Math Problem Statement

How many times does the polar equation r=2+sin(θ) pass through x=1 in Cartesian coordinates?

Solution

To determine how many times the polar equation r=2+sin(θ)r = 2 + \sin(\theta) passes through the Cartesian coordinate x=1x = 1, we start by converting the polar equation to Cartesian coordinates.

The relationships between polar and Cartesian coordinates are: x=rcos(θ)x = r \cos(\theta) y=rsin(θ)y = r \sin(\theta)

Substituting rr into the xx equation: x=(2+sin(θ))cos(θ)x = (2 + \sin(\theta)) \cos(\theta) We want to find θ\theta such that x=1x = 1: 1=(2+sin(θ))cos(θ)1 = (2 + \sin(\theta)) \cos(\theta) This can be rewritten as: 2cos(θ)+sin(θ)cos(θ)=12 \cos(\theta) + \sin(\theta) \cos(\theta) = 1 Rearranging gives: sin(θ)cos(θ)=12cos(θ)\sin(\theta) \cos(\theta) = 1 - 2 \cos(\theta)

Using the identity sin(θ)=1cos2(θ)\sin(\theta) = \sqrt{1 - \cos^2(\theta)} can be helpful. However, it might be simpler to analyze the equation for intersections by substituting values.

Let's isolate sin(θ)\sin(\theta): sin(θ)=12cos(θ)cos(θ)\sin(\theta) = \frac{1 - 2 \cos(\theta)}{\cos(\theta)}

This leads to: sin(θ)=tan(θ)2\sin(\theta) = \tan(\theta) - 2

This equation will give us the possible values of θ\theta.

Finding the Solutions

Next, we can explore the range of θ\theta. The range of rr from the polar equation r=2+sin(θ)r = 2 + \sin(\theta) is from 11 to 33 as sin(θ)\sin(\theta) varies from 1-1 to 11.

Checking Points:

  1. For θ=0\theta = 0: r=2+sin(0)=2r = 2 + \sin(0) = 2 x=2x = 2.

  2. For θ=π2\theta = \frac{\pi}{2}: r=2+sin(π2)=3r = 2 + \sin\left(\frac{\pi}{2}\right) = 3 x=0x = 0.

  3. For θ=π\theta = \pi: r=2+sin(π)=2r = 2 + \sin(\pi) = 2 x=2x = -2.

  4. For θ=3π2\theta = \frac{3\pi}{2}: r=2+sin(3π2)=1r = 2 + \sin\left(\frac{3\pi}{2}\right) = 1 x=1x = -1.

Given that the curve oscillates with sin(θ)\sin(\theta), we can analyze the graph of rr and xx through a full rotation from 00 to 2π2\pi to find out how many times it crosses x=1x = 1.

Crossings through x=1x = 1

To confirm the crossings, we note that as θ\theta goes from 00 to π/2\pi/2, the value of xx decreases from 22 to 00, and then from π/2\pi/2 to π\pi, it increases back from 00 to 2-2.

This indicates:

  1. A crossing occurs as xx decreases from 22 to 00.
  2. A crossing occurs again from 00 to 2-2.

By symmetry, there will be two crossings in [0,π][0, \pi] and two more in [π,2π][\pi, 2\pi] due to the periodic nature of sin(θ)\sin(\theta).

Conclusion

Therefore, the polar equation r=2+sin(θ)r = 2 + \sin(\theta) passes through x=1x = 1 a total of 4 times in Cartesian coordinates.

If you have any questions or need further details, feel free to ask! Here are some follow-up questions:

  1. How does the shape of the graph change with different values of the coefficient in front of sin(θ)\sin(\theta)?
  2. What would be the intersections for r=1+cos(θ)r = 1 + \cos(\theta)?
  3. How do polar coordinates relate to complex numbers?
  4. Can you explain how to graph polar equations?
  5. What are other forms of polar equations and their intersections with Cartesian lines?

Tip: When analyzing polar equations, always consider converting them to Cartesian form for easier visualization and intersection analysis.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Polar Coordinates
Cartesian Coordinates
Trigonometric Functions

Formulas

x = r cos(θ)
r = 2 + sin(θ)

Theorems

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Suitable Grade Level

Grades 11-12