Fill in the blanks
If the distance between the points (a, 2, 1) and (1, –1, 1) is 5, then a _______.
a = -3 or a = 5
Explanation:
Let P be the point whose coordinate is (a, 2, 1) and Q represents the point (1, -1, 1).
Given, PQ = 5
From distance formula-
PQ = ![]()
⇒ ![]()
Squaring both sides-
a2 -2a + 10 = 25
⇒ a2 -2a - 15 = 0
⇒ a2 -5a + 3a - 15 = 0
⇒ a(a-5) + 3(a-5) = 0
⇒ (a + 3)(a – 5) = 0
∴ a = -3 or a = 5
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