Angle Bisector Plane

Lesson · Intermediate

Geometry: Coordinate Geometry

Angle Bisector Plane

The set of points that are equidistant from two intersecting planes consists of their two angle-bisector planes

Angle bisector planes of two intersecting planes

Suppose the two planes are

Π1:a1x+b1y+c1z+d1=0\Pi_1:a_1x+b_1y+c_1z+d_1=0
Π2:a2x+b2y+c2z+d2=0\Pi_2:a_2x+b_2y+c_2z+d_2=0

A point P=(x,y,z) lies on an angle-bisector plane when its distances from the two planes are equal

a1x+b1y+c1z+d1a12+b12+c12=a2x+b2y+c2z+d2a22+b22+c22\frac{|a_1x+b_1y+c_1z+d_1|}{\sqrt{a_1^2+b_1^2+c_1^2}}=\frac{|a_2x+b_2y+c_2z+d_2|}{\sqrt{a_2^2+b_2^2+c_2^2}}

Therefore the two angle-bisector planes are

a1x+b1y+c1z+d1a12+b12+c12=±a2x+b2y+c2z+d2a22+b22+c22\frac{a_1x+b_1y+c_1z+d_1}{\sqrt{a_1^2+b_1^2+c_1^2}}=\pm\frac{a_2x+b_2y+c_2z+d_2}{\sqrt{a_2^2+b_2^2+c_2^2}}