Find the slope of the tangent at the given angle theta

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on finding the slope of the tangent line to the polar curve defined by R = 1/θ at θ = π. The user correctly computes the derivative of r as -1/θ² and applies the formula for the slope of the tangent line, but arrives at an incorrect answer of π instead of the expected -π. The error lies in the handling of signs after factoring out -1/θ from both the numerator and denominator in the slope formula.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of polar coordinates and curves
  • Knowledge of derivatives, specifically in polar form
  • Familiarity with trigonometric functions and their properties
  • Ability to manipulate algebraic expressions involving trigonometric identities
NEXT STEPS
  • Review the derivation of the slope formula for polar curves
  • Practice finding derivatives of polar functions
  • Study the properties of trigonometric functions at specific angles
  • Explore common mistakes in sign handling during algebraic manipulation
USEFUL FOR

Students studying calculus, particularly those focusing on polar coordinates and derivatives, as well as educators looking for examples of common errors in this area.

Frankenstein19
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Homework Statement


Find the slope of the tangent line to the give polar curve at the point specified by the value of theta R = 1/θ, θ=π

Homework Equations


##\frac{(dr/dθ)sinθ + rcosθ}{(dr/dθ)cosθ - rsinθ}##

The Attempt at a Solution


The derivative of r is -1/θ2

Then plugging things into the formula I get
##\dfrac{\dfrac{-1}{θ^{2}}sinθ +\dfrac{1}{θ}cosθ}{\dfrac{-1}{θ^{2}}cosθ -\dfrac{1}{θ}sinθ}##

then i take out a factor is -1/θ from both the denominator and numerator and get

##\dfrac{\dfrac{sinθ}{θ}+cosθ}{\dfrac{cosθ}{θ}-sinθ}##

then plugging in pi wherever thetha is and doing some math i get that its all equal to pi

the correct answer is supposed to be -pi

what am i doing wrong
 
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Frankenstein19 said:

Homework Statement


Find the slope of the tangent line to the give polar curve at the point specified by the value of theta R = 1/θ, θ=π

Homework Equations


##\frac{(dr/dθ)sinθ + rcosθ}{(dr/dθ)cosθ - rsinθ}##

The Attempt at a Solution


The derivative of r is -1/θ2

Then plugging things into the formula I get
##\dfrac{\dfrac{-1}{θ^{2}}sinθ +\dfrac{1}{θ}cosθ}{\dfrac{-1}{θ^{2}}cosθ -\dfrac{1}{θ}sinθ}##

then i take out a factor is -1/θ from both the denominator and numerator and get

##\dfrac{\dfrac{sinθ}{θ}+cosθ}{\dfrac{cosθ}{θ}-sinθ}##

then plugging in pi wherever thetha is and doing some math i get that its all equal to pi

the correct answer is supposed to be -pi

what am i doing wrong
Check the signs after the step "then i take out a factor is -1/θ from both the denominator and numerator and get"
 

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