Math Problem Statement
The point P(1, 0) lies on the curve y = sin(14π/x). (a) If Q is the point (x, sin(14π/x)), find the slope of the secant line PQ (correct to four decimal places) for the following values of x: 1.5, 1.4, 1.3, 1.2, 1.1, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9. part b: By choosing appropriate secant lines, estimate the slope of the tangent line at P. (Round your answer to two decimal places.)
Solution
Let's approach the problem step by step.
Part (a): Calculating the Slope of the Secant Line PQ
The slope of the secant line PQ is given by the formula:
Here:
- is the fixed point.
- is the varying point.
So, the slope of the secant line can be expressed as:
This is because equals zero.
We will calculate the slope for each given value of :
Let's compute these slopes.Here are the slopes of the secant line for each value of , correct to four decimal places:
- : Slope =
- : Slope =
- : Slope =
- : Slope =
- : Slope =
- : Slope =
- : Slope =
- : Slope =
- : Slope =
- : Slope =
Part (b): Estimating the Slope of the Tangent Line at
To estimate the slope of the tangent line at , we observe how the slopes of the secant lines change as approaches 1 from both sides.
Notice the trend in the slopes as gets closer to 1. The sign changes and the magnitude increases significantly.
By choosing appropriate secant lines (particularly those closer to ), we estimate the slope of the tangent line as:
Given the results, a reasonable estimate for the slope of the tangent line at would be approximately .
This indicates that the tangent at might be horizontal.
Would you like more details on any of the steps? Here are some related questions:
- What happens to the secant slope if is very close to 1 from the left or right?
- How would the slopes change if the function were modified slightly, say ?
- Can the sine function influence the behavior of the tangent differently at different points on the curve?
- What is the relationship between the magnitude of the slope and the periodic nature of the sine function?
- Could there be a scenario where the slope of the secant line tends to infinity or negative infinity?
Tip: When estimating tangent slopes using secant lines, the closer the secant points are to the point of tangency, the more accurate the estimate.
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Math Problem Analysis
Mathematical Concepts
Trigonometry
Secant Lines
Tangent Lines
Formulas
Slope formula for secant lines
Estimating tangent slope using secant lines
Theorems
-
Suitable Grade Level
Advanced High School
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