Chapter 3: Problem 64
Find an equation of the line \(l\) tangent to the graph of \(f\) at the given point. \(f(x)=\left(1+x^{1 / 3}\right)^{2 / 3} ;(-8,1)\)
Short Answer
Expert verified
The equation of the tangent line is \( y = -\frac{1}{18}x + \frac{5}{9} \).
Step by step solution
01
Find the Derivative
To find the equation of the tangent line, we first need the derivative of the function \( f(x) = (1 + x^{1/3})^{2/3} \) to determine the slope. Let \( u = 1 + x^{1/3} \). Then, \( f(x) = u^{2/3} \). The derivative \( f'(x) \) is found using the chain and power rules.First, differentiate \( u^{2/3} \):\[ \frac{d}{du}(u^{2/3}) = \frac{2}{3}u^{-1/3} \]Then, differentiate \( u = 1 + x^{1/3} \):\[ \frac{d}{dx}(1 + x^{1/3}) = \frac{1}{3}x^{-2/3} \]Now, apply the chain rule:\[ f'(x) = \frac{2}{3}(1 + x^{1/3})^{-1/3} \cdot \frac{1}{3}x^{-2/3} = \frac{2}{9} \cdot (1 + x^{1/3})^{-1/3} \cdot x^{-2/3} \].
02
Evaluate the Derivative at the Given Point
To find the slope of the tangent line at the point \((-8, 1)\), evaluate \( f'(x) \) at \( x = -8 \).Calculate: \( 1 + (-8)^{1/3} = 1 - 2 = -1 \), then \[ f'(-8) = \frac{2}{9} \cdot (-1)^{-1/3} \cdot (-8)^{-2/3}. \]Since \((-1)^{-1/3} = -1 \) and \((-8)^{-2/3} = \frac{1}{4} \), then:\[ f'(-8) = \frac{2}{9} \cdot (-1) \cdot \frac{1}{4} = -\frac{1}{18}. \]The slope of the tangent line is \(-\frac{1}{18}\).
03
Use the Point-Slope Form to Write the Equation
With the point \((-8, 1)\) and the slope \( m = -\frac{1}{18} \), use the point-slope form of a line:\[ y - y_1 = m(x - x_1) \]Substitute \( (x_1, y_1) = (-8, 1) \) and \( m = -\frac{1}{18} \):\[ y - 1 = -\frac{1}{18}(x + 8). \]Simplify:\[ y - 1 = -\frac{1}{18}x - \frac{8}{18} \]\[ y = -\frac{1}{18}x - \frac{4}{9} + 1 \]\[ y = -\frac{1}{18}x + \frac{5}{9}. \]This is the equation of the tangent line.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Tangent Line
A tangent line is a straight line that touches a curve at a single point. This line represents the instantaneous direction in which the curve is heading at that specific contact point. Think of it like a snapshot of the curve at just one moment. The key features of a tangent line are:
- It only intersects the curve at one specific point.
- At the point of contact, it has the same slope as the curve.
- The tangent line does not cross through the curve nearby the contact point but merely "touches" it.
Derivative Calculation
When discussing tangent lines, the derivative of a function becomes very important. A derivative is a tool in calculus that gives us the rate at which a function is changing at any given point. In simple terms, it tells us the slope of the tangent line to the curve at a specific point.
To find the derivative of a function, numerous techniques can be used. In the case of the function given in the exercise, we used the chain and power rules to differentiate. This involves:
To find the derivative of a function, numerous techniques can be used. In the case of the function given in the exercise, we used the chain and power rules to differentiate. This involves:
- Identifying components of the function that can be simplified.
- Applying mathematical rules like the power rule, which states that the derivative of \(x^n\) is \(n \cdot x^{n-1}\).
- Using the chain rule to differentiate composite functions, which are functions within functions.
Chain Rule
The chain rule is a fundamental tool in calculus used for finding the derivative of composite functions. A composite function is essentially a function inside another function, such as our example with \(f(x) = (u^{2/3})\) where \(u = 1 + x^{1/3}\).To apply the chain rule, you must:
- Identify the inner and outer functions. In this case, the outer function is \(u^{2/3}\), and the inner function is \(1 + x^{1/3}\).
- Differentiating each function separately.
- Multiply the derivative of the outer function by the derivative of the inner function. In our example, applying the chain rule means we first differentiate \(u^{2/3}\) and then multiply it by the derivative of \(1 + x^{1/3}\).
Point-Slope Form of a Line
The point-slope form is a way to write the equation of a line when you know the slope and a point on the line. It is particularly useful when you have already calculated the slope using the derivative of a function.The point-slope form is given by the equation:\[ y - y_1 = m(x - x_1) \]where:
- \(m\) is the slope of the line.
- \((x_1, y_1)\) is the point on the line.