Chapter 12: Problem 15
Find the curvature and the radius of curvature at the stated point. $$ x=e^{t} \cos t, y=e^{t} \sin t, z=e^{t} ; t=0 $$
Short Answer
Expert verified
Curvature is \( \frac{\sqrt{2}}{3\sqrt{3}} \); Radius of curvature is \( \frac{3\sqrt{6}}{2} \).
Step by step solution
01
Parameterize with respect to t
We are given parametric equations: \( x = e^{t} \cos t \), \( y = e^{t} \sin t \), and \( z = e^{t} \). The point of interest is where \( t = 0 \).
02
Compute the first derivatives
Calculate the first derivatives of \( x, y, z \) with respect to \( t \):\[ \frac{dx}{dt} = \frac{d}{dt}(e^{t} \cos t) = e^{t}\cos t - e^{t}\sin t \]\[ \frac{dy}{dt} = \frac{d}{dt}(e^{t} \sin t) = e^{t}\cos t + e^{t}\sin t \]\[ \frac{dz}{dt} = \frac{d}{dt}(e^{t}) = e^{t} \]
03
Compute the second derivatives
Calculate the second derivatives:\[ \frac{d^2x}{dt^2} = \frac{d}{dt}(e^{t}\cos t - e^{t}\sin t) = 2e^t\cos t - 2e^t\sin t \]\[ \frac{d^2y}{dt^2} = \frac{d}{dt}(e^{t}\cos t + e^{t}\sin t) = 2e^t\sin t + 2e^t\cos t \]\[ \frac{d^2z}{dt^2} = \frac{d}{dt}(e^{t}) = e^{t} \]
04
Evaluate the derivatives at t = 0
Substitute \( t = 0 \) into the first and second derivatives:\[ \frac{dx}{dt} \bigg|_{t=0} = 1 \quad \frac{dy}{dt} \bigg|_{t=0} = 1 \quad \frac{dz}{dt} \bigg|_{t=0} = 1 \]\[ \frac{d^2x}{dt^2} \bigg|_{t=0} = 2 \quad \frac{d^2y}{dt^2} \bigg|_{t=0} = 2 \quad \frac{d^2z}{dt^2} \bigg|_{t=0} = 1 \]
05
Calculate curvature
The formula for curvature \( \kappa \) in 3D is:\[ \kappa = \frac{\| \mathbf{r}'(t) \times \mathbf{r}''(t) \|}{\| \mathbf{r}'(t) \|^3} \]Calculate the cross-product using evaluated derivatives:\[ \mathbf{r}'(0) = (1, 1, 1) \quad \text{and} \quad \mathbf{r}''(0) = (2, 2, 1) \]\[ \mathbf{r}'(0) \times \mathbf{r}''(0) = \mathbf{i}(1 \cdot 1 - 1 \cdot 2) - \mathbf{j}(1 \cdot 1 - 1 \cdot 2) + \mathbf{k}(1 \cdot 2 - 1 \cdot 2) = -\mathbf{i} + \mathbf{j} + 0\mathbf{k} \]Magnitude of cross product:\[ \| \mathbf{r}'(0) \times \mathbf{r}''(0) \| = \sqrt{1^2 + 1^2} = \sqrt{2} \]Magnitude of \( \mathbf{r}'(0) \):\[ \| \mathbf{r}'(0) \| = \sqrt{1^2 + 1^2 + 1^2} = \sqrt{3} \]Finally, compute curvature:\[ \kappa = \frac{\sqrt{2}}{(\sqrt{3})^3} = \frac{\sqrt{2}}{3\sqrt{3}} \]
06
Calculate radius of curvature
The radius of curvature \( R \) is the reciprocal of curvature:\[ R = \frac{1}{\kappa} = \frac{3\sqrt{3}}{\sqrt{2}} \]
07
Simplify result
The radius of curvature simplifies to:\[ R = \frac{3\sqrt{6}}{2} \]
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Parametric Equations
Parametric equations are a way to represent a curve or a set of points by expressing the coordinates as functions of a parameter, typically denoted as \( t \) in mathematics. When we parameterize a curve, we can move smoothly along it by varying the parameter. This is particularly useful for representing curves in a 3D space, where each of the coordinates \( (x, y, z) \) is expressed as a distinct function of \( t \).
In the given exercise, the parametric equations are:
In the given exercise, the parametric equations are:
- \( x = e^{t} \cos t \)
- \( y = e^{t} \sin t \)
- \( z = e^{t} \)
Curvature Formula
Curvature gives us a sense of how a curve bends or twists in space. In a mathematical sense, it's a measure of the rate at which the direction of the curve changes. In the world of 3D space curves, curvature helps us understand the local shape of a curve at any given point.
In the original exercise, the curvature \( \kappa \) is calculated using the formula:\[\kappa = \frac{\| \mathbf{r}'(t) \times \mathbf{r}''(t) \|}{\| \mathbf{r}'(t) \|^3}\]This formula involves:
In the original exercise, the curvature \( \kappa \) is calculated using the formula:\[\kappa = \frac{\| \mathbf{r}'(t) \times \mathbf{r}''(t) \|}{\| \mathbf{r}'(t) \|^3}\]This formula involves:
- The cross product of the first derivatives \( \mathbf{r}'(t) \) and second derivatives \( \mathbf{r}''(t) \)
- The magnitude of the derivative vector \( \mathbf{r}'(t) \)
Radius of Curvature
The radius of curvature is a concept that provides a physical sense to the mathematical idea of curvature. It is essentially the radius of the osculating circle, the circle that closely "kisses" or matches the curve at a certain point. This makes it useful in understanding the 'tightness' of the curve's bend at that location.
In mathematical terms, the radius of curvature \( R \) is the reciprocal of curvature:\[R = \frac{1}{\kappa}\]Conceptually, the radius of curvature tells us how large or small a circle would need to be to best approximate the curve at that point. If a curve has a large radius of curvature, it means the curve is relatively flat at that point. Conversely, a small radius indicates a sharper bend. In the exercise, once the curvature was determined, calculating the radius of curvature involved this straightforward reciprocal relationship, further simplified to obtain the final expression for \( R \).
In mathematical terms, the radius of curvature \( R \) is the reciprocal of curvature:\[R = \frac{1}{\kappa}\]Conceptually, the radius of curvature tells us how large or small a circle would need to be to best approximate the curve at that point. If a curve has a large radius of curvature, it means the curve is relatively flat at that point. Conversely, a small radius indicates a sharper bend. In the exercise, once the curvature was determined, calculating the radius of curvature involved this straightforward reciprocal relationship, further simplified to obtain the final expression for \( R \).