Find Tangent Line to Cardioid at (0, 0.5) Using Implicit Diff.

In summary, to find the equation of the tangent line to the cardioid at the point (0, 0.5), you use implicit differentiation and evaluate the derivative at that point. This gives you the slope of the tangent line, which can then be used in the point-slope form of the equation of a line to get the final equation.
  • #1
winslow
3
0

Homework Statement


Use implicit differentiation to find an equation of the tangent line to the cardioid at the point (0, 0.5).

x2 + y2 = (2x2 + 2y2 - x)2

Homework Equations



Derivative rules
point slope formula

The Attempt at a Solution



I got

y' = [16x3-4x2+16xy2-4y2-4y2-8x2+2x] / [2y - 16x2y-16y3+8xy]Now the equation of the tangent line should come out to y = x + (1/2)

Not sure exactly how it gets that I know you use point slope formula once you find the slope but I'm not sure how to simplify that down
 
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  • #2


winslow said:

Homework Statement


Use implicit differentiation to find an equation of the tangent line to the cardioid at the point (0, 0.5).

x2 + y2 = (2x2 + 2y2 - x)2


Homework Equations



Derivative rules
point slope formula

The Attempt at a Solution



I got

y' = [16x3-4x2+16xy2-4y2-4y2-8x2+2x] / [2y - 16x2y-16y3+8xy]
I'll take your word that the above is correct. Now evaluate the right side at (0, 1/2). That gives the slope of the tangent line to the cardioid at that point.

After you have this value, use the point-slope form of the equation of a line to get the equation of the tangent line.
winslow said:
Now the equation of the tangent line should come out to y = x + (1/2)

Not sure exactly how it gets that I know you use point slope formula once you find the slope but I'm not sure how to simplify that down
 

Related to Find Tangent Line to Cardioid at (0, 0.5) Using Implicit Diff.

1. What is a cardioid?

A cardioid is a mathematical curve that resembles a heart shape. It is formed by tracing a point on a circle as it rolls around a fixed circle.

2. What does it mean to find the tangent line to a cardioid?

Finding the tangent line to a cardioid means determining the line that touches the curve at a specific point and has the same slope as the curve at that point. This line represents the instantaneous rate of change of the curve at that point.

3. What is the significance of finding the tangent line to a cardioid?

The tangent line to a cardioid can provide valuable information about the behavior of the curve at a specific point. It can help determine the slope, direction, and concavity of the curve at that point and can be used to calculate other important values such as the derivative and rate of change.

4. What is implicit differentiation?

Implicit differentiation is a mathematical technique used to find the derivative of a function that is not explicitly defined. This is done by treating the dependent variable as a function of the independent variable and using the chain rule to differentiate the function.

5. How is implicit differentiation used to find the tangent line to a cardioid at a specific point?

To find the tangent line to a cardioid at a specific point, we first use implicit differentiation to find the derivative of the cardioid function. Then, we substitute the coordinates of the given point into the derivative to find the slope of the tangent line. Finally, we use the point-slope formula to write the equation of the tangent line.

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