What is the standard form of the equation of a sphere and how do I write it?

To write the equation of a sphere in standard form, you first need to understand what the equation entails. The standard form of the equation of a sphere is given by:

(x – h)² + (y – k)² + (z – l)² = r²

Here, (h, k, l) represents the coordinates of the center of the sphere, while r denotes the radius of the sphere.

Now, let’s break down the steps to formulate this equation:

  1. Identify the center of the sphere: Determine the coordinates of the center. Suppose the center is at point (h, k, l), where h, k, and l are the x, y, and z coordinates respectively.
  2. Find the radius: Measure the distance from the center of the sphere to any point on its surface. This distance is the radius r.
  3. Substitute values: Plug the coordinates of the center and the radius into the standard equation:

For example, if the center of your sphere is at (3, -2, 5) and the radius is 4, the equation would be:

(x – 3)² + (y + 2)² + (z – 5)² = 16

This equation reflects the geometric relationship that describes all points (x, y, z) in three-dimensional space that are a fixed distance (the radius) from the center of the sphere.

By following these steps, you can easily formulate the equation of any sphere in standard form!

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