Chapter 13: Problem 3
Find the curve's unit tangent vector. Also, find the length of the indicated portion of the curve. $$\mathbf{r}(t)=t \mathbf{i}+(2 / 3) t^{3 / 2} \mathbf{k}, \quad 0 \leq t \leq 8$$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The unit tangent vector is \( \frac{\mathbf{i} + t^{1/2} \mathbf{k}}{\sqrt{1 + t}} \), and the arc length is \( \frac{52}{3} \).
Step by step solution
01
Find the Velocity Vector
The velocity vector is the derivative of the position vector with respect to time. For \( \mathbf{r}(t) = t \mathbf{i} + \frac{2}{3} t^{3/2} \mathbf{k} \), differentiate each component: \( \mathbf{v}(t) = \frac{d}{dt}(t \mathbf{i}) + \frac{d}{dt}(\frac{2}{3} t^{3/2} \mathbf{k}) = \mathbf{i} + t^{1/2} \mathbf{k} \).
02
Calculate Speed
Speed is the magnitude of the velocity vector \( \mathbf{v}(t) = \mathbf{i} + t^{1/2} \mathbf{k} \). Calculate the magnitude: \[ |\mathbf{v}(t)| = \sqrt{1^2 + (t^{1/2})^2} = \sqrt{1 + t} \]
03
Determine the Unit Tangent Vector
The unit tangent vector \( \mathbf{T}(t) \) is the velocity vector divided by its magnitude. Thus,\[ \mathbf{T}(t) = \frac{\mathbf{v}(t)}{|\mathbf{v}(t)|} = \frac{\mathbf{i} + t^{1/2} \mathbf{k}}{\sqrt{1 + t}} \]
04
Set Up the Integral for Arc Length
The arc length \( L \) from \( t = 0 \) to \( t = 8 \) is found by integrating the speed: \[ L = \int_0^8 |\mathbf{v}(t)| \, dt = \int_0^8 \sqrt{1 + t} \, dt \]
05
Solve the Integral
Calculate \( \int \sqrt{1 + t} \, dt \) using substitution. Let \( u = 1 + t \), so \( du = dt \). The integral becomes:\[ \int \sqrt{u} \, du = \frac{2}{3} u^{3/2} + C \]Back-substitute \( u = 1 + t \):\[ \frac{2}{3} (1 + t)^{3/2} \]Evaluate from 0 to 8:\[ L = \left[ \frac{2}{3} (1 + t)^{3/2} \right]_0^8 = \frac{2}{3} [(1 + 8)^{3/2} - (1 + 0)^{3/2}] = \frac{2}{3} (9^{3/2} - 1^{3/2}) = \frac{2}{3} (27 - 1) = \frac{2}{3} \times 26 = \frac{52}{3} \]
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Velocity Vector
To better understand the concept of a velocity vector, think of it as a mathematical tool that determines both the direction and the speed of an object at a given point in time. For the curve given by the position vector \( \mathbf{r}(t) = t \mathbf{i} + \frac{2}{3} t^{3/2} \mathbf{k} \), the velocity vector is obtained by differentiating each component of the position vector with respect to time.
- The derivative of \( t \mathbf{i} \) with respect to \( t \) is \( \mathbf{i} \).
- The derivative of \( \frac{2}{3} t^{3/2} \mathbf{k} \) with respect to \( t \) is \( t^{1/2} \mathbf{k} \).
Arc Length
The arc length of a curve is a measure of the distance along the curve from one point to another. It can be envisioned as the length of a piece of string that perfectly follows the curve's path. To compute the arc length of the curve from \( t = 0 \) to \( t = 8 \), we can use integral calculus.
The formula for calculating arc length \( L \) is given by the integral of the speed over the specified interval:\[L = \int_{0}^{8} |\mathbf{v}(t)| \, dt\]Here, \( |\mathbf{v}(t)| \) represents the speed, which is the magnitude of the velocity vector. For this problem, it simplifies to the integral:\[L = \int_{0}^{8} \sqrt{1 + t} \, dt\]By evaluating this integral, the total arc length of the curve is found.
The formula for calculating arc length \( L \) is given by the integral of the speed over the specified interval:\[L = \int_{0}^{8} |\mathbf{v}(t)| \, dt\]Here, \( |\mathbf{v}(t)| \) represents the speed, which is the magnitude of the velocity vector. For this problem, it simplifies to the integral:\[L = \int_{0}^{8} \sqrt{1 + t} \, dt\]By evaluating this integral, the total arc length of the curve is found.
Integral Calculus
Integral calculus provides a method for calculating accumulations, like areas under curves or, in this case, arc lengths. To solve the integral for the arc length, we use a substitution technique to simplify the expression. The integral in this problem is:\[\int \sqrt{1 + t} \, dt\]Using substitution, let \( u = 1 + t \), then \( du = dt \). The integral becomes:\[\int \sqrt{u} \, du = \frac{2}{3} u^{3/2} + C\]Re-substituting back in terms of \( t \), we get:\[\frac{2}{3}(1+t)^{3/2}\]Evaluating this from \( t = 0 \) to \( t = 8 \) gives the final arc length.
Speed
Speed is the magnitude of the velocity vector and represents the rate at which an object is traveling along a path, regardless of direction. For the velocity vector \( \mathbf{v}(t) = \mathbf{i} + t^{1/2} \mathbf{k} \), the speed \( |\mathbf{v}(t)| \) is computed as follows:\[|\mathbf{v}(t)| = \sqrt{1^2 + (t^{1/2})^2} = \sqrt{1 + t} \]This expression quantifies how fast the position of the object described by the vector changes at time \( t \). Measuring speed is crucial as it gives insights into the dynamic nature of the object's motion over the path.