Question

Find shortest distance between 2 skew lines, these are given in vector equation form, what is the technique?

Answer 1

I googled it to find that a method using cross products which we haven't studied yet

Answer 2

http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~jenolive/skew.html

Answer 3

hmmm, thanks for the link but we haven't studied planes as yet, I'm wondering IF there is another way?

Answer 4

http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/54985.html

Answer 5

Is that more like it?

Answer 6

sorry that uses the vector product which we haven't done as yet!

Answer 7

a related question, do 2 skew lines always have just 1 perpendicular line joining them?

Answer 8

if so: maybe that is an approach to take, i.e. find the common perpendicular between the 2 skew lines?

Answer 9

actually that is the correct approach!