13.

4  Curvature and Normal Vectors of a Curve 779

EXAMPLE 6   Find N for the helix in Example 5 and describe how the vector is pointing.
Solution  We have
dT
dt
= -
1
2 a + b2
2
3 (a cos t)i + (a sin t)j4        Example 5
dT 1 a
` ` = 2a2 cos2 t + a2 sin2 t =
dt 2
2a + b 2
2a + b2
2

d T>dt
N =                       Eq. (4)
0 d T>dt 0

= -
2a2 + b2
a
# 1
3(a cos t)i + (a sin t)j 4
2a2 + b2
= -(cos t)i - (sin t)j.

Thus, N is parallel to the xy-plane and always points toward the z-axis.

Exercises  13.4
Plane Curves 7. Normals to plane curves
Find T, N, and k for the plane curves in Exercises 1–4. a. Show that n(t) = -g′(t)i + ƒ′(t)j and - n(t) = g′(t)i -
1. r(t) = t i + (ln cos t)j, -p>2 6 t 6 p>2 ƒ′(t)j are both normal to the curve r(t) = ƒ(t)i + g(t)j at the
point (ƒ(t), g(t)).
2. r(t) = (ln sec t)i + t j, -p>2 6 t 6 p>2
To obtain N for a particular plane curve, we can choose the one of
3. r(t) = (2t + 3)i + ( 5 - t 2 ) j n or -n from part (a) that points toward the concave side of the
4. r(t) = (cos t + t sin t)i + (sin t - t cos t)j, t 7 0 curve, and make it into a unit vector. (See Figure 13.19.) Apply
5. A formula for the curvature of the graph of a function in the this method to find N for the following curves.
xy-plane b. r(t) = t i + e2tj
a. The graph y = ƒ(x) in the xy-plane automatically has the c. r(t) = 24 - t 2 i + t j, -2 … t … 2
parametrization x = x, y = ƒ(x), and the vector formula 8. (Continuation of Exercise 7.)
r(x) = xi + ƒ(x)j. Use this formula to show that if ƒ is a
a. Use the method of Exercise 7 to find N for the curve r(t) =
twice-differentiable function of x, then
t i + (1>3)t 3 j when t 6 0; when t 7 0.
0 ƒ″(x) 0 b. Calculate N for t ≠ 0 directly from T using Equation (4) for
k(x) = . the curve in part (a). Does N exist at t = 0? Graph the curve
31 + (ƒ′(x)) 4
2 3>2
and explain what is happening to N as t passes from negative
to positive values.
b. U
 se the formula for k in part (a) to find the curvature of
y = ln (cos x), -p>2 6 x 6 p>2. Compare your answer Space Curves
with the answer in Exercise 1. Find T, N, and k for the space curves in Exercises 9–16.
c. Show that the curvature is zero at a point of inflection. 9. r(t) = (3 sin t)i + (3 cos t)j + 4tk
6. A formula for the curvature of a parametrized plane curve 10. r(t) = (cos t + t sin t)i + (sin t - t cos t)j + 3k
a. Show that the curvature of a smooth curve r(t) = ƒ(t)i + 11. r(t) = (et cos t)i + (et sin t)j + 2k
g(t)j defined by twice-differentiable functions x = ƒ(t) and 12. r(t) = (6 sin 2t)i + (6 cos 2t)j + 5tk
y = g(t) is given by the formula
13. r(t) = ( t 3 >3 ) i + ( t 2 >2 ) j, t 7 0
#$ #$ 14. r(t) = ( cos3 t ) i + ( sin3 t ) j, 0 6 t 6 p>2
0 xy - yx0
k = #2 # . 15. r(t) = t i + (a cosh (t>a))j, a 7 0
(x + y2)3>2
16. r(t) = (cosh t)i - (sinh t)j + tk
The dots in the formula denote differentiation with respect to t,
one derivative for each dot. Apply the formula to find the curva- More on Curvature
tures of the following curves. 17. Show that the parabola y = ax2, a ≠ 0, has its largest curvature
at its vertex and has no minimum curvature. (Note: Since the cur-
b. r(t) = t i + (ln sin t)j, 0 6 t 6 p vature of a curve remains the same if the curve is translated or
c. r(t) = 3tan-1 (sinh t) 4i + (ln cosh t)j rotated, this result is true for any parabola.)

