We have two lines in 3D space, and the angle between them is 4π. We need to find the relationship between α and β.
The first line is given in symmetric form:
αx−1=−5y+2=βz+37
so its direction ratios are simply the denominators:
d1=(α, −5, β)
The second line is given as x=z, y=0. Setting x=t, we get x=t, y=0, z=t, which gives:
d2=(1, 0, 1)
The coordinate y is always 0, meaning the line has no movement in the y-direction, so its direction ratio is 0.
The angle θ between two lines with direction ratios (a1,b1,c1) and (a2,b2,c2) is given by:
cosθ=a12+b12+c12⋅a22+b22+c22∣a1a2+b1b2+c1c2∣
We use the absolute value in the numerator because we always take the acute angle between two lines.
Here θ=4π, so cos4π=21.
Substituting the direction ratios:
Numerator:
∣α⋅1+(−5)⋅0+β⋅1∣=∣α+β∣
Denominator:
α2+25+β2⋅1+0+1=α2+β2+25⋅2
Setting up the equation:
21=2⋅α2+β2+25∣α+β∣
Multiplying both sides by 2⋅α2+β2+25 and simplifying:
α2+β2+25=∣α+β∣
Squaring both sides:
α2+β2+25=α2+2αβ+β2
Cancelling α2+β2 from both sides:
25=2αβ
αβ=225