Chapter 10: Problem 36
The tangent and the normal at a point \(\mathrm{P}\left(t, \mathrm{e}^{-t^{2} / 2}\right)\) on the curve \(y=\mathrm{e}^{-x^{2} / 2}\) meet the \(x\)-axis in \(\mathrm{T}\) and \(\mathrm{G}\) respectively, and \(\mathrm{N}\) is the foot of the ordinate from \(\mathrm{P}\). Show that \(\mathrm{G}=\left[t\left(1-\mathrm{e}^{-t^{2}}\right), 0\right]\) and if \(\mathrm{NT} . \mathrm{GN}=\mathrm{e}^{-1}, \quad\) find the length of \(\mathrm{PN}\). \((\mathrm{AEB})^{\prime} 75\)
Short Answer
Step by step solution
Define the point P and the curve
Calculate the derivative of the curve
Find the slope at point P
Write the equation of the tangent line
Write the equation of the normal line
Find the coordinates of N
Calculate the distances NT and GN
Use the given condition to find PN
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Derivative
For our example, the curve is defined by the equation: \( y = e^{-x^{2}/2} \). To find the derivative, we use the chain rule to differentiate with respect to \( x \):
\[ \frac{dy}{dx} = -x e^{-x^{2}/2} \]
This expression gives us the slope of the curve at any point \( x \). When evaluated at a specific point, it tells us how steep the curve is at that spot.
Equation of Tangent Line
\[ -t e^{-t^{2} / 2} \]
To write the equation of the tangent line, we use the point-slope form of a line equation:
\[ y - e^{-t^{2}/2} = -t e^{-t^{2}/ 2}(x - t) \]
This equation can be simplified to find where the tangent meets the x-axis by setting \( y = 0 \) and solving for \( x \). This intersection point is denoted as \( T \). By solving, we get:
\[ T = (t + e^{t^{2}}, 0) \]
Equation of Normal Line
\[ \frac{1}{t e^{-t^2 / 2}} \]
Using point-slope form, the equation for the normal at \( P \) is:
\[ y - e^{-t^{2}/ 2} = \frac{1}{t e^{-t^{2}/ 2}} (x - t) \]
To find the intersection with the x-axis, set \( y = 0 \) and solve for \( x \). This gives us the point \( G \):
\[ G = \bigg[ t \big(1 - e^{-t^{2}}\big), 0 \bigg] \]
Distance Calculation
\[ N = (t, 0) \]
Next, we need to compute the distances:
- Distance \( NT \): \( NT = (t + e^{t^2}) - t = e^{t^2} \)
- Distance \( GN \): \( GN = t - t(1 - e^{-t^2}) = t e^{-t^2} \)
Given the condition \( NT \cdot GN = e^{-1} \), we substitute the values:
\[ e^{t^2} \times t e^{-t^2} = e^{-1} \]
Simplifying this condition, we find:
\[ t = 1 \]
Finally, to find the length of \( PN \), which is the distance between \( P \) and \( N \), we use the y-coordinate of point \( P \) when \( t = 1 \):
\[ PN = e^{-1/2} \]