Question 13 Marks
Find the slope of the normal at the point 't' on the curve $\text{x}=\frac{1}{\text{t}},\text{y}=\text{t}.$
Answer
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$\text{x}=\frac{1}{\text{t}}\text{ and }\text{y}=\text{t}$
$\frac{\text{dx}}{\text{dt}}=\frac{-1}{\text{t}^2}\text{ and }\frac{\text{dy}}{\text{dt}}=1$
$\therefore\frac{\text{dy}}{\text{dx}}=\frac{\frac{\text{dy}}{\text{dt}}}{\frac{\text{dx}}{\text{dt}}}=\frac{1}{\Big(\frac{-1}{\text{t}^2}\Big)}=-\text{t}^2$
Now,
Slope of the tangent = $\Big(\frac{\text{dy}}{\text{dx}}\Big)=-\text{t}^2$
Slope of the normal $=\frac{-1}{\text{slope of the tangent}}=\frac{-1}{-\text{t}^2}=\frac{1}{\text{t}^2}$
$\text{x}=\frac{1}{\text{t}}\text{ and }\text{y}=\text{t}$
$\frac{\text{dx}}{\text{dt}}=\frac{-1}{\text{t}^2}\text{ and }\frac{\text{dy}}{\text{dt}}=1$
$\therefore\frac{\text{dy}}{\text{dx}}=\frac{\frac{\text{dy}}{\text{dt}}}{\frac{\text{dx}}{\text{dt}}}=\frac{1}{\Big(\frac{-1}{\text{t}^2}\Big)}=-\text{t}^2$
Now,
Slope of the tangent = $\Big(\frac{\text{dy}}{\text{dx}}\Big)=-\text{t}^2$
Slope of the normal $=\frac{-1}{\text{slope of the tangent}}=\frac{-1}{-\text{t}^2}=\frac{1}{\text{t}^2}$