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CHAPTER 2. VECTOR FUNCTIONS

2.4

Tangent, Normal and Binormal Vectors

Three vectors play an important role when studying the motion of an object along a space curve. These vectors are the unit tangent vector, the principal normal vector and the binormal vector. We have already dened the unit tangent vector. In this section, we dene the other two vectors. Let us start by reviewing the denition of the unit tangent vector. Denition 147 (Unit Tangent Vector) Let C be a smooth curve with posi! tion vector ! r (t). The unit tangent vector, denoted T (t) is dened to be ! ! r 0 (t) T (t) = !0 k r (t)k

2.4.1

Normal and Binormal Vectors

Denition 148 (Normal Vector) Let C be a smooth curve with position vector ! r (t). The principal normal vector or simply the normal vector, denoted ! N (t) is dened to be: !0 ! T (t) N (t) = ! (2.13) T 0 (t) The name of this vector suggests that it is normal to something, the question ! ! is to what? By denition, T is a unit vector, that is T (t) = 1. From ! ! ! ! proposition 120, it follows that T 0 (t) ? T (t). Thus, N (t) ? T (t). In fact, ! ! N (t) is a unit vector, perpendicular to T pointing in the direction where the curve is bending. Denition 149 (Binormal Vector) Let C be a smooth curve with position ! vector ! r (t). The binormal vector, denoted B (t), is dened to be ! ! B (t) = T (t) ! N (t)

! ! Since both T (t) and N (t) are unit vectors and perpendicular, it follows that ! ! ! B (t) is also a unit vector. It is perpendicular to both T (t) and N (t). Example 150 Consider the circular helix ! r (t) = hcos t; sin t; ti. Find the unit tangent, normal and binormal vectors. ! ! r 0 (t) Unit Tangent: Since T (t) = !0 , we need to compute ! r 0 (t) and k r (t)k k! r 0 (t)k. ! r 0 (t) = h sin t; cos t; 1i

2.4. TANGENT, NORMAL AND BINORMAL VECTORS and ! r 0 (t) Thus = = ! T (t) = p p sin2 t + cos2 t + 1

91

sin t cos t 1 p ; p ;p 2 2 2

!0 ! ! ! T (t) , we need to compute T 0 (t) and T 0 (t) . Normal: Since N (t) = ! T 0 (t) !0 T (t) = and !0 T (t) = = Thus Binormal: ! ! T (t) N (t) sin t cos t 1 p ; p ;p = 2 2 2 ! sin t cos t 1 p ; p ;p B (t) = 2 2 2 = ! B (t) s cos2 t sin2 t + 2 2 sin t cos t p ; p ;0 2 2

1 p 2 sin t; 0i

! N (t) = h cos t;

h cos t;

sin t; 0i

The pictures below (gures 2.5, 2.6 and 2.7) show the helix for t 2 [0; 2 ] ! ! ! as well as the three vectors T (t), N (t) and B (t) plotted for various values of t. If the three vectors do not appear to be exactly orthogonal, it is because the scale is not the same in the x; y and z directions.

2.4.2

Osculating and Normal Planes

Denition 151 (Osculating and Normal Planes) Let C be a smooth curve with position vector ! r (t). Let P be a point on the curve corresponding to ! r (t0 ) for some value of t. ! ! 1. The plane through P determined by N (t0 ) and B (t0 ) is called the normal ! plane of C at P . Note that its normal will be T (t).

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CHAPTER 2. VECTOR FUNCTIONS

! ! ! Figure 2.5: Helix and the vectors T (0), N (0) and B (0)

! ! ! Figure 2.6: Helix and the vectors T (1), N (1) and B (1)

2.4. TANGENT, NORMAL AND BINORMAL VECTORS

93

! ! ! Figure 2.7: Helix and the vectors T (4), N (4) and B (4)

! ! 2. The plane through P determined by T (t0 ) and N (t0 ) is called the oscu! lating plane of C at P . Note that its normal will be B (t). Example 152 Find the normal and osculating planes to the helix given by ! . r (t) = hcos t; sin t; ti at the point 0; 1; 2 Earlier, we found that ! T (t) = sin t cos t 1 p ; p ;p 2 2 2 sin t; 0i

! N (t) = h cos t; and ! B (t) = At the point 0; 1; sin t p ; 2 2

cos t 1 p ;p 2 2 , we have

, that is when t = ! T =

2 ! N 2

1 1 p ; 0; p 2 2 = h0; 1; 0i

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CHAPTER 2. VECTOR FUNCTIONS

! B

1 1 p ; 0; p 2 2 0; 1; 2 ! with normal T 2 =

Normal Plane: It is the plane through 1 1 p ; 0; p . Thus its equation is 2 2

1 1 p (x 0) + p z 2 2 p Multiplying each side by 2 gives (x or z x= 2 0) + z 2

=0

=0

Osculating Plane: It is the plane through 0; 1; 1 1 p ; 0; p 2 2 Thus its equation is

! with normal B

1 1 p (x 0) + p z 2 2 p Multiplying each side by 2 gives (x or x+z = 2 0) + z 2

=0

=0

Make sure you have read, studied and understood what was done above before attempting the problems.

2.4.3

Problems

Do # 11, 13, 37, 39, 43 at the end of 10.3 in your book