0
Say you are given a function and an x value.
(1) First find the y coordinate that corresponds to that x value by plugging x into the function and simplifying to find y = some #. Now you have a point (x, y) that is not only on the function, but also on the tangent line.
(2) Take the derivative of the function.
(3) If the derivative still has xs in it, plug in the x value you were given and simplify. This should give you an actual number--the slope of the tangent line.
(4) From steps 1 and 3, you now have a point on the tangent line and the slope of the tangent line. Use these two things to write the equation for the tangent line in y=mx+b form (m is the sope, plug in the point you found, solve for b, then rewrite the equation replacing m and b but leaving in x and y).
Still curious? Ask our experts.
Chat with our AI personalities
Professor
Rene
DevinAdd your answer:
Earn +20 pts
How do you find x assume that segments that appear tangent are tangent?
A tangent refers to the way in which a curve is measured. The amount of deviation from the segment line is measures, then a formula applied to find the tangent.
In maths what is a tangent and what is a chord?
Tangent:In geometry, the tangent line (or simply the tangent) is a curve at a given point and is the straight line that "just touches" the curve at that point. As it passes through the point where the tangent line and the curve meet the tangent line is "going in the same direction" as the curve, and in this sense it is the best straight-line approximation to the curve at that point.Chord:A chord of a curve is a geometric line segment whose endpoints both lie on the outside of the circle.
The definition of external tanget?
An external tangent is a line that is tangent to both circles but does not pass between them.
How do you find whether a tangent line is vertical to a function?
A tangent line is NEVER vertical to a function. It is vertical to the normal to the function - which is as far from vertical as you can get!The graph of a function, f(x) can have a tangent at a point. Let's call the point (x0,f(x0)). If f'(x) goes to positive infinity or f'(x) goes to negative infinity as x approaches x0 then f(x) has a vertical tangent at that point.
Does a trigonometry tangent relate to a circle's tangent?
A circle's tangent is exactly the same as a triangle's tangent. If you look at a circle, you can make the radius the hypotenuse. Then make a vertical line from the point, and a horizontal line from the center. If you look, you have a triangle made inside the circle. This is why angles can be measured in radians, a unit that is derived from the circumference of a circle.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------By doing a little calculus, we find that the slope of the equation of a circle-the slope of the tangent line-is given by the tangent of an angle.AnswerEverything written above is correct, but doesn't have anything to do with tangents (in the circle sense of the word). Suppose you're given an angle theta. Draw a circle together with two radii, one horizontal and the other at an angle theta from the first one. (So far, this is the same as above.) Now draw the tangent to the circle at X, the point where the non-horizontal radius meets the circumference. Let Y be the point where this tangent meets the horizontal line through the centre. Then, assuming the radius is 1, tan(theta) is the distance XY, which is the length of part of the tangent.