M13_THOM9799_13_SE_C13.indd 779 04/04/16 3:43 PM

 780 Chapter 13: Vector-Valued Functions and Motion in Space

18. Show that the ellipse x = a cos t, y = b sin t, a 7 b 7 0, has its 28. Osculating circle  Find a parametrization of the osculating cir-
largest curvature on its major axis and its smallest curvature on its cle for the parabola y = x2 when x = 1.
minor axis. (As in Exercise 17, the same is true for any ellipse.)
19. Maximizing the curvature of a helix  In Example 5, we found COMPUTER EXPLORATIONS
the curvature of the helix r(t) = (a cos t)i + (a sin t)j + bt k In Exercises 29–36 you will use a CAS to explore the osculating circle
(a, b Ú 0) to be k = a> ( a2 + b2 ) . What is the largest value k at a point P on a plane curve where k ≠ 0. Use a CAS to perform the
can have for a given value of b? Give reasons for your answer. following steps:
20. Total curvature  We find the total curvature of the portion of a. Plot the plane curve given in parametric or function form over
a smooth curve that runs from s = s0 to s = s1 7 s0 by integrat- the specified interval to see what it looks like.
ing k from s0 to s1. If the curve has some other parameter, say t, b. Calculate the curvature k of the curve at the given value t0 using
then the total curvature is the appropriate formula from Exercise 5 or 6. Use the parametriza-
tion x = t and y = ƒ(t) if the curve is given as a function
s1 t1 t1
y = ƒ(x).
Ls0 Lt0 Lt0
ds
K = k ds = k dt = k 0 v 0 dt,
dt c. Find the unit normal vector N at t0. Notice that the signs of the
components of N depend on whether the unit tangent vector T is
where t0 and t1 correspond to s0 and s1. Find the total curvatures of turning clockwise or counterclockwise at t = t0. (See Exercise 7.)
a. The portion of the helix r(t) = (3 cos t)i + (3 sin t)j + t k, d. If C = ai + bj is the vector from the origin to the center (a, b)
0 … t … 4p. of the osculating circle, find the center C from the vector equa-
tion
b. The parabola y = x2, - q 6 x 6 q.
21. Find an equation for the circle of curvature of the curve 1
r(t) = t i + (sin t)j at the point (p>2, 1). (The curve parame- C = r(t0) + N(t ).
k(t0) 0
trizes the graph of y = sin x in the xy-plane.)
22. Find an equation for the circle of curvature of the curve r(t) = The point P(x0, y0) on the curve is given by the position vector
(2 ln t)i - 3t + (1>t) 4j, e-2 … t … e2, at the point (0, -2), r(t0).
where t = 1.
e. Plot implicitly the equation (x - a)2 + (y - b)2 = 1>k2 of the
T The formula
osculating circle. Then plot the curve and osculating circle
together. You may need to experiment with the size of the view-
0 ƒ″(x) 0
k(x) = , ing window, but be sure the axes are equally scaled.
31 + (ƒ′(x))2 4 3>2
29. r(t) = (3 cos t)i + (5 sin t)j, 0 … t … 2p, t0 = p>4
30. r(t) = ( cos3 t ) i + ( sin3 t ) j, 0 … t … 2p, t0 = p>4
derived in Exercise 5, expresses the curvature k(x) of a twice-differen-
tiable plane curve y = ƒ(x) as a function of x. Find the curvature func- 31. r(t) = t 2i + ( t 3 - 3t ) j, -4 … t … 4, t0 = 3>5
tion of each of the curves in Exercises 23–26. Then graph ƒ(x) together 3t
32. r(t) = ( t 3 - 2t2 - t ) i + j, - 2 … t … 5, t0 = 1
with k(x) over the given interval. You will find some surprises. 21 + t 2
23. y = x2, - 2 … x … 2 24.
y = x4 >4, - 2 … x … 2 33. r(t) = (2t - sin t)i + (2 - 2 cos t)j, 0 … t … 3p,
t0 = 3p>2
25. y = sin x, 0 … x … 2p 26.
y = ex, - 1 … x … 2
34. r(t) = ( e-t cos t ) i + ( e-t sin t ) j, 0 … t … 6p, t0 = p>4
2 7. Osculating circle  Show that the center of the osculating circle
for the parabola y = x2 at the point ( a, a2 ) is located at 35. y = x2 - x, -2 … x … 5, x0 = 1
1 36. y = x(1 - x)2>5, -1 … x … 2, x0 = 1>2
a- 4a3, 3a2 + b .
2

13.5  Tangential and Normal Components of Acceleration

If you are traveling along a space curve, the Cartesian i, j, and k coordinate system for
representing the vectors describing your motion is not truly relevant to you. What is mean-
ingful instead are the vectors representative of your forward direction (the unit tangent
vector T), the direction in which your path is turning (the unit normal vector N), and the
tendency of your motion to “twist” out of the plane created by these vectors in the direc-
tion perpendicular to this plane (defined by the unit binormal vector B = T * N).
Expressing the acceleration vector along the curve as a linear combination of this TNB
frame of mutually orthogonal unit vectors traveling with the motion (Figure 13.23) is par-
ticularly revealing of the nature of the path and motion along it.

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