Chapter 3: Problem 31
Find an equation of the line \(l\) tangent to the graph of the equation at the given point. $$ x y^{2}=18 ;(2,-3) $$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The tangent line equation is \(y = \frac{3}{4}x - \frac{9}{2}\).
Step by step solution
01
Identify the Function and the Point
The function given is an implicit equation: \( xy^2 = 18 \). You are asked to find the tangent line at the point \((2, -3)\).
02
Differentiate Implicitly
Since the given equation is implicit, use implicit differentiation to find \(\frac{dy}{dx}\). Start by differentiating both sides of the equation \(xy^2 = 18\) with respect to \(x\). The left side becomes \(y^2 + 2xy \cdot \frac{dy}{dx} = 0\). The right side is constant so its derivative is 0.
03
Solve for \(\frac{dy}{dx}\)
From the differentiated equation \(y^2 + 2xy \cdot \frac{dy}{dx} = 0\), solve for \(\frac{dy}{dx}\):\[2x y \frac{dy}{dx} = -y^2 \]Then, \[\frac{dy}{dx} = \frac{-y^2}{2xy} = \frac{-y}{2x}\]
04
Evaluate the Derivative at the Given Point
Substitute \(x = 2\) and \(y = -3\) into \(\frac{dy}{dx} = \frac{-y}{2x}\) to find the slope of the tangent line:\[\frac{dy}{dx}\bigg|_{(2, -3)} = \frac{-(-3)}{2 \cdot 2} = \frac{3}{4}\]
05
Use the Point-Slope Form to Find the Tangent Line Equation
The point-slope form of the line equation is \(y - y_1 = m(x - x_1)\) where \((x_1, y_1)\) is the point \((2, -3)\) and \(m = \frac{3}{4}\). Substitute these values in:\[y + 3 = \frac{3}{4}(x - 2)\]
06
Simplify the Equation
Simplify the equation \(y + 3 = \frac{3}{4}x - \frac{3}{2}\) to obtain the tangent line equation:\[y = \frac{3}{4}x - \frac{3}{2} - 3\]\[y = \frac{3}{4}x - \frac{9}{2}\]
Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!
-
Full Textbook Solutions
Get detailed explanations and key concepts
-
Unlimited Al creation
Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...
-
Ads-free access
To over 500 millions flashcards
-
Money-back guarantee
We refund you if you fail your exam.
Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with 91Ó°ÊÓ!
Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Tangent Line
A tangent line to a curve at a specific point is a straight line that just "touches" the curve at that point. It doesn't cross the curve at that point and matches the curve's slope. By understanding tangent lines, you get a glimpse into how the function behaves at a specific point.
- Consider the curve given by the equation \( xy^2 = 18 \), and the point \((2, -3)\).
- The tangent line will have the same slope as the curve at this point.
- This slope is crucial because it shows the rate at which \(y\) changes with respect to \(x\), right at that point on the curve.
Point-Slope Form
The point-slope form of a line is a convenient way to write the equation of a line when you know one point on the line and the slope. The formula is \(y - y_1 = m(x - x_1)\) where \((x_1, y_1)\) is a point on the line, and \(m\) is the slope.
- For this exercise, the point \((2, -3)\) is given.
- The slope, found using the derivative at that point, is \(\frac{3}{4}\).
- By substituting these into the point-slope form, you derive the equation for the tangent line.
Derivative
A derivative indicates how a function changes as its input changes. It is essentially the slope of the tangent line at a particular point on a curve. Finding the derivative when dealing with implicit functions, like \( xy^2 = 18 \), involves implicit differentiation.
- Implicit differentiation allows us to find the derivative without explicitly solving for \(y\) in terms of \(x\).
- In this scenario, differentiating implicitly gives \(\frac{dy}{dx} = \frac{-y}{2x}\).
- This result helps in calculating the slope of the tangent line precisely where needed, here at the specific point \((2, -3)\).