Skip to main content

Cone with vertex (3,1,2) and given base

Short answer

Lines through vertex (3,1,2) meet z=1 at (3−l/n, 1−m/n, 1). Enforcing 2x²+3y²=1 and using l/n=(x−3)/(z−2), m/n=(y−1)/(z−2) gives 2(3z−x−3)²+3(z−y−1)²=(z−2)². Expanding yields 2x²+3y²+20z²−12xz−6yz+12x+6y−38z+17=0.

Find the equation of cone with vertex at (3,1,2) and base 2x²+3y² = 1, z = 1.

Cone. A cone with vertex V(3, 1, 2) and base curve (guiding curve) 2x² + 3y² = 1, z = 1.

Generators

A line through the vertex with direction ratios (l, m, n):

(x − 3)/l = (y − 1)/m = (z − 2)/n. ... (1)

It meets the plane z = 1 where (z − 2)/n = −1/n. So the point of intersection is

x = 3 − l/n, y = 1 − m/n, z = 1.

This point must lie on the base curve:

2(3 − l/n)² + 3(1 − m/n)² = 1      ... (2)

Eliminate l, m, n

From (1), l/n = (x − 3)/(z − 2) and m/n = (y − 1)/(z − 2). Put in (2):

2 [3 − (x − 3)/(z − 2)]² + 3 [1 − (y − 1)/(z − 2)]² = 1
2 [3(z − 2) − (x − 3)]² + 3 [(z − 2) − (y − 1)]² = (z − 2)²
2 (3z − x − 3)² + 3 (z − y − 1)² = (z − 2)²

Expand

2(9z² + x² + 9 − 6xz − 18z + 6x) = 2x² − 12xz + 12x + 18z² − 36z + 18
3(z² + y² + 1 − 2yz − 2z + 2y)   = 3y² − 6yz + 6y + 3z² − 6z + 3
(z − 2)² = z² − 4z + 4

Sum of the first two minus the third:

2x² + 3y² + 20z² − 12xz − 6yz + 12x + 6y − 38z + 17 = 0

Check: at z = 1 this gives 2x² + 3y² − 1 = 0, the given base curve.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

All Mathematics chapter 3 questions →