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y − y0 = m(x −x0) .
One common error is to forget to substitute the particular value of x into the
derivative. If we’d made that mistake in the above example we’d have concluded that the
equation of the tangent is y − 6 = (6x − 4)(x − 1) = 6x2 − 10x + 4, which simplifies to y = 6x2 −
10x + 10. But this isn’t even the equation of a straight line. Always make sure that the “m” in
the equation is a constant – you must substitute for x in the derivative.
TANGENT AT A POINT
Find the equation of the tangent to y = f(x) at P(x0, y0).
P(x0, y0)
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Example 2: Find the equation of the normal to the curve y = x2 at x = 2.
Solution: When x = 2, y = 4 so the normal passes through (2, 4).
dy
dx = 2x. So the slope of the tangent at x = 2 is 4. The slope of the normal is therefore −¼.
The equation of the tangent is therefore y − 4 = (−¼)(x − 2) = −¼x + ½ . This simplifies to
x + 4y = 18.
NORMAL AT A POINT
Find the equation of the normal to y = f(x) at P(x0, y0).
P(x0, y0)
Example 3: Find the equation of the tangents to y = x2 + x that pass through (1, 1).
Solution: Let the point of contact be when x = t. The corresponding y-value is y = t2 + t.
So the tangent passes through (t, t2 + t).
dy
dx = 2x + 1. The slope of he tangent at x = t is 2t + 1.
The equation of this tangent is therefore: y − (t2 + t) = (2t + 1)(x − t).
But since the tangent has to pass through (1, 1) we must have 1 − (t2 + t) = (2t + 1)(1 − t).
Simplifying this we get t2 − 2t = 0 and solving, we get t = 0 or t = 2.
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When t = 0 the equation of the tangent is y − 0 = 1(x − 0), that is, y = x.
When t = 2 the equation of the tangent is y − (4 + 2) = 5(x − 2), that is, y = 5x − 4.
P(x0, y0)
(P does not lie on the curve.)
dy
dx = (differentiate).
Slope of tangent is m = (substitute x = t)
Passes through (x0, y0) so equation of tangent is:
y − f(t) = m(x − t) i.e. y− = (x − t)
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1
Exercise 5: Find the tangents to y = x that pass through (2, − 4).
Exercise 8: Find the equations of the three normals to y = x2 that pass through (0, 3/2).
[HINT: Proceed as for tangents passing through a point but use the slope of the normal instead
of the tangent.]
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1 1
The slope of the normal is – 3 so the equation of the normal is y – 5 = − 3 (x −2) which can be
simplified to x + 3y = 17.
Exercise 2:
dy dy
(i) dx = 2x − 3. When x = 4, y = 6 and dx = 5. The equation of the tangent is thus:
y − 6 = 5(x − 4) which can be simplified to 5x − y = 14.
dy 8 dy 1
(ii) dx = − x2 . When x = 4, y = 2 and dx = − 2 . The equation of the tangent is thus:
1
y − 2 = − 2 (x − 4) which can be simplified to x + 2y = 8.
dy 1 dy 1
(iii) dx = . When x = 4, y = 2 and dx = 4 . The equation of the tangent is thus:
2 x
1
y − 2 = 4 (x − 4) which can be simplified to x − 4y + 4 = 0.
dy 1 dy 1
(iv) dx = − 2 (x −3)−3/2. When x = 4, y = 1 and dx = − 2 . The equation of the tangent is thus:
1
y − 1 = − 2 (x − 4) which can be simplified to x + 2y = 6.
Exercise 3:
dy dy 1
(i) dx = x3. When x = 2, y = 5 and dx = 8. The slope of the normal is thus − 8 and so the
1
equation of the normal is y − 5 = − 8 (x − 2) which can be simplified to x + 8y = 42.
dy 1 dy 1
(ii) dx = . When x = 2, y = 2 and dx = 4 . The slope of the normal is thus − 4 and so
2 x+2
the equation of the normal is y − 2 = − 4(x − 2) which can be simplified to x + y = 10.
dy 1 x + 2(x − 1) 3x − 2 dy
(iii) dx = x . + 1. x − 1 = = . When x = 2, y = 2 and dx = 2.
2 x−1 2 x−1 2 x−1
1 1
The slope of the normal is thus − 2 and so the equation of the normal is y − 2 = − 2 (x − 2)
which can be simplified to x + 2y = 6.
Exercise 4:
Let the point of contact of the tangent be Q(t, t2 − 5t + 7).
dy
dx = 2x − 5 so the slope of the tangent at Q is 2t − 5.
The equation of the tangent at Q is thus y − (t2 − 5t + 7) = (2t − 5)(x − t).
Since this tangent passes through (2, 1) we have:
1 − (t2 − 5t + 7) = (2t − 5)(2 − t) which can be simplified to t2 − 4t + 4 = 0.
This gives (t − 2)2 = 0 so t = 2 is the only solution. There is therefore only one tangent through
(2, 1).
Substituting t = 2 into the equation of the tangent we get y − 1 = − (x − 2) which can be
simplified to x + y = 3.
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Exercise 5:
1
Let the point of contact of the tangent be Q(t, t ).
dy 1 1
dx = − t2 so the slope of the tangent at Q is − t2 .
1 1
The equation of the tangent at Q is thus y − t = − t2 (x − t).
