A curve CC has parametric equations
x=3t2,y=6t3,where t is a real parameter.x = 3t^2, \quad y = 6t^3, \quad \text{where } t \text{ is a real parameter.}

  1. (i)

    Sketch CC.

  2. (ii)

    Find the exact coordinates of the point PP on CC where the tangent is parallel to the line y=4−2xy = 4 - 2x.

  3. (iii)

    Show that the equation of the tangent to CC at the point Q(43,169)Q\left(\frac{4}{3}, \frac{16}{9}\right) is 9y=18x−89y = 18x - 8.

  4. (iv)

    The tangent at QQ cuts the xx-axis at the point RR. Find the area of triangle PQRPQR.

  5. (v)

    The tangent at QQ cuts CC again at the point SS. Find the coordinates of SS.

Work through it with AI →

It won't just hand you the answer — it asks where you're stuck.How the checker works

Worked solution

11(i)

1. Determine the domain, range, and Cartesian equation to establish the shape of the curve.

From x=3t2x = 3t^2, since tt is a real parameter, x≥0x \ge 0.
Expressing t2t^2 in terms of xx: t2=x3t^2 = \frac{x}{3}.
Substituting into the square of yy:
y2=(6t3)2=36t6=36(x3)3=43x3y^2 = (6t^3)^2 = 36t^6 = 36\left(\frac{x}{3}\right)^3 = \frac{4}{3}x^3
The curve exists only for x≥0x \ge 0 and is symmetric about the xx-axis.

2. Determine the gradient at the origin and sketch the curve.

dydx=dydtdxdt=18t26t=3t\frac{dy}{dx} = \frac{\frac{dy}{dt}}{\frac{dx}{dt}} = \frac{18t^2}{6t} = 3t
At the origin where t=0t=0, dydx=0\frac{dy}{dx} = 0, indicating a horizontal tangent (a cusp).
As t→∞t \to \infty, x→∞x \to \infty and y→∞y \to \infty.
As t→−∞t \to -\infty, x→∞x \to \infty and y→−∞y \to -\infty.
[Draw the axes, mark the origin, and sketch the two symmetric branches of the curve in the x≥0x \ge 0 region, getting steeper as xx increases.]

Answer

[Sketch of a curve in the first and fourth quadrants, symmetric about the xx-axis, starting with a cusp at the origin (0,0)(0,0) where it has a horizontal tangent, and opening to the right as xx increases.]

11(ii)

1. Differentiate $x$ and $y$ with respect to $t$ to find $\frac{dy}{dx}$.

dxdt=6t\frac{dx}{dt} = 6t

dydt=18t2\frac{dy}{dt} = 18t^2

dydx=dydtdxdt=18t26t=3t\frac{dy}{dx} = \frac{\frac{dy}{dt}}{\frac{dx}{dt}} = \frac{18t^2}{6t} = 3t

2. Equate the gradient of the tangent to the gradient of the given line to find $t$.

The gradient of the line y=4−2xy = 4 - 2x is −2-2.

Since the tangent is parallel to this line, their gradients must be equal:
3t=−23t = -2
t=−23t = -\frac{2}{3}

3. Substitute $t$ into the parametric equations to find the exact coordinates of $P$.

x=3(−23)2=3(49)=43x = 3\left(-\frac{2}{3}\right)^2 = 3\left(\frac{4}{9}\right) = \frac{4}{3}

y=6(−23)3=6(−827)=−169y = 6\left(-\frac{2}{3}\right)^3 = 6\left(-\frac{8}{27}\right) = -\frac{16}{9}

The exact coordinates of PP are (43,−169)\left(\frac{4}{3}, -\frac{16}{9}\right).

