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The shortest distance between the following lines:

r⃗=(i^+j^−k^)+s(2i^+j^+k^)\vec{r} = (\hat{i} + \hat{j} - \hat{k}) + s(2\hat{i} + \hat{j} + \hat{k})

r⃗=(i^+j^+2k^)+t(4i^+2j^+2k^)\vec{r} = (\hat{i} + \hat{j} + 2\hat{k}) + t(4\hat{i} + 2\hat{j} + 2\hat{k}), where s and t are scalars, is:

Solution

✅ Correct Option: 2

The direction vectors are:

b1⃗=2i^+j^+k^\vec{b_1} = 2\hat{i} + \hat{j} + \hat{k}

b2⃗=4i^+2j^+2k^=2b1⃗\vec{b_2} = 4\hat{i} + 2\hat{j} + 2\hat{k} = 2\vec{b_1}

Since b2⃗\vec{b_2} is a scalar multiple of b1⃗\vec{b_1}, the lines are parallel.

The shortest distance formula for parallel lines is:

d=∣b⃗×(a2⃗−a1⃗)∣∣b⃗∣d = \dfrac{|\vec{b} \times (\vec{a_2} - \vec{a_1})|}{|\vec{b}|}

where b⃗=2i^+j^+k^\vec{b} = 2\hat{i} + \hat{j} + \hat{k}


a2⃗−a1⃗=(i^+j^+2k^)−(i^+j^−k^)\vec{a_2} - \vec{a_1} = (\hat{i} + \hat{j} + 2\hat{k}) - (\hat{i} + \hat{j} - \hat{k})

=3k^= 3\hat{k}


b⃗×(a2⃗−a1⃗)=∣i^j^k^211003∣\vec{b} \times (\vec{a_2} - \vec{a_1}) = \begin{vmatrix} \hat{i} & \hat{j} & \hat{k} \\ 2 & 1 & 1 \\ 0 & 0 & 3 \end{vmatrix}

=i^(3−0)−j^(6−0)+k^(0−0)= \hat{i}(3 - 0) - \hat{j}(6 - 0) + \hat{k}(0 - 0)

=3i^−6j^= 3\hat{i} - 6\hat{j}


∣b⃗×(a2⃗−a1⃗)∣=9+36=45=35|\vec{b} \times (\vec{a_2} - \vec{a_1})| = \sqrt{9 + 36} = \sqrt{45} = 3\sqrt{5}

∣b⃗∣=4+1+1=6|\vec{b}| = \sqrt{4 + 1 + 1} = \sqrt{6}


d=356d = \dfrac{3\sqrt{5}}{\sqrt{6}}

=35×66= \dfrac{3\sqrt{5} \times \sqrt{6}}{6}

=3306= \dfrac{3\sqrt{30}}{6}

=302= \dfrac{\sqrt{30}}{2}

=304= \sqrt{\dfrac{30}{4}}

=152= \sqrt{\dfrac{15}{2}}

Therefore, the shortest distance is 152\sqrt{\dfrac{15}{2}}

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