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How can I plot a line that is orthogonal to a tangent plane?

Hello, I'm learning partial derivation, and a question asks me to find the tangent plane and the line that both intersects the point and is orthogonal to the plane.

I have been trying for some time, so I would appreciate if somebody would help me find what I have been doing wrong.

I have been using this formula:

enter image description here

And this is the equation of the ellipsoid:

enter image description here

enter image description here

But when I try to plot it, the line and the plane are clearly not orthogonal to each other.

Thank you, have a nice day everybody!

2 Replies

Thank you! The problem is always the thing you least expect!

I do not know how the campus looked like 30 years ago, but now is extremely beautiful and full of good people, so if you have the opportunity to go again, I think you would love it.

Once again, I'm most grateful for your help.

-Maximiliano.

Maximiliano,

to be able to see the orthogonality you basically need (in Plot3D and friends) the option BoxRatios -> Automatic to make sure that every axis has the same scale - otherwise things look quite odd. Just for completeness here some code (I use Gradient and InfiniteLine):

ClearAll["Global`*"]
ellps[x_, y_, z_] := x^2/4 + y^2 + z^2/9
sol = SolveValues[ellps[x, y, z] == 3, z];
grad[x_, y_, z_] = Grad[ellps[x, y, z], {x, y, z}];
plane[x_, y_] := -(3/2) x + 3 y - 9      (*Tangent plane to the point (-2,1,-3)*)
point = {-2, 1, -3};
Show[Plot3D[{plane[x, y], First[sol]}, {x, -3.5, 3.5}, {y, -2, 2}, 
  PlotRange -> {-7, 2}, BoxRatios -> Automatic],
 Graphics3D[{Thickness[.01], InfiniteLine[point, grad @@ point]}]]

enter image description here

Greetings to Santiago - nearly 30 years ago I spent 6 month at your campus!

Henrik

POSTED BY: Henrik Schachner
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