Two planes are parallel but distinct when they have the same or parallel normal vectors but their equations are not scalar multiples of each other. In this example, the two planes are [i]x[/i] + 2[i]y [/i]+ 3[i]z[/i] = -4 and 2[i]x[/i] + 4[i]y[/i] + 6[i]z[/i] = -12. Notice from the example how they have the same normal vector.[br][br]Rotate the view to get a better understanding of why the planes are parallel!