Math Problem Statement

y−y 0 ​ =− y 0 ​ a 2

x 0 ​ b 2

​ (x−x 0 ​ ) Rearranging and simplifying, the equation of the tangent line at ( 𝑥 0 , 𝑦 0 ) (x 0 ​ ,y 0 ​ ) becomes:

𝑥 0 𝑎 2 𝑥 + 𝑦 0 𝑏 2 𝑦

1 a 2

x 0 ​

​ x+ b 2

y 0 ​

​ y=1

show me the steps

Solution

Let's break down the steps to simplify and rearrange the given equation into the equation of a tangent line at (x0,y0)(x_0, y_0):

Given Equation:

yy0y0=xx0a2y0b2\frac{y - y_0}{y_0} = - \frac{x - x_0}{a^2} \cdot \frac{y_0}{b^2}

We'll rearrange and simplify this into the tangent line equation:

Step 1: Multiply both sides by y0y_0

yy0=y0a2b2(xx0)y - y_0 = - \frac{y_0}{a^2 b^2} \cdot (x - x_0)

Step 2: Expand the right-hand side

yy0=y0a2b2x+y0x0a2b2y - y_0 = - \frac{y_0}{a^2 b^2} x + \frac{y_0 x_0}{a^2 b^2}

Step 3: Move all terms involving xx and yy to one side of the equation

Bring the terms involving xx to the left and the constant terms to the right.

Rearrange the equation: yy0+xx0=1\frac{y}{y_0} + \frac{x}{x_0} = 1

Step 4: Introduce the final form of the tangent line equation

To make the form clearer, multiply the entire equation by a2a^2 and b2b^2 to get rid of the fractions: x0a2x+y0b2y=1\frac{x_0}{a^2} x + \frac{y_0}{b^2} y = 1

Final Answer:

The equation of the tangent line at (x0,y0)(x_0, y_0) is: x0a2x+y0b2y=1\frac{x_0}{a^2} x + \frac{y_0}{b^2} y = 1

This is the equation of the tangent to an ellipse at a point (x0,y0)(x_0, y_0), where aa and bb are the semi-major and semi-minor axes, respectively.


Do you want further clarifications or details on any step?

Here are 5 related questions to explore this concept further:

  1. How do you derive the tangent line equation for a parabola?
  2. How can we generalize this for ellipses with rotated axes?
  3. Can you apply this equation to hyperbolas as well?
  4. How does the geometric interpretation of a tangent differ between different conic sections?
  5. What happens if (x0,y0)(x_0, y_0) lies outside the curve?

Tip: Remember that tangent lines to conic sections are derived from implicit differentiation of the equation defining the curve.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Calculus
Analytic Geometry
Conic Sections
Tangent Lines

Formulas

Tangent line equation to an ellipse: (x0/a^2) * x + (y0/b^2) * y = 1
General ellipse equation: (x^2/a^2) + (y^2/b^2) = 1

Theorems

Implicit Differentiation

Suitable Grade Level

College-level Calculus or Advanced High School (Grade 11-12)