case the distance must be constant.

Let us check if the line intersects the plane or not. If the line intersects the
plane, then there must be a point P ∈ R3 with coordinates (p1 , p2 , p3 ) which is
on the line as well as on the plane. That is (p1 , p2 , p3 ) must satisfy
1 t
p1 + 2p2 + 6p3 = 10 and p1 = 2 + t, p2 = 1 + t, p3 = − − ,
2 2
for some t ∈ R. By putting the forms of p1 , p2 , p3 in the first equation we see
that t must satisfy
1 t
10 = (2 + t) + 2(1 + t) + 6(− − ) = 1,
2 2
which is not possible. So, the line never intersects the plane.
To find the distance between the plane and the line parallel to the plane, we
note that the point (x, y, z)|t=0 = (2, 1, −1/2) is on the line. Since the line is
parallel to the plane, it is enough to find the distance of the plane x+2y+6z = 10
from the point (2, 1, −1/2).
We have seen in class that the distance D of a plane ax + by + cz + d = 0
from a point (x1 , y1 , z1 ) is given by

|ax1 + by1 + cz1 + d| |1 × 2 + 2 × 1 + 6 × (−1/2) − 10| 9

D= √ = √ = √ ∼ 6.40.
2 2
a +b +c 2 1 + 4 + 36 41

3
Question 3
At what point(s) do the following curves intersect?
r 1 (t) = t, 1 − t, 3 + t2 and r 2 (s) = 3 − s, s − 2, s2 .

Find their angle of intersection. [3+2 marks]

Solution :
(Marks distribution: [(2 + 1) + 2] )

We are given two curves

r1 (t) = t, 1 − t, 3 + t2 , r2 (s) = 3 − s, s − 2, s2

First, we find the points of intersection of r1 and r2 . Point P (x, y, z) is a

point of intersection if and only if

x = t = 3 − s; y = 1 − t = s − 2; z = 3 + t2 = s2 .
Thus, we solve for t and s so that the above equations are satisfied. The
above equations simplify to the following:
s+t=3 (1)
2
s −t =32
(2)
Equivalently (s − t)(s + t) = 3. Substituting (1) into (2) we get s − t = 1.
Now using (1) and the previous new equation, we conclude that s = 2 and t = 1.
The point of intersection has coordinates P (1, 0, 4).
The tangent vectors at the point P (1, 0, 4) are given by

r10 (t) = (1, −1, 2t)|t=1 .

r20 (s) = (−1, 1, 2s)|s=2
r10 (1) = (1, −1, 2) and r20 (2) = (−1, 1, 4)
√ √
⇒ |r10 (1)| = 6 and |r20 (2)| = 18

The angle between the two curves at the point of intersection is given by the
angle between the tangents. Thus, it is enough to compute the angle between
r10 (1) and r20 (2). We recall that if θ is the angle between r10 (1) and r20 (2) then

r10 (1) · r20 (2)

cos θ =
|r10 (1)| · |r20 (2)|
1 · (−1) + (−1) · 1 + 2 · 4 6
= √ √ = √
6 18 6 3
1
=√
3

4
Question 4
(a) Find length of the curve:

r(t) = (cos t, sin t, t), for 0 ≤ t ≤ 2π.

[2 marks]
(b) Find parametric equation for the tangent line to

x = ln(t + 1), y = t cos 2t, z = 2t ; at the point (0, 0, 1).

[3 marks]

Solution :
Part(a): (1 + 1)
To find the length of the curve

r(t) = (cos t, sin t, t) with 0 6 t 6 2π

We compute the length of tangent vector for each t ∈ [0, 2π].

r0 (t) =(− sin t, cos t, 1)

p
⇒ |r0 (t)| = (− sin t)2 + (cos t)2 + 12
p
= sin2 t + cos2 t + 1
√
= 2

We now recall that the length of r is given by

Z 2π Z 2π √ √
L= |r0 (t)| dt = 2dt = 2 2π.
0 0

Part (b) : (1 + 1)
We want to find parametric equation for the tangent line to

x = ln(t + 1), y = t cos 2t, z = 2t

 
at the point (0, 0, 1). The tangent vector to the above curve is given by dx dy dz
dt , dt , dt
Note that
dx 1 dy dz
= ; = cos 2t + t(−2 sin 2t); = 2t log 2
dt 1+t dt dt
The tangent vector at (0, 0, 1) is obtained by evaluating derivatives at t = 0.
Therefore, the tangent vector at (0, 0, 1) is given by (1, 1, ln 2).
The parametric equation of the tangent line passing through (0, 0, 1) is given by

x(s) = s, y(s) = s, z(s) = 1 + s ln 2.