Since this tangent passes through (2, − 4) we have:
1 1
− 4 − t = − t2 (2 − t) which can be simplified to 4t2 + 2t − 2 = 0. Dividing by 2 gives
2t2 + t − 1 = (2t − 1)(t + 1) = 0. This has two solutions: t = ½ and t = − 1.
1
Substituting t = 2 into the equation of the tangent we get y − 2 = −4(x − ½) which can be
simplified to 4x + y = 4.
Exercise 6:
Let the point of contact of the tangent be Q(t, t ).
dy 1 1
dx = − so the slope of the tangent at Q is − .
2 t 2 t
1
The equation of the tangent at Q is thus y − t =− (x − t).
2 t
Since this tangent passes through (1, 1) we have:
1
1− t =− (1 − t) which can be simplified to 3t − 2 t − 1 = 0.
2 t
Substituting T = t gives us 3T2 − 2T − 1 = (3T + 1)(T − 1) = 0.
1
This has two solutions: T = 1 and T = − 3 . But since T = t can’t be negative, T = 1 is the
only solution. It corresponds to t = 1.
1
Substituting t = 1 into the equation of the tangent we get y − 1 = − 2 (x − 1) which can be
simplified to x + 2y = 3.
Exercise 7:
dy
(a) dx = 6x2 – 30x + 23
dy
(b) If dx = –1 then 6x2 − 30 x + 24 = 0. Dividing by 6 gives x2 − 5x + 4 = (x − 1)(x − 4) = 0
so x = 1 or 4. When x = 1, y = 0 and when x = 4, y = − 30. So the required points are (1, 0)
and (4, − 30).
(c) The tangent at (1, 0) is x + y –1 = 0 and the tangent at (4, −30) is x + y + 26 = 0.
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(d)
x + y –1 = 0
26
x + y + 26 = 0
Consider the dotted line passing through (0,1) that cuts both lines at right angles. Now
the shaded right- angled triangle has a hypotenuse with the other two sides equal. Suppose the
lengths of these other two sides is x. Using Pythagoras theorem we have x2 + x2 = 25 which
25 5 5 2
gives x = = = . This is the distance between these two parallel tangents.
2 2 2
Exercise 8:
Let the normal be at the point Q(t, t2).
dy 1
dx = 2t so the slope of the normal at Q is − 2t .
1
The equation of the normal at Q is thus y − t2 = − 2t (x − t).
Since this normal passes through (0, 3/2) we have:
1
3/2 − t2 = − 2t (0 − t) which can be simplified to 2t3 = 2t.
This has solutions t = 0 and ± 1. (Don’t forget the t = 0 possibility. If you divided by t you
were ignoring this case.)
So there are three normals that pass though (0, 3/2). The normal for t = 0 is the y-axis, x = 0.
For t = 1 the normal is y − 1 = − ½ (x − 1) which can be simplified to x + 2y = 3.
For t = −1 the normal is y − 1 = ½ (x + 1) which can be simplified to x − 2y = −3.
Exercise 9:
The house is at the point (1, 0) so we want to find the tangents that pass through this point.
Let the point of contact of the tangent (the position of the train) be T(t, t2).
dy
dx = 2x so the slope of the tangent at T is 2t.
The equation of the tangent at T is thus y − t2 = 2t (x − t).
Since this tangent passes through (1, 0) we have:
0 − t2 = 2t (1 − t) which can be simplified to t2 − 2t = 0. The solutions for t are t = 0 or 2.
If t = 0 the train is at (0, 0), the station. Although the tangent at this point passes through (1, 0)
when the train is at the station the light might come through the side window of the house, but
not the front window. So we reject this case.
This leaves t = 2, which puts the train at (2, 4). The distance between the house at H(1,
0) and the train at T(2, 4) is (2 − 1)2 + (4 − 0)2 = 17 ≈ 4.123105626. Because of the scale
this represents 4.123105626 kilometres. Now it would be ridiculous to give the answer to such
a question to this degree of accuracy. After all the train and the house are rather large objects.
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Probably an answer to the nearest 10 metres is appropriate. So we give our answer as 4120
metres.
Question 10:
The cross-section of the mound is described by the equation y = 9 − x2 where the origin
is at the centre of the base of the mound. Distances are in metres.
The curve y = 9 − x2 cuts the x-axis at x = ±3 so the base of the mound is a circle with radius 3.
The top of the mound is at (0, 9) and the light is at (0, 12).
The furthest points of the shadow are where the tangent at some point cut the x-axis.
We don’t know where this point is, but we do know that the tangent passes through (0, 12). So
we want to find the equations of the tangents that pass through (0,12).
Let the point of contact of the tangent be T(t, 9 − t2).
dy
dx = −2x so the slope of the tangent at T is −2t.
The equation of the tangent at T is thus y − (9 − t2) = −2t (x − t).
Since this tangent passes through (0, 12) we have:
12 − (9 −t2) = −2t (0 − t) which can be simplified to t2 = 3. The solutions for t are t = ± 3 .
If t = 3 the equation of the tangent is y − (9 − 3) = −2 3 (x − 3 ) which can be
simplified to 2 3 x + y = 12.
12
This cuts the x-axis (y = 0) at x = . Multiplying top and bottom by 3 gives
2 3
x = 2 3 ≈ 3.464101615. This represents a distance of 3.46 metres from the centre of the base
of the mound (any greater accuracy wouldn’t be appropriate). But the mound has a radius of 3
metres so the furthest the shadow reaches from the base of the mound is 0.46 metres, which is
better expressed as 46 centimetres.
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