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Solve the following.
The plane intersects the co-ordinate axes at A, B and C. Find the co-ordinates of the points A, B…
The plane $px + y + pz = r$ intersects the co-ordinate axes at A, B and C.
(a)[2.0]
Find the co-ordinates of the points A, B and C.
(b)[2.0]
Find the co-ordinates of orthocentre of the triangle ABC.
Answer
Answer (a)
Official answer key$A\left(\frac{r}{p}, 0, 0\right)$, $B(0, r, 0)$, $C\left(0, 0, \frac{r}{p}\right)$
Final answer: $A\left(\frac{r}{p}, 0, 0\right),\ B(0, r, 0),\ C\left(0, 0, \frac{r}{p}\right)$
Answer (b)
Official answer keyLet the orthocentre be $O(a, b, c)$.
$OA \perp BC \Rightarrow c = bp$
$OB \perp AC \Rightarrow a = c$
$\therefore a = bp = c \Rightarrow a = \frac{b}{1/p} = c = k$ (say)
Since, the orthocentre lies on the plane $px + y + pz = r$, $pk + \frac{k}{p} + pk = r \Rightarrow k = \frac{r}{2p + \frac{1}{p}} = \frac{rp}{2p^2+1}$
Co-ordinates of the orthocentre is $\left(\frac{rp}{2p^2+1}, \frac{r}{2p^2+1}, \frac{rp}{2p^2+1}\right)$.
Final answer: $\left(\frac{rp}{2p^2+1}, \frac{r}{2p^2+1}, \frac{rp}{2p^2+1}\right)$
From ISC 2025 Practice Mathematics, question 113.
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