VC.

01 Part B

Vectors and Parametric

Plotting
 VC.01 Part B

• G4, G5, G7, G8 are all due by the

start
of class next Thursday
•The quiz is cumulative over all of
VC.01
•Make sure you read the Basics
AND the Tutorials for this homework
assignment Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.
 Example 1: Particle Path, Velocity,
and Acceleration
A particle's position is described by the equation:
P(t)  (8 cos(t),3sin(t))

Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.

 Example 1: Particle Path, Velocity,
and Acceleration
A particle's position is described by the equation:
P(t)  (8 cos(t),3sin(t))
Its velocity is the derivative of the position function:
P'(t)  v(t)  ( 8 sin(t),3cos(t))
Its acceleration is the derivative of the velocity function:
P''(t)  a(t)  ( 8 cos(t), 3sin(t))

Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.

 Example 1: Particle Path, Velocity,
and Acceleration
Velocity and acceleration P(t)  (8 cos(t),3sin(t))
vectors at t  0s :
v(t)  ( 8 sin(t),3cos(t))

At t  s : a(t)  ( 8 cos(t), 3sin(t))
6
At various other t values :

Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.

 Example 1: Particle Path, Velocity,
and Acceleration
Velocity and acceleration P(t)  (8 cos(t),3sin(t))
vectors at t  0s :
v(t)  ( 8 sin(t),3cos(t))

At t  s : a(t)  ( 8 cos(t), 3sin(t))
6
At various other t values :

Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.

 Example 1: Particle Path, Velocity,
and Acceleration
Velocity and acceleration P(t)  (8 cos(t),3sin(t))
vectors at t  0s :
v(t)  ( 8 sin(t),3cos(t))

At t  s : a(t)  ( 8 cos(t), 3sin(t))
6
At various other t values :

Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.

 Example 1: Particle Path, Velocity,
and Acceleration
Velocity and acceleration P(t)  (8 cos(t),3sin(t))
vectors at t  0s :
v(t)  ( 8 sin(t),3cos(t))

At t  s : a(t)  ( 8 cos(t), 3sin(t))
6
At various other t values :

Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.

 Example 1: Particle Path, Velocity,
and Acceleration
Velocity and acceleration P(t)  (8 cos(t),3sin(t))
vectors at t  0s :
v(t)  ( 8 sin(t),3cos(t))

At t  s : a(t)  ( 8 cos(t), 3sin(t))
6
At various other t values :

Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.

 Example 1: Particle Path, Velocity,
and Acceleration
Velocity and acceleration P(t)  (8 cos(t),3sin(t))
vectors at t  0s :
v(t)  ( 8 sin(t),3cos(t))

At t  s : a(t)  ( 8 cos(t), 3sin(t))
6
At various other t values :

Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.

 Example 1: Particle Path, Velocity,
and Acceleration
Describe the velocity of the particle for 0  t  2P(t)  (8 cos(t),3sin(t))
v(t)  ( 8 sin(t),3cos(t))
How does the velocity vector aid this description ?
a(t)  ( 8 cos(t), 3sin(t))
Without getting fingerprints on the screen, trace the path of
the particle paying close attention to accurately representing its
velocity!

Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.

 Example 1: Particle Path, Velocity,
and Acceleration
Speed is s(t)  v(t) , use this to help our P(t)  (8 cos(t),3sin(t))
v(t)  ( 8 sin(t),3cos(t))
description from the previous slide :
a(t)  ( 8 cos(t), 3sin(t))
s(t)  v(t)
 v(t)  v(t)
 64 sin2 (t)  9 cos2 (t)
How does speed appear in our plot
from the previous slide ?

Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.

 Example 1: Particle Path, Velocity,
and Acceleration
Copy and Paste into Mathematica:

Animate[ParametricPlot[{8*Cos[x], 3*Sin[x]}, {x, 0,

a},
AspectRatio -> Automatic, PlotStyle ->
Thickness[0.015],
PlotRange -> {{-10, 10}, {-4, 4}}], {a, 0, 2*Pi},
DefaultDuration -> 10, AnimationRunning -> False]

Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.

 Example 1: Particle Path, Velocity,
and Acceleration
Why do the acceleration vectors point inward? P(t)  (8 cos(t),3sin(t))
If this particle were a train on an elliptical track, v(t)  ( 8 sin(t),3cos(t))
describe how you'd experience these acceleration a(t)  ( 8 cos(t), 3sin(t))
vectors as a passenger on the train.

Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.

 Example 1: Particle Path, Velocity,
and Acceleration
If the train suddenly derailed, would it continue P(t)  (8 cos(t),3sin(t))
around the ellipse? If not, in which direction would v(t)  ( 8 sin(t),3cos(t))
it go ? a(t)  ( 8 cos(t), 3sin(t))
Are the velocity/acceleration vectors always perpendicular?
When are/aren't they. Prove your answer.

Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.

 Example 1: Particle Path, Velocity,
and Acceleration
Are the velocity/acceleration vectors always  ? P(t)  (8 cos(t),3sin(t))
When are/aren't they. Prove your answer. v(t)  ( 8 sin(t),3cos(t))
a(t)  ( 8 cos(t), 3sin(t))

Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.

 Example 1: Particle Path, Velocity,
and Acceleration
Read Tutorial #1 VERY carefully today or tonight. It has more
than I have included here, this is just a preview!

Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.

New Species of Monkey
Discovered!
• Or at least new to science… the “lesula” is well
known in the DRC by the locals!

Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.

 Example 2: Unit Vectors
Let f(t)  (x(t), y(t))  (t 2 ,5t  t 2 ).
a) Tangent vector at t  1
(velocity vector) :
f '(t)  (2t,5  2t)  f '(1)  (2,3)
Tail is at f(1)  (1, 4)
b) Find the unit tangent vector at t=1 :
Call f '(1)  (2,3) vector V.
V
UnitTan 
V
(2,3)
UnitTan   (0.555, 0.832)
13
c) How long is UnitTan ? Why is it useful?
Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.
 Example 2: Unit Vectors

Unit vector : A vector of length (magnitude) 1.

Given a vector V, you can find a unit vector
in the direction of V as follows :
V
UnitVector 
V
This is known as "normalizing vector V "
This encodes direction