Video Transcript
There are two parallel planes, π΄π΅π· and πΈπΉπΊ. A line π intersects the planes π΄π΅π· and πΈπΉπΊ at points π΄ and πΊ, respectively. The plane π΄π΅π· contains the line segment π΄πΆ. Which figure matches the description?
Although we are given three different options here for this description, letβs see if we can model this scenario ourselves. The first thing we are told is that there are two parallel planes. Parallel planes are usually illustrated as though we were starting to draw a cuboid or rectangular prism, except we donβt include the vertical lines between that prism. This is what we can see in each of the three answer options.
Next, weβre told that the planes are called π΄π΅π· and πΈπΉπΊ. There are some different ways in which we could name a plane. For example, we could call it a single letter, for example, a plane called plane P. Alternatively, since we know that three noncollinear points define a plane, then if we know that a plane contains the points π, π, and π, then we could call it the plane πππ. So, as the first plane is called π΄π΅π·, we can assume that there are points π΄, π΅, and π· on this plane. Plane πΈπΉπΊ would contain the points πΈ, πΉ, and πΊ.
At this point, if we looked at the given answer options, we could eliminate some of the possibilities. However, letβs continue with modeling this description.
The next thing we are told is that there is a line π which intersects the two planes π΄π΅π· and πΈπΉπΊ. And it intersects them at the points π΄ and πΊ, respectively. So, if we were modeling this, we would start with our line coming through π΄. A dotted part of the line indicates the portion of the line we canβt see. The line continues to the second plane and then through to the other side of the second plane πΈπΉπΊ. This line π has intersected both planes at the points π΄ and πΊ.
Finally, we are told that the plane π΄π΅π· contains the line segment π΄πΆ. So that means there must be another point πΆ on plane π΄π΅π· and a line segment connecting these two points. So we can now look at the answer options that we were given. Even if we just use the fact that one of the planes is plane π΄π΅π·, we could see in the first two answer options of (A) and (B) that π΄, π΅, and π· are not contained on one plane. So these two answer options could not be correct.
Furthermore, if we look at answer option (A), there is a line which passes through π΄ and πΊ. But π΄ and πΊ donβt lie on either of the two given planes. Answer option (A) also doesnβt have the line segment of π΄πΆ. In answer option (B), the line which passes through π΄ and πΊ is all contained on this lower plane but not intersecting the two planes.
We can then look at answer option (C), which we think is the correct answer option. There are several differences between this answer option and the one that we drew ourselves. So letβs see if the description still matches. Well, firstly, we have the three points π΄, π΅, and π· on one plane and the other three points πΈ, πΉ, and πΊ on the second plane. We then have a line π which does pass through π΄ and πΊ and intersects these. The difference is that we can see that there is a right angle drawn. This just means that, in fact, we know that the line π must intersect these planes orthogonally at right angles. This is an extra piece of information on this diagram, but it would still be correct that the line π intersects these two planes.
And finally we can also see that there is indeed a line segment π΄πΆ on this plane π΄π΅π·. It doesnβt matter that in this figure the line segment π΄πΆ also lies on the line π΄π΅. It still matches the description that we were given. Therefore, we can give the answer that it is the figure in option (C) which matches the given description.