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Definition

A sphere    is the set of all points in space equidistant from a fixed point, the center of the sphere ( [link] ), just as the set of all points in a plane that are equidistant from the center represents a circle. In a sphere, as in a circle, the distance from the center to a point on the sphere is called the radius .

This image is a sphere. It has center at (a, b, c) and has a radius represented with a broken line from the center point (a, b, c) to the edge of the sphere at (x, y, z). The radius is labeled “r.”
Each point ( x , y , z ) on the surface of a sphere is r units away from the center ( a , b , c ) .

The equation of a circle is derived using the distance formula in two dimensions. In the same way, the equation of a sphere is based on the three-dimensional formula for distance.

Rule: equation of a sphere

The sphere with center ( a , b , c ) and radius r can be represented by the equation

( x a ) 2 + ( y b ) 2 + ( z c ) 2 = r 2 .

This equation is known as the standard equation of a sphere    .

Finding an equation of a sphere

Find the standard equation of the sphere with center ( 10 , 7 , 4 ) and point ( −1 , 3 , −2 ) , as shown in [link] .

This figure is a sphere centered on the point (10, 7, 4) of a 3-dimensional coordinate system. It has radius equal to the square root of 173 and passes through the point (-1, 3, -2).
The sphere centered at ( 10 , 7 , 4 ) containing point ( −1 , 3 , −2 ) .

Use the distance formula to find the radius r of the sphere:

r = ( −1 10 ) 2 + ( 3 7 ) 2 + ( −2 4 ) 2 = ( −11 ) 2 + ( −4 ) 2 + ( −6 ) 2 = 173 .

The standard equation of the sphere is

( x 10 ) 2 + ( y 7 ) 2 + ( z 4 ) 2 = 173 .
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Find the standard equation of the sphere with center ( −2 , 4 , −5 ) containing point ( 4 , 4 , −1 ) .

( x + 2 ) 2 + ( y 4 ) 2 + ( z + 5 ) 2 = 52

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Finding the equation of a sphere

Let P = ( −5 , 2 , 3 ) and Q = ( 3 , 4 , −1 ) , and suppose line segment P Q forms the diameter of a sphere ( [link] ). Find the equation of the sphere.

This figure is the 3-dimensional coordinate system. There are two points labeled. The first point is P = (-5, 2, 3). The second point is Q = (3, 4, -1). There is a line segment drawn between the two points.
Line segment P Q .

Since P Q is a diameter of the sphere, we know the center of the sphere is the midpoint of P Q . Then,

C = ( −5 + 3 2 , 2 + 4 2 , 3 + ( −1 ) 2 ) = ( −1 , 3 , 1 ) .

Furthermore, we know the radius of the sphere is half the length of the diameter. This gives

r = 1 2 ( −5 3 ) 2 + ( 2 4 ) 2 + ( 3 ( −1 ) ) 2 = 1 2 64 + 4 + 16 = 21 .

Then, the equation of the sphere is ( x + 1 ) 2 + ( y 3 ) 2 + ( z 1 ) 2 = 21 .

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Find the equation of the sphere with diameter P Q , where P = ( 2 , −1 , −3 ) and Q = ( −2 , 5 , −1 ) .

x 2 + ( y 2 ) 2 + ( z + 2 ) 2 = 14

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Graphing other equations in three dimensions

Describe the set of points that satisfies ( x 4 ) ( z 2 ) = 0 , and graph the set.

We must have either x 4 = 0 or z 2 = 0 , so the set of points forms the two planes x = 4 and z = 2 ( [link] ).

This figure is the 3-dimensional coordinate system. It has two intersecting planes drawn. The first is the x y-plane. The second is the y z-plane. They are perpendicular to each other.
The set of points satisfying ( x 4 ) ( z 2 ) = 0 forms the two planes x = 4 and z = 2 .

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Describe the set of points that satisfies ( y + 2 ) ( z 3 ) = 0 , and graph the set.

The set of points forms the two planes y = −2 and z = 3 .
This figure is the 3-dimensional coordinate system. It has two intersecting planes drawn. The first is the x z-plane. The second is parallel to the y z-plane at the value of z = 3. They are perpendicular to each other.

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Graphing other equations in three dimensions

Describe the set of points in three-dimensional space that satisfies ( x 2 ) 2 + ( y 1 ) 2 = 4 , and graph the set.

The x - and y -coordinates form a circle in the xy -plane of radius 2 , centered at ( 2 , 1 ) . Since there is no restriction on the z -coordinate, the three-dimensional result is a circular cylinder of radius 2 centered on the line with x = 2 and y = 1 . The cylinder extends indefinitely in the z -direction ( [link] ).

This figure is the 3-dimensional coordinate system. It has a vertical cylinder parallel to the z-axis and centered around line parallel to the z-axis with x = 2 and y = 1.
The set of points satisfying ( x 2 ) 2 + ( y 1 ) 2 = 4 . This is a cylinder of radius 2 centered on the line with x = 2 and y = 1 .
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Describe the set of points in three dimensional space that satisfies x 2 + ( z 2 ) 2 = 16 , and graph the surface.

A cylinder of radius 4 centered on the line with x = 0 and z = 2 .
This figure is the 3-dimensional coordinate system. It has a cylinder parallel to the y-axis and centered around the y-axis.

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Working with vectors in ℝ 3

Just like two-dimensional vectors, three-dimensional vectors are quantities with both magnitude and direction, and they are represented by directed line segments (arrows). With a three-dimensional vector, we use a three-dimensional arrow.

Practice Key Terms 6

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Source:  OpenStax, Calculus volume 3. OpenStax CNX. Feb 05, 2016 Download for free at http://legacy.cnx.org/content/col11966/1.2
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