Calculating the exact coordinates of a regular tetrahedron circumscribed by the unit sphere at the origin
First, draw the first point O
at the origin (0, 0)
:
Then, draw the second point A
at (1, 0)
:
Then, draw the third point B
so that △BOA is a equilateral triangle.
Since ∠BOA = 60°
, and OA = OB = 1
:
B = (cos 60°, sin 60°)
= (1/2, √3/2)
Let point C
be the centroid of △BOA.
The coordinates of point C
could be found be "averaging" the coordinates of O
, A
, and B
.
C = ((0 + 1 + 1/2) / 3, (0 + 0 + √3/2) / 3)
= ((3/2) / 3, (√3/2) / 3)
= (1/2, 1/(2√3))
By extending the 2D space to 3D, here are what we got so far:
O = (0, 0, 0)
A = (1, 0, 0)
B = (1/2, √3/2, 0)
C = (1/2, 1/(2√3), 0)
Since the forth point D
is "above" point C
, let D = (1/2, 1/(2√3), d)
.
Since OA = OB = AB = OD = AD = BD = 1
, we take OD = 1
:
OD² = (1/2)² + (1/(2√3))² + d²
1 = 1/4 + 1/12 + d²
= 3/12 + 1/12 + d²
= 4/12 + d²
= 1/3 + d²
2/3 = d²
d = ±√(2/3)
By picking the positive root for easier calculation, we have D = (1/2, 1/(2√3), √(2/3))
.
Let point E
be the center of the tetrahedron.
Since point E
is on the line CD
, let E = (1/2, 1/(2√3), e)
.
Since OE = AE = BE = DE
, we take OE = DE
:
OE = DE
OE² = DE²
(1/2)² + (1/(2√3))² + e² = 0² + 0² + (e - √(2/3))²
1/3 + e² = e² - 2√(2/3) e + (2/3)
1/3 = -2√(2/3) e + (2/3)
-1/3 = -2√(2/3) e
1/3 = 2√(2/3) e
1/(2*3) = √(2/3) e
e = √3/(2*3*√2)
= 1/(2√6)
So, here are what we got so far:
O = (0, 0, 0)
A = (1, 0, 0)
B = (1/2, √3/2, 0)
D = (1/2, 1/(2√3), √(2/3))
E = (1/2, 1/(2√3), 1/(2√6))
Since we need the vertices to be on a unit circle, the distance from the center to a vertex must be 1.
That means, we must scale the points so that OE = AE = BE = DE = 1
.
Let k
be the scaling factor:
k * OE = 1
k² * OE² = 1
k² * [(1/2)² + (1/(2√3))² + (1/(2√6))²] = 1
k² * (1/4 + 1/12 + 1/24) = 1
k² * (6/24 + 2/24 + 1/24) = 1
k² * (9/24) = 1
k² * (3/8) = 1
k² = (8/3)
k = (2√2)/(√3), since k is positive
So:
O' = (0, 0, 0)
A' = (2√(2/3), 0, 0)
B' = (√(2/3), 2, 0)
D' = (√(2/3), √2/3, 4/3)
E' = (√(2/3), √2/3, 1/3)