Calculus Question

Question

1. Find if the points P(0,1,2), Q(-1,2,-13), R(-3,4,-13) are co-linear or not.

Answer 1

The easiest way to do this is to plot the points on graph paper and I would do that anyway to locate the "middle" point.

Algebraically calculate the 3 distances involved between pairs of points. The distance between the 2 remote points must equal the sum of the distances between endpoints and the middle point.

Another way to do this, of course, is to plot the equation through any 2 of the points and make sure that the equation includes the third point.