Finding the equation of a tangent line in polar coordinates?

In summary, the question asks for the slope of the line tangent to the polar curve r=8sinθ at the point (4,5π/6). Using the formula for finding the slope of a tangent line in polar coordinates, we get a result of -√3. The second part of the question asks for the polar equation of the tangent line at the origin, which can be found by setting r=0 in the original equation and solving for the angle, which in this case is 0 radians. Therefore, the equation of the tangent line at the origin is r=0.
  • #1
Eclair_de_XII
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Homework Statement


"Slopes of tangent lines Find the slope of the line tangent to the following polar curves at the given points. At the points where the curve intersects the origin (when this occurs), find the equation of the tangent line in polar coordinates."

##7.## ##r=8sinθ;(4,\frac{5π}{6})##

Homework Equations


##\frac{dy}{dx}=\frac{f'(θ_0)sinθ_0+f(θ_0)cosθ_0}{f'θ_0)cosθ_0-f(θ_0)sinθ_0}##
Answers: ##-\sqrt{3};θ=0##

The Attempt at a Solution


##r=f(θ)=8sinθ##
##\frac{dy}{dx}=\frac{8cosθsinθ+8sinθcosθ}{8cos^2θ-8sin^2θ}=\frac{16cosθsinθ}{8(cos^2θ-sin^2θ)}=\frac{8sin2θ}{8cos2θ}=tan2θ##
##f'(\frac{5π}{6})=tan(\frac{5π}{3})=-\sqrt{3}##

So I got the first part down; I just need to know what they're asking when they say "polar equation of tangent line at origin." I could always graph this, but how would you go about solving for this polar equation of the tangent line without doing so? It doesn't really have a radius, since it has an arbitrarily long length, right? But it has an angle at which it touches ##(4,\frac{5π}{6})##. It's asking for when it touches the pole of the graph, though.
 
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  • #2
Wait, I think I just figured this out. When it intersects the origin, ##r=0##. So all I had to do was just set the initial equation ##r=8sinθ## to ##0=8sinθ## and the angle of the tangent line at ##r=0## is 0 radians. ##r## denotes the distance of the function from the pole, I think. Could someone check these statements for me? Thanks.
 

1. How do you find the equation of a tangent line in polar coordinates?

In order to find the equation of a tangent line in polar coordinates, you will need to first convert the polar coordinates to Cartesian coordinates. Then, you can use the slope formula to find the slope of the tangent line. Finally, you can use the point-slope form of a line to write the equation of the tangent line.

2. What is the point-slope form of a line?

The point-slope form of a line is y - y1 = m(x - x1), where (x1, y1) is a point on the line and m is the slope of the line. This form is useful for writing the equation of a line when given a point and its slope.

3. How do you convert polar coordinates to Cartesian coordinates?

To convert polar coordinates (r, θ) to Cartesian coordinates (x, y), you can use the following formulas: x = r*cos(θ) and y = r*sin(θ). These formulas use the Pythagorean theorem and trigonometric functions to find the x and y coordinates.

4. Can you find the equation of a tangent line at any point on a polar curve?

Yes, you can find the equation of a tangent line at any point on a polar curve by following the steps mentioned in the first question. The only difference is that you will need to use the specific values of r and θ for the given point.

5. What is the significance of finding the equation of a tangent line in polar coordinates?

Finding the equation of a tangent line in polar coordinates allows us to determine the slope and equation of the line that is tangent to a polar curve at a given point. This can be useful in understanding the behavior of the curve and solving related problems in calculus and physics.

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