CALCULUS 3: MATH 281

Vector-Valued Functions
January 14th, 2016
Mrs. McWilliam & Dr. Kounta (COB)

Outline

Syllabus
Recall: 3 Dimensional Coordinate System
Vector-Valued Functions

Arc Length in R 3
Motion in Space

i. Position
ii. Velocity and Acceleration

Curvature
Tangent and Normal Vectors
Tangential and Normal Component of Acceleration
Parametric Surfaces

THREE-DIMENSIONAL
CARTESIAN
COORDINATE SYSTEM
Please say you remember

Three Dimensional Coordinate System

Calculus III is all the concepts learnt in Calculus I (and
techniques taught in Calculus II) extended to the study
of functions in two or more variables i.e. Calculus III is
Calculus I in in three dimensions.

Your spatial visualization skills needs to be in tune!!!

The 1-Dimensional Coordinate System

The 1-D coordinate system is denoted by R.
x = 3 in R

A number line can be viewed as a 1-D coordinate system

The 2-Dimensional Coordinate System

The 2-D coordinate system is often denoted by R2
x = 3 in R2
(x,y) (abscissa, ordinate)

Cartesian (Rectangular) Coordinate System xy plane

R x R = R2 = {(x,y)| x,y R}

The n-Dimensional Coordinate System

The 3-D coordinate system is often denoted by R3
2
the 2-D coordinate system is often denoted by R
the 1-D coordinate system is denoted by R.

n dimensional
A general n dimensional coordinate system is
often denoted by Rn .

The 3-Dimensional Coordinate System

Standard Position

xy-plane

yz-plane

xz-plane

xy-plane
3D view

xy-plane & xz-plane

3D view

xy-plane, xz-plane & yz-plane

3D view

The Coordinate Planes Divide Space into

Eight Octants

Visualizing 3D

The wall on your left is in the xz-plane.

The wall on your right is in the yz-plane.
The floor is in the xy-plane

Plotting points in Space

To locate the point (x, y, z), we start at the origin O and
proceed as follows:

First, move x units along the

x-axis.

Then, move y units

parallel to the y-axis.

Finally, move z units

parallel to the z-axis.

Ordered tripple

Locating points in Space

3D view of those same points

A better view

An even better view

Locating a Point in Space

Called a rectangular
coordinate system
because points
in space determine
rectangular boxes

To locate a point in space start with the origin move along

the x-axis, move parallel to the y- axis, and then parallel
to the z-axis. R x R x R = R 3 = {(x,y,z)| x,y,z R}

Drawing
Practice:

(x, 0, z)

z = constant

(0, 0, z)

(0, y, z)

P(x, y, z)
(0, y, 0)

y
y = constant

(x, 0, 0)
(x, y, 0)

x = constant

The 3-Dimension coordinate system

3D: Point located in space
2D: Point located on a plane
1D: Point located on a line

Signs of coordinates in each octant

(x,y,z)

Equations
When an equation is given, we must understand from
the context whether it represents either:
A

curve in R2

surface (sometimes a curve) in R3

Equations in R

Equations in R

The second variable is free to take any value since there were no
restrictions on that variable

Equations in R

Equations in R

Equations in R

Equations in R

Equations in R
Consider:

x = 3 in R3

Equations in R

3-incomplete

Equations in R

Equations in R

Equations in R

3-incomplete

Equations in R

Equations in R

3-incomplete

Equations in R

3-incomplete

Equations in R

Equations in R

Equations in R

Graph y = 2x 3 in R2 and R3.

3-incomplete

Equations in R

Equations in R

Equations in R

Equations in R

Parabolic cylinder

Coordinate System

Basic Coordinate System

We say that Q sits in the xy-plane. The xyplane corresponds to all the points which have
a zero z-coordinate. We can also start
at P and move in the other two directions as
shown to get points in the xz-plane (this
is S with a y-coordinate of zero) and the yzplane (this is R with an x-coordinate of zero).
Collectively, the xy, xz, and yz-planes are
sometimes called the coordinate planes.
The point Q is often referred to as the
projection of P in the xy-plane. Likewise, R is
the projection of P in the yz-plane and S is the
projection of P in the xz-plane.

Projections

Projections

Distance Formula in 3D

Midpoint Formula in 3D

A Quick Example
Find the distance between the points P(2, 3, 1)
and Q(4, 1, 5), and find the midpoint of the line
segment PQ.

d P, Q 2 17

M 1,1,3
Can we verify these answers with a graph?

Natural extensions from R to R

Most Formulas that you are use to working with in

R 2 have natural extensions in R 3

Equation of a Sphere
Definition of a Circle
Circle: the set of all points in a plane that lie a fixed
distance from a fixed point.

Definition of a Circle
Sphere: the set of all points that lie a fixed distance
from a fixed point.
fixed distance = radius fixed point = center
Recall the standard equation of a circle???

x h y k
2

Equation of a Sphere
A point P (x, y, z) is on a sphere with center (h, k, l ) and
radius r if and only if

x h y k z l
2

Quick Example: Write the equation for the sphere with its center
at (8, 2, 1) and radius 4 3 .

x 8 y 2 z 1
2

48

How do we graph this sphere???

Graphing a Sphere

Planes and Other Surfaces

We have already learned that every line in the Cartesian
plane can be written as a first-degree (linear) equation in two
variables; every line can be written as

Ax By C 0
How about every first-degree equation in three variables???

They all represent planes in Cartesian space!!!

Planes and Other Surfaces

Equation for a Plane in Cartesian Space
Every plane can be written as

Ax By Cz D 0
where A, B, and C are not all zero. Conversely, every
first-degree equation in three variables represents a
plane in Cartesian space.

Guided Practice
Sketch the graph of

12 x 15 y 20 z 60

Because this is a first-degree equation, its graph is a plane!

Three points determine a plane to find them:
Divide both sides by 60:

x y z
1
5 4 3

Its now easy to see that the following points are on the plane:

5, 0, 0 0, 4, 0 0, 0,3
Now wheres the graph???

Inequalities in 3D

Inequalities in 3D

Inequalities in 3D

Inequalities in 3D

Inequalities in 3D

Inequalities in 3D

Inequalities in 3D