If the shortest distance between the lines
$\frac{x-4}{1}=\frac{y+1}{2}=\frac{z}{-3}$ and $\frac{x-\lambda}{2}=\frac{y+1}{4}=\frac{z-2}{-5}$ is $\frac{6}{\sqrt{5}}$, then the sum of all possible values of $\lambda$ is :
Solution
<p>$$\begin{aligned}
& \frac{x-4}{1}=\frac{y+1}{2}=\frac{z}{-3} \\
& \frac{x-\lambda}{2}=\frac{y+1}{4}=\frac{z-2}{-5}
\end{aligned}$$</p>
<p>the shortest distance between the lines</p>
<p>$$=\left|\frac{(\overrightarrow{\mathrm{a}}-\overrightarrow{\mathrm{b}}) \cdot\left(\overrightarrow{\mathrm{d}_1} \times \overrightarrow{\mathrm{d}_2}\right)}{\left|\overrightarrow{\mathrm{d}_1} \times \overrightarrow{\mathrm{d}_2}\right|}\right|$$</p>
<p>$$=\left|\frac{\left|\begin{array}{ccc}\lambda-4 & 0 & 2 \\ 1 & 2 & -3 \\ 2 & 4 & -5\end{array}\right|}{\left|\begin{array}{ccc}\hat{i} & \hat{j} & \hat{k} \\ 1 & 2 & -3 \\ 2 & 4 & -5\end{array}\right|}\right|$$</p>
<p>$$=\left|\frac{(\lambda-4)(-10+12)-0+2(4-4)}{|2 \hat{i}-1 \hat{j}+0 \hat{k}|}\right|$$</p>
<p>$$\begin{aligned}
& \frac{6}{\sqrt{5}}=\left|\frac{2(\lambda-4)}{\sqrt{5}}\right| \\
& 3=|\lambda-4| \\
& \lambda-4= \pm 3 \\
& \lambda=7,1
\end{aligned}$$</p>
<p>Sum of all possible values of $\lambda$ is $=8$</p>
About this question
Subject: Mathematics · Chapter: Three Dimensional Geometry · Topic: Direction Cosines and Ratios
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