Denote by \(S\) the surface \(G(x,y,z)=0\) and by \(C\) the parametrized curve \(\vr(t)=\big(x(t),y(t),z(t)\big)\text{.}\) To start, we’ll find the tangent plane to \(S\) at \(\vr_0\) and the tangent line to \(C\) at \(\vr_0\text{.}\)
The tangent vector to
\(C\) at
\(\vr_0\) is
\(\left( x'(t_0)\,,\,y'(t_0)\,,\,z'(t_0) \right)\text{,}\) so the parametric equations for the tangent line to
\(C\) at
\(\vr_0\) are
\begin{equation*}
x-x_0 = t x'(t_0)\qquad
y-y_0 = t x'(t_0)\qquad
z-z_0 = t x'(t_0)
\tag{E1}
\end{equation*}
The gradient
\(\left(\pdiff{G}{x}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\,,\,
\pdiff{G}{y}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\,,\,
\pdiff{G}{z}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\right)\) is a normal vector to the surface
\(S\) at
\((x_0,y_0,z_0)\text{.}\) So the tangent plane to the surface
\(S\) at
\((x_0,y_0,z_0)\) is
\begin{align*}
&\left(\pdiff{G}{x}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\,,\,
\pdiff{G}{y}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\,,\,
\pdiff{G}{z}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\right) \cdot\\
&\hskip2in\left( x-x_0\,,\, y-y_0\,,\,z-z_0\right) = 0
\end{align*}
or
\begin{align*}
&\pdiff{G}{x}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\ (x-x_0)
+\pdiff{G}{y}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\ (y-y_0)\\
&\hskip2in+\pdiff{G}{z}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\ (z-z_0) = 0
\tag{E2}
\end{align*}
Next, we’ll show that the tangent vector \(\left( x'(t_0)\,,\,y'(t_0)\,,\,z'(t_0) \right)\) to \(C\) at \(\vr_0\) and the normal vector \(\left(\pdiff{G}{x}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\,,\,
\pdiff{G}{y}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\,,\,
\pdiff{G}{z}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\right)\) to \(S\) at \(\vr_0\) are perpendicular to each other. To do so, we observe that, for every \(t\text{,}\) the point \(\big(x(t),y(t),z(t)\big)\) lies on the surface \(G(x,y,z)=0\) and so obeys
\begin{gather*}
G\big(x(t),y(t),z(t)\big) =0
\end{gather*}
Differentiating this equation with respect to \(t\) gives, by the chain rule,
\begin{align*}
0&= \diff{}{t}G\big(x(t),y(t),z(t)\big)\\
&=\pdiff{G}{x}\big( x(t)\,,\,y(t)\,,\,z(t)\big)\ x'(t)
+\pdiff{G}{y}\big( x(t)\,,\,y(t)\,,\,z(t)\big)\ y'(t)\\
&\hskip1in+\pdiff{G}{z}\big( x(t)\,,\,y(t)\,,\,z(t)\big)\ z'(t)
\end{align*}
Then setting \(t=t_0\) gives
\begin{align*}
&\pdiff{G}{x}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\ x'(t_0)
+\pdiff{G}{y}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\ y'(t_0)\\
&\hskip2in+\pdiff{G}{z}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\ z'(t_0) = 0
\tag{E3}
\end{align*}
Finally, we are in a position to show that if \((x,y,z)\) is any point on the tangent line to \(C\) at \(\vr_0\text{,}\) then \((x,y,z)\) is also on the tangent plane to \(S\) at \(\vr_0\text{.}\) As \((x,y,z)\) is on the tangent line to \(C\) at \(\vr_0\) then there is a \(t\) such that, by (E1),
\begin{align*}
&\pdiff{G}{x}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\ {\color{blue}{\{x-x_0\}}}
+\pdiff{G}{y}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\ {\color{blue}{\{y-y_0\}}}\\
&\hskip2in+\pdiff{G}{z}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\ {\color{blue}{\{z-z_0\}}}\\
&=\pdiff{G}{x}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\
{\color{blue}{\big\{ t\,x'(t_0)\big\}}}
+\pdiff{G}{y}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\
{\color{blue}{\big\{ t\,y'(t_0)\big\}}}\\
&\hskip2in+\pdiff{G}{z}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\
{\color{blue}{\big\{ t\,z'(t_0)\big\}}}\\
&={\color{blue}{t}}\Big[\pdiff{G}{x}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\
{\color{blue}{x'(t_0)}}
+\pdiff{G}{y}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\
{\color{blue}{y'(t_0)}}\\
&\hskip2in+\pdiff{G}{z}\big( x_0\,,\,y_0\,,\,z_0\big)\
{\color{blue}{z'(t_0)}} \Big]\\
&=0
\end{align*}
by (E3). That is, \((x,y,z)\) obeys the equation, (E2), of the tangent plane to \(S\) at \(\vr_0\) and so is on that tangent plane. So the tangent line to \(C\) at \(\vr_0\) is contained in the tangent plane to \(S\) at \(\vr_0\text{.}\)