VC.

01 Part A

Vectors and Parametric

Plotting
 Literacy Sheets
• Graded for accuracy and quality of explanations
– Unlike previous math classes, I will be reading through
all of your work in depth
– Some people forgot to do ENTIRE SECTIONS OF
PROBLEMS
– Some people left out ENTIRE PROBLEMS
– Some people didn’t attach or write names on additional
sheets
• You may resubmit your work by tomorrow
morning for regrading (1 time only deal)
Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.
Literacy Sheets
• In college, your problem sets are graded by TAs
whose entire scholarship is contingent on giving you
feedback on your homework.
– That means they usually grade quite carefully.
– However, if pages are missing or unlabeled, they probably
will not have time to put in the effort to find out whose
work got separated or had no name on it.
– I used to write my name and ID on every page I turned in
and wrote “1 of 9” “2 of 9,” etc.
• You don’t need to go quite that far this year, but stapling attached
pages and writing names on things is a good idea.

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U of I Grading Instructions for
Teachers
• Point Deductions
• 1. Omission of vital components in the answer response.
• 2. Arithmetic errors, transcription errors, and other small
glitches. Deductions are made once per small error even if
the error leads into more than one problem.
• 3. Lack of explanation of how the problem was completed.

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Types of Questions on Give-it-a-Try
Homework
• (A) Factual Questions. The response must include the
procedure to the answer, written as notes, shown with
Mathematica code, or a combination of both.
• (B) Plotting Tasks. The plot should be clear and
recognizable, with colors, line thickness and labels as
needed to identify the components of the plot.
• (C) Verbal Explanations. The response must integrate key
points in the current lesson that address the homework
problem.
• (D) Graphic Illustration. The key features of graphics must
be distinguishable. Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.
L.4 : Put x[t] = t and y[t] = Sin[t]. Sketch on the axes below the curve
traced out by {x[t],y[t]} as t advances from 0 to 2.

Good : Bad :

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L.7 : Come up with the specific values of the coordinates {x,y} of the
highest point on the curve parameterized by
{x[t],y[t]} = {te t ,1  t 2 } with    t  .

We are only interested in maximizing y(t), so set y'(t) = 0:

y'(t) = -2t
-2t = 0
t=0
y''(t) = -2, so the 2nd derivative test
verifies that y(t) has a local max at
t  0.
Highest point on curve occurs at t  0 :
(x(0), y(0))  (0,1)
More work = superfluous
Less work= incomplete
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L.8 : Put {x[r,t], y[r,t], z[r,t]}={1,0,1} + {r Cos[t], r Sin[t], 0}.
Describe what you get when you plot {x[r,t], y[r,t], z[r,t]}
for 0  r  2 and 0  t  2. Is this a curve or a surface ?
This is a filled-in disc of radius 2 parallel to the xy-plane and
centered at the point (1,0,1).
This is a surface since it is a two-dimensional creature
living in a three-dimensional world. Notice that you
needed two parameters (0  r  2 and 0  t  2) to
build this surface.

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L.8 : Put {x[r,t], y[r,t], z[r,t]}={1,0,1} + {2 Cos[t], 2 Sin[t], 0}.
Describe what you get when you plot {x[r,t], y[r,t], z[r,t]}
for 0  t  2. Is this a curve or a surface ?
This is a circle (not filled in) of radius 2 parallel to the
xy-plane and centered at the point (1,0,1).
This is a curve since it is a one-dimensional creature
living in a three-dimensional world. Notice that you
only needed one parameter (0  t  2) to
build this curve.

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L.8 : What relation does it have to what you said
immediately above ?

These two plots describe the same shape, but the first is the
whole disc including its exterior while the second is only the
boundary.

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L.10 : What would you plot in 3D to get a tube consisting
of the edges of all circles of radius 0.5 parallel to the xy-
axis and centered on the curve?
(x(t), y(t), z(t))  0.5(cos(s), sin(s), 0)
for 0  t  4 and 0  s  2

(x(t), y(t), z(t)) for 0  t  4 plots the circle centers in space

0.5(cos(s),sin(s),0) for 0  s  2 gets us the circles of

radius 0.5 parallel to the xy-plane.

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L.10 : What would you plot in 3D to get a horn consisting
of the edges of all circles parallel to the xy-axis and
centered on the curve?
(x(t), y(t), z(t))  rad(t)(cos(s),sin(s),0)
for 0  t  4 and 0  s  2

(x(t), y(t), z(t)) for 0  t  4 plots the circle centers in space

(cos(s),sin(s), 0) for 0  s  2 gets us the circles of

parallel to the xy-plane.

t2
rad(t)  for 0  t  4 controls the radius of the circles
6
to make a horn (doesn't have to be this exact formula, but
it should be something like this)
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 VC 1.09 Quiz, #6

We will solve this together in Mathematica :

Copy and paste:

x[t_]=t^2–2*t–E^(–11*t^2);
y[t_]=t^2–9t+1

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 Definition of a Vector
• A vector is a quantity that has both a magnitude and a direction
• Vectors encode more information than scalars (magnitude
without direction)
• Vectors can be represented in the plane as a directed line
segment (magnitude represented by length, direction
represented by arrowhead)
• Two vectors are equal if they have the same magnitude and
direction, but they don’t have to start from the same point

y z
v x
w
a
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 Example 1: Defining a Vector By Its
Tip and Tail
Describe each of the vectors
shown on the right.

