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Calculus: Notes: Instantaneous Velocity and Slope of The Tangent Line

A tangent line is a straight line that just barely touches a curve at one point. The idea is that the tangent line and the curve are both going in the same direction at the point of contact.

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33 views

Calculus: Notes: Instantaneous Velocity and Slope of The Tangent Line

A tangent line is a straight line that just barely touches a curve at one point. The idea is that the tangent line and the curve are both going in the same direction at the point of contact.

Uploaded by

MR éxypnos
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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Calculus

Notes: Instantaneous Velocity and Slope of the Tangent Line


(Q.) A small rocket is launched vertically upward with an initial velocity 80 feet per second. Its
height after t seconds is given by h(t) = 80t ! 16t 2 . What is the instantaneous velocity of the
rocket at t = 1 ?

slope of secant line slope of tangent line


= average velocity = instantaneous velocity

Average Velocity from t = 1 to t = 2.5


h(2.5) ! h(1) 100 ! 64
Vave = = " 24 ft/sec
2.5 ! 1 1.5

Average Velocity from t = 1 to t = 2


h(2) ! h(1) 96 ! 64
Vave = = " 38 ft/sec
2 !1 1

Average Velocity from t = 1 to t = 1.5


h(1.5) ! h(1) 84 ! 64
Vave = = " 40 ft/sec
1.5 ! 1 0.5

1
Average Velocity from t = 1 to t = 1.1
h(1.1) ! h(1) 68.64 ! 64
Vave = = " 46.4 ft/sec
1.1 ! 1 0.1

Average Velocity from t = 1 to t = 1.01


h(1.01) ! h(1) 64.4784 ! 64
Vave = = " 47.84 ft/sec
1.01 ! 1 0.01

Average Velocity from t = 1 to t = 1.001


h(1.001) ! h(1) 64.047984 ! 64
Vave = = " 47.984 ft/sec
1.001 ! 1 0.001

Average Velocity from t = 1 to t = 1.0001


h(1.0001) ! h(1) 64.0479984 ! 64
Vave = = " 47.9984 ft/sec
1.0001 ! 1 0.0001

slope of tangent line at t = 1 is 48

Answer: The instantaneous velocity at t = 1


h(t) " h(1)
v(1) = lim = 48 ft/sec
t !1 t "1

2
[How to find the slope of the line tangent to the curve y = f (x) at x = a]
Given a curve y = f (x) . When x =a, we have a point P = ( a, f (a)) . And now pick a
f (x) ! f (a)
random point Q = ( x, f (x)) . The slope of PQ is
x!a
y = f (x)
f (x) ! f (a)
mPQ =
x!a

Q = ( x, f (x))

P = ( a, f (a))

a x

As we can see below, if we move the point Q (along the curve) closer and closer to P (i.e.
we want x to be closer and closer to a, but NOT equal to a), then line PQ is becoming more
and more like the line tangent to curve at x = a
y = f (x) y = f (x) y = f (x)

Q
P P Q P
Q

a x a x ax

Thus, we know the slope of the line tangent to the curve y = f (x) at x = a must be the limit
of the slope of the line PQ (since the slope of PQ, as Q comes closer and closer to P, is
approaching the slope of the tangent line)

y = f (x)

Definition (1)

Slope of the line tangent f (x) " f (a)


to y = f (x) at x = a
= f '(a) = lim
x!a x"a
a

3
Another Look:
Let h be the difference of the x-coordinate from P to Q. Now we will write Q as
f (a + h) ! f (a) f (a + h) ! f (a)
( a + h, f (a + h)) . So the slope of the line PQ is =
(a + h) ! a h
y = f (x)

f (a + h) ! f (a)
mPQ =
h

Q = ( a + h, f (a + h))

P = ( a, f (a))

a a+h

We want Q to come closer and closer to P, (i.e. we want h to be as small as possible, but
NOT equal to 0)
y = f (x) y = f (x) y = f (x)

Q
P P Q P
Q

a a+h a a+h

Here is another way to express the slope of the line tangent to y = f (x) at x = a

y = f (x)

Definition (2)

Slope of the line tangent f (a + h) " f (a)


to y = f (x) at x = a
= f '(a) = lim
h!0 h
a

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