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Math241 13.2

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11 views11 pages

Math241 13.2

Uploaded by

Lemona Thompson
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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13.

2 : Derivatives and Integrals of Vector


Functions

13.2 : Derivatives and Integrals of Vector Functions


Derivative of a Vector Function

Definition
Let r(t) be a vector function. Then

dr r(t + h) r(t)
= r0 (t) = lim
dt h!0 h
if this limit exists.

Theorem
If r(t) = hf (t), g (t), h(t)i where f , g , and h are di↵erentiable
functions, then
r0 (t) = hf 0 (t), g 0 (t), h0 (t)i.

13.2 : Derivatives and Integrals of Vector Functions


If f (x) is a di↵erentiable function, the derivative f 0 (x) is used to
define the tangent line to the plane curve y = f (x) at a given
point on the curve.
We can similarly use the tangent vector to define the tangent line
to a parametrically defined curve at a given point.

Definition
Let C be a curve defined by the vector function r(t). Let P be a
point on C . The tangent line to C at P is the line through P
parallel to the tangent vector r0 (t).

13.2 : Derivatives and Integrals of Vector Functions


Example

Find parametric equations for the tangent line to the space curve
defined by r(t) = ht 4 1, t + 1, t 2 i at the point (0, 2, 1).

13.2 : Derivatives and Integrals of Vector Functions


Unit Tangent Vector

Definition
Let r(t) be a nonzero vector. The unit tangent vector T is the
unit vector that has the same direction as r0 (t):

r0 (t)
T(t) =
|r0 (t)|

Example Find the derivative of the vector function

r(t) = ht 2 2t, 1 + 3t, t 3 /3 + t 2 /2i

and find the unit tangent vector at the point where t = 2.

13.2 : Derivatives and Integrals of Vector Functions


Theorem
If |r(t)| = c for some constant c, then r0 (t) is orthogonal to r(t)
for all t.

Example r(t) = hcos t, sin ti


p
|r(t)| = cos2 t + sin2 t = 1
r0 (t) = h sin t, cos ti
r(t) · r0 (t) = sin t cos t + sin t cos t = 0

13.2 : Derivatives and Integrals of Vector Functions


Integrals

Let r(t) = hf (t), g (t), h(t)i. Then

Z b ✓Z b ◆ ✓Z b ◆ ✓Z b ◆
r(t) dt = f (t) dt i + g (t) dt j + h(t) dt k
a a a a

Example Find r(t) if r0 (t) = ti + e t j + te t k and r(0) = i + j + k.

13.2 : Derivatives and Integrals of Vector Functions

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