These are all the same vector,

just with different tails/tips.

Tip  Tail  Vector

(4,5)  (0,0)  (4,5)
(3,7)  ( 1,2)  (4,5)
(6,3)  (2, 2)  (4,5)

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 Example 2: Defining a Line
Parametrically
a) Find the equation of the
line shown at the right.
Slope of Line?
5
4
Vector Through
Given Points?
(4,5)  (0,0)  (4,5)
Equation:
L(t)  (0, 0)  t(4,5)
t  (  ,  ) Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.
 Example 2: Defining a Line
Parametrically
b) Find the equation of the
segment shown at the right.
Slope of Line?
5
4
Vector Through
Given Points?
(6,3)  (2, 2)  (4,5)
Equation:
L(t)  (6,3)  t(4,5)
t  [0,1] Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.
 Example 2: Defining a Line
Parametrically
c) Describe a general formula :
Given two points on a line, P and Q, the parametric equation of the
line between them is given by the following formula:

L(t)  P  (Q  P)t
Starting point Vector between
the two points
To what formula from Algebra 1 is this one analogous? Why?
Describe the corresponding parts.

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 Example 2: Defining a Line
Parametrically
d) Find the equation of the
line through (2,1,0) and (6,0,6)
Vector Through
Given Points?
(6,0,6)  (2,1,0)  (4, 1,6)
Equation:
L(t)  (2,1,0)  t(4, 1,6)
t  (  ,  )

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 Example 2: V + W and V – W
Let V  ( 4,5) and W  (1, 3).
Find the following :
i) V  W :
(4, 5)  (1, 3)  (5,2)
W
V

VW
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 Example 2: V + W and V – W
Let V  ( 4,5) and W  (1, 3).
Find the following :
i) V  W :
(4, 5)  (1, 3)  (5,2)
ii) W  V :
(1, 3)  (4, 5)  (5, 2)
WV

V
W
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 Example 2: V + W and V – W
Let V  ( 4,5) and W  (1, 3).
Find the following :
i) V  W :
W
(4, 5)  (1, 3)  (5,2)
VW
ii) W  V :
(1, 3)  (4,5)  (5,2)
V
iii) V  W :
( 4,5)  (1, 3)  (3,8)

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 Example 2: V + W and V – W
Let V  ( 4,5) and W  (1, 3).
Find the following :
i) V  W :
(4, 5)  (1, 3)  (5,2)
ii) W  V :
W
(1, 3)  (4,5)  (5,2)
iii) V  W : WV
( 4,5)  (1, 3)  (3,8) V
iv) W  V :
(1, 3)  (4,5)  ( 3, 8)
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 Example 3: Dot Product
2D : V  W  (v 1 , v 2 )  (w1 , w 2 )  v 1 w1  v 2 w 2

3D : V  W  (v 1 , v 2 , v 3 )  (w1 , w 2 , w3 )  v 1 w1  v 2w 2  v 3w 3

Length of Vector : V  V  V

Distance Between Two Points, P and Q : (P  Q)  (P  Q)

Alternative Dot Product Formula : V  W  V W cos( )

(  is the angle between V and W)

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 Example 3: Dot Product
Find the angle between
V and W :
V  W  (2,5)  (5, 2)  0
0  V W cos( )    90
They are perpendicular! V
Theorem : If V  W  0,
then V  W.
(As long as neither V nor
W is a zero vector) Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.
W
 Example 4: Projection/Push
Let V  (1,5) and W  (6,6).
Find the following :
 VW 
i)  W :
WW
 (1)(6)  (5)(6)  1
 (6,6)  (6,6)

 (6)(6)  (6)(6)  2
 (3,3)
V W
ii) Interpret :
"The projection of V onto W"
 VW
W W W
"The push of V in the direction of W"

Is the push of V with or against W?

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 Example 5: Projection/Push
Let V  (1,5) and W  (2,2).
Find the following :
 VW 
i)  W :
WW
 (1)(2)  (5)(2)  3
  (2,2)  (2,2)
 (2)(2)  (2)(2)  2
 (3,3)
V
ii) Interpret :
"The projection of V onto W"
 VW
W W W
"The push of V in the direction of W" W
Is the push of V with or against W?
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 Example 6: Projection/Push
Let V  (1,5) and W  ( 1, 1).
Find the following :
 VW 
i)  W :
WW
 (1)( 1)  (5)( 1) 
 ( 1, 1)
V

 ( 1)( 1)  ( 1)( 1) 
6
  ( 1, 1)

 W
2
 (3,3) VW
ii) Interpret : W W W
"The push of V in the direction of W"
Is the push of V with or against W?
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