Converting Cartesian to Polar: Finding the Polar Equation

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Homework Statement


Find a polar equation for the curve represented by the Cartesian equation.

y=1+3x

Homework Equations


x2+y2=r2
x=Rcos(θ)
y=Rsin(θ)

The Attempt at a Solution


(1+3x)2+x2=r2
1+6x+10x2=r2
1+6rcos(θ)+10r2cos2(Θ)=r2
 
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Why are you squaring? This will give you a relation between x^2 and y^2, not x and y, and so not the original equation. Just replace "x" with r cos(\theta) and "y" with r sin(\theta) in the original equations.
 
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HallsofIvy said:
Why are you squaring? This will give you a relation between x^2 and y^2, not x and y, and so not the original equation. Just replace "x" with r cos(\theta) and "y" with r sin(\theta) in the original equations.

Oh thank makes a lot of sense. Thank you.
 
There are two things I don't understand about this problem. First, when finding the nth root of a number, there should in theory be n solutions. However, the formula produces n+1 roots. Here is how. The first root is simply ##\left(r\right)^{\left(\frac{1}{n}\right)}##. Then you multiply this first root by n additional expressions given by the formula, as you go through k=0,1,...n-1. So you end up with n+1 roots, which cannot be correct. Let me illustrate what I mean. For this...
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