Answer

(43,−169)\left(\frac{4}{3}, -\frac{16}{9}\right)

11(iii)

1. Find the derivative $\frac{dy}{dx}$ in terms of $t$ using the parametric equations.

x=3t2  ⟹  dxdt=6tx = 3t^2 \implies \frac{dx}{dt} = 6t
y=6t3  ⟹  dydt=18t2y = 6t^3 \implies \frac{dy}{dt} = 18t^2
dydx=dydtdxdt=18t26t=3t\frac{dy}{dx} = \frac{\frac{dy}{dt}}{\frac{dx}{dt}} = \frac{18t^2}{6t} = 3t

2. Find the value of the parameter $t$ at the point $Q$.

At Q(43,169)Q\left(\frac{4}{3}, \frac{16}{9}\right), set y=169y = \frac{16}{9}:
6t3=1696t^3 = \frac{16}{9}
t3=1654=827t^3 = \frac{16}{54} = \frac{8}{27}
t=23t = \frac{2}{3}
(Check with xx-coordinate: 3(23)2=433\left(\frac{2}{3}\right)^2 = \frac{4}{3}, which is consistent).

3. Evaluate the gradient at $Q$ and formulate the equation of the tangent.

Gradient, m=3(23)=2m = 3\left(\frac{2}{3}\right) = 2

Equation of the tangent at QQ:
y−169=2(x−43)y - \frac{16}{9} = 2\left(x - \frac{4}{3}\right)
Multiply by 9 to clear the fraction:
9y−16=18(x−43)9y - 16 = 18\left(x - \frac{4}{3}\right)
9y−16=18x−249y - 16 = 18x - 24
9y=18x−89y = 18x - 8 (shown)

Answer

9y=18x−89y = 18x - 8

11(iv)

1. Find the coordinates of point $P$ based on the condition given in part (ii).

From the parametric equations, find dydx\frac{\mathrm{d}y}{\mathrm{d}x}:
dxdt=6t,dydt=18t2  ⟹  dydx=18t26t=3t\frac{\mathrm{d}x}{\mathrm{d}t} = 6t, \quad \frac{\mathrm{d}y}{\mathrm{d}t} = 18t^2 \implies \frac{\mathrm{d}y}{\mathrm{d}x} = \frac{18t^2}{6t} = 3t

The tangent at PP is parallel to y=4−2xy = 4 - 2x, which has a gradient of −2-2:
3t=−2  ⟹  t=−233t = -2 \implies t = -\frac{2}{3}

Substitute t=−23t = -\frac{2}{3} into the equations for CC:
x=3(−23)2=43,y=6(−23)3=−169x = 3\left(-\frac{2}{3}\right)^2 = \frac{4}{3}, \quad y = 6\left(-\frac{2}{3}\right)^3 = -\frac{16}{9}

So, PP has coordinates (43,−169)\left(\frac{4}{3}, -\frac{16}{9}\right).

2. Find the coordinates of point $R$, the $x$-intercept of the tangent at $Q$.

The equation of the tangent at QQ is given as 9y=18x−89y = 18x - 8.
To find where it cuts the xx-axis, set y=0y = 0:
9(0)=18x−89(0) = 18x - 8
18x=8  ⟹  x=818=4918x = 8 \implies x = \frac{8}{18} = \frac{4}{9}

So, RR has coordinates (49,0)\left(\frac{4}{9}, 0\right).

3. Calculate the area of triangle $PQR$.

The coordinates are P(43,−169)P\left(\frac{4}{3}, -\frac{16}{9}\right), Q(43,169)Q\left(\frac{4}{3}, \frac{16}{9}\right), and R(49,0)R\left(\frac{4}{9}, 0\right).

Notice that PP and QQ share the same xx-coordinate (43\frac{4}{3}), so PQPQ forms a vertical line segment.
The length of the base PQPQ is:
Base=169−(−169)=329\text{Base} = \frac{16}{9} - \left(-\frac{16}{9}\right) = \frac{32}{9}

The perpendicular height from RR to the line PQPQ is the horizontal distance between their xx-coordinates:
Height=43−49=89\text{Height} = \frac{4}{3} - \frac{4}{9} = \frac{8}{9}

