JEE Main20262 April 2026Evening ShiftMathematicsThree Dimensional GeometryActual
Let the point A be the foot of perpendicular drawn from the point P(a, b, 0) on the line x-1 2 = y-2 1 = z- 3 . If the midpoint of the line segment PA is (0, 3 4 , -1 4 ) , then the value of a^2 + b^2 + ^2 is equal to:
Options
- A1
- B2
- C6
- D9
Correct answer
A. 1
Step-by-step solution
Let P = (a, b, 0) and the midpoint of PA be M = (0, 3 4 , - 1 4 ) . Using the midpoint formula, the coordinates of A are given by 2M - P : A = (-a, 3 2 - b, - 1 2 ) Since A lies on the given line x-1 2 = y-2 1 = z- 3 = , we can write: -a-1 2 = a = -2 - 1 3 2 -b-2 1 = b = - - 1 2 - 1 2 - 3 = = -3 - 1 2 The direction ratios of the line segment PA are the differences in coordinates of A and P : PA = (-2a, 3 2 - 2b, - 1 2 ) Since PA is perpendicular to the given line, the dot product of their direction ratios must be z