Monday, September 27, 2010

Week 5 Prompt

How do you find the equation of a tangent line? how does it differ from a regular derivative. Give an example of finding an equation of a tangent line and an example of finding a regular derivative. Include the directions that would be given with each problem.

5 comments:

  1. The difference of find a tangent line and just a derivative is when your solving to find a tangent line once you get your derivative you have to keep going till its in point slope form. When you’re trying to find the equation of a tangent line you start by taking the derivative. once you have your derivative you plug in the x-value. If you’re not given a y-value, plug x-value into the original equation to get your y-value. Then plug the values you got for y, x, and slope into point slope form. Here an example:
    Find an equation of the tangent line of f(x)=x² when x= -2
    F(x)=2x
    M=2(-2)
    X= -4
    (-2,4)
    Y= (-2)²
    Y= 4
    y- 4= -4(x+2)
    to find a derivative you use the power and constant rules. The constant rule states that the derivative of any constant is 0. the power rule states that whatever the exponent is on a variable you pull it to the front and the exponent subtracted by one. nx^n-1
    f(x)= x^3
    f(x)= 3x²

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  2. To find an equation of a tangent line, you must take the derivative of the function and plug in the x-value. (If not given a y-value, plug into the original equation to get the y-value.) Then plug the values into point slope which is: y - y1 = m(x - x1)
    Example: Find an equation of the tangent line to the graph of f at the given point
    f(x) = x/x+4, (-5, 5)
    = (x+4)(1) -[(x)(1)] / (x+4)^2
    = x+4-x / (x+4)^2
    = 4/(x+4)^2
    m = 4/(-5+4)^2 = 4/1^2 = 4
    point slope: y - 5 = 4(x + 5)

    To find a regular derivative you can use the whole limit process or the shortcut.
    Example:
    use shortcut
    f(x) = x^2
    = 2x

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  3. When finding the equation of a tangent line, you first have to find the derivative. unlike finding you when you would stop at that there are more steps to find a tangent line.

    after you have the derivative, you then move forward to plug in the x value from the
    point given and find the slope of the tangent line.
    after doing so you plug in the point slope formula getting your final answer.

    Example of finding a derivative:

    3x^2

    here using the shortcut would be best.

    3(2x)
    this answer would be 6x.

    if you wanted to find the tangent line
    from here you would do so:

    the point is (-2,1)

    6(-2)
    =-12

    y-1=-12(X+2)

    this is the equation of the tangent line.

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  4. To find the equation of a tangent line you first take the derivative and plug in the x-value. If you are not given a y-value, plug into the original equation to get the y-value. Then plug these values into the point slope formula. The difference between this and a regular derivative is that when you take a regular derivative you only take the derivative and don't plug in anything.

    Find an equation of the tangent line to the graph of the function f(x)=x^2+6x+3 at the point (-4,-5).

    Derivative= 2x+6
    Plug in -4 for x and you get -2
    then plug into point slope form and you get y+5=-2(x+4)
    y=-2x-8

    Finding the derivative:

    Find the derivative of the function:
    x^4+3x

    Use the shortcut-take exponent and move to front of (x), then subtract the exponent by one.

    4x^3+3

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  5. To find an equation of a tangent line, you must take the derivative of the function and plug in the x-value. If you are not given a y-value, plug into the original equation to get the y-value. Then plug these values into the point slope formula. The point slope which is: y - y1 = m(x - x1.
    To find a regular derivative you can use the whole limit process or the shortcut.

    ReplyDelete