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Question:

Prove that two lines whose direction cosines are given by relation, pl + qm + rn = 0 and al2 + bm2 + cn2 = 0 are perpendicular or parallel according as p2 (b + c) + q2 (a + c) + r2 (a + b) = 0 or p2 /a + q2 /b + r2 /c = 0

Answer:

Given, pl + qm + nr = 0 ...........1

and al2 + bm2 + cn2 = 0 .........2

From equation 1, we get

l = -(qm + nr)/p

Put value of l in equation 2, we get

=> a{-(qm + nr)/p}2 + bm2 + cn2 = 0

=> a{(qm + nr)/p}2 + bm2 + cn2 = 0

=> a(qm + nr)2 /p2 + bm2 + cn2 = 0

=> a(qm + nr)2 + bm2 p2 + cn2 p2 = 0

=> a(q2 m2 + n2 r2 + 2qr * mn) + bm2 p2 + cn2 p2 = 0

=> aq2 m2 + an2 r2 + 2aqr * mn + bm2 p2 + cn2 p2 = 0

=> aq2 m2 + bm2 p2 + an2 r2 + cn2 p2 + 2aqr * mn = 0

=> m2 (aq2 + bp2 ) + n2 (ar2 + cp2 ) + 2aqr * mn = 0

=> (m2 /n2 )*(aq2 + bp2 ) + (ar2 + cp2 ) + 2aqr * m/n = 0         {divide by n2 }

=> (aq2 + bp2 ) * (m/n)2 + 2aqr * (m/n) + (ar2 + cp2 ) = 0

=> m1 m2 /n1 n2 = (ar2 + cp2 )/(aq2 + bp2 )

=> m1 m2 /(ar2 + cp2 ) = n1 n2 /(aq2 + bp2 )  ..................3

Again from equation 1, we get

n = -(pl + qm)/r

Put value of n in equation 2, we get 

=> al2 + bm2 + c{-(pl + qm)/r}2 = 0

=> al2 + bm2 + c(pl + qm)2 /r2 = 0

=> al2 r2 + bm2 r2 + c(pl + qm)2 = 0

=> al2 r2 + bm2 r2 + c(p2 l2 + q2 m2 + 2pq * lm) = 0

=> al2 r2 + bm2 r2 + cp2 l2 + cq2 m2 + 2pqc * lm = 0

=> al2 r2 + cp2 l2 + bm2 r2 +  cq2 m2 + 2pqc * lm = 0

=> (ar2 + cp2 )l2 + (br2 +  cq2 )m2 + 2pqc * lm = 0

=> (ar2 + cp2 ) * (l2 /m2 )+ (br2 +  cq2 ) + 2pqc * (l/m) = 0

=> (ar2 + cp2 ) * (l/m)2 + 2pqc * (l/m) + (br2 +  cq2 ) = 0

=> l1 l2 /m1 m2 = (br2 +  cq2 )/(ar2 + cp2 )

=> l1 l2 /(br2 +  cq2 ) = m1 m2 /(ar2 + cp2 )  .........4

From equation 3 and 4, we get

l1 l2 /(br2 +  cq2 ) = m1 m2 /(ar2 + cp2 ) = n1 n2 /(aq2 + bp2 ) = k (say)

=> l1 l2  = k(br2 +  cq2 ), m1 m2 = k(ar2 + cp2 ), n1 n2 = k(aq2 + bp2 )

Now, two lines are perpendicular if

=> l1 l2 + m1 m2 + n1 n2 = 0

=> k(br2 +  cq2 ) + k(ar2 + cp2 ) + k(aq2 + bp2 ) = 0

=> k(br2 +  cq2 + ar2 + cp2 + aq2 + bp2 ) = 0

=> br2 +  cq2 + ar2 + cp2 + aq2 + bp2 = 0

=> p2 (b + c) + q2 (a + c) + r2 (a + b) = 0

This is the required condition.

Similarly, we can show that if two lines are parallel then,

p2 /a + q2 /b + c2 /a = 0

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