Area of △PQR=12×Base×Height\text{Area of } \triangle PQR = \frac{1}{2} \times \text{Base} \times \text{Height}
Area=12×329×89=12881\text{Area} = \frac{1}{2} \times \frac{32}{9} \times \frac{8}{9} = \frac{128}{81}

Answer

12881\frac{128}{81}

11(v)

1. Substitute the parametric equations of $C$ into the equation of the tangent at $Q$.

The equation of the tangent at QQ is given as 9y=18x−89y = 18x - 8.
Substitute x=3t2x = 3t^2 and y=6t3y = 6t^3 into the equation:
9(6t3)=18(3t2)−89(6t^3) = 18(3t^2) - 8
54t3=54t2−854t^3 = 54t^2 - 8
54t3−54t2+8=054t^3 - 54t^2 + 8 = 0
Divide by 2 to simplify:
27t3−27t2+4=027t^3 - 27t^2 + 4 = 0

2. Solve the cubic equation for $t$ by using the known repeated root at the point of tangency.

Find the parameter tt at the point Q(43,169)Q\left(\frac{4}{3}, \frac{16}{9}\right):
3t2=43  ⟹  t2=49  ⟹  t=23 (since y>0)3t^2 = \frac{4}{3} \implies t^2 = \frac{4}{9} \implies t = \frac{2}{3} \text{ (since } y > 0 \text{)}
Because the line is tangent to CC at QQ, t=23t = \frac{2}{3} must be a repeated root of the cubic equation. This means (3t−2)2(3t - 2)^2 is a factor.
(3t−2)2=9t2−12t+4(3t - 2)^2 = 9t^2 - 12t + 4
By comparing coefficients (or long division), we factorise the cubic:
27t3−27t2+4=(9t2−12t+4)(3t+1)=027t^3 - 27t^2 + 4 = (9t^2 - 12t + 4)(3t + 1) = 0
For point SS, which is the other intersection point, we solve the remaining factor:
3t+1=0  ⟹  t=−133t + 1 = 0 \implies t = -\frac{1}{3}

3. Find the coordinates of $S$ by substituting the new value of $t$ back into the parametric equations.

Substitute t=−13t = -\frac{1}{3} into the parametric equations for CC:
x=3(−13)2=3(19)=13x = 3\left(-\frac{1}{3}\right)^2 = 3\left(\frac{1}{9}\right) = \frac{1}{3}
y=6(−13)3=6(−127)=−29y = 6\left(-\frac{1}{3}\right)^3 = 6\left(-\frac{1}{27}\right) = -\frac{2}{9}
The coordinates of SS are (13,−29)\left(\frac{1}{3}, -\frac{2}{9}\right).

Answer

(13,−29)\left(\frac{1}{3}, -\frac{2}{9}\right)

AI analysis — may contain mistakes.

Worked this one out on paper? Snap your steps and Gigle's AI math checker will circle the step where it went wrong.

More questions on this topic

  1. 1A curve CC has parametric equations x=2cos⁡θ+cos⁡2θ,y=2sin⁡θ−sin⁡2θ,x = 2\cos\theta + \cos 2\theta, \quad y = 2\sin\theta - \sin 2\theta, where 0<θ<2π0 < \theta < 2\pi…
  2. 2The parametric equations of a curve C are x=at,  y=at3x = at,\; y = at^{3}, where aa is a positive constant. The point P on the c…
  3. 3选修4−44-4:坐标系与参数方程 在直角坐标系xOyxOy中,曲线C1C_{1}的参数方程为{x=3cos⁡α,y=sin⁡α(α\begin{cases}x= \sqrt{3}\cos α, \\ y=\sin α\end{cases}(α为参数).).…
  4. 4The curve CC is defined by the parametric equations x=t−sin⁡tx = t - \sin t, y=sin⁡2ty = \sin^{2} t,   0≤t≤π\;0 \le t \le \pi. The point…
  5. 5A curve C is defined by the parametric equations x=θ2−1,y=tan⁡θ2,0≤θ<πx = \theta^2 - 1,\quad y = \tan\frac{\theta}{2},\quad 0 \le \theta < \pi…