The angle between a line with direction ratios 2, 2, 1 and a line joining $(3,1,4)$ and $(7,2,12)$ is

The angle between a line with direction ratios 2, 2, 1 and a line joining $(3,1,4)$ and $(7,2,12)$ is
  1. $\cos ^{-1}\left(\frac{1}{\sqrt{3}}\right)$
  2. $\cos ^{-1}\left(\frac{1}{3}\right)$
  3. $\cos ^{-1}\left(\frac{2}{3}\right)$
  4. $\cos ^{-1}\left(\frac{\sqrt{2}}{3}\right)$

Solution

Direction ratios of a line joining $(3,1,4)$ and $(7,2,12)$ are $4,1,8$ Let $\left(a_1, b_1, c_1\right)=(2,2,1)$ and $\left(a_2, c_2\right)=(4,1,8)$. Hence angle $\theta$ between the lines is given by $\begin{aligned} & \cos \theta=\frac{a_1 a_2+b_1 b_2+c_1 c_2}{\sqrt{a_1^2+b_1^2+c_1 \sqrt{a_2^2+b_2^2+c_2^2}}} \\ & =\frac{8+2+8}{\sqrt{4+4+1} \cdot \sqrt{16+1+64}}=\frac{18}{\sqrt{9} \cdot \sqrt{81}}=\frac{18}{(3)(9)}=\frac{2}{3} \\ & \therefore \theta=\cos ^{-1}\left(\frac{2}{3}\right) \end{aligned}$

Asked in: MHT CET 2021 (20 Sep Shift 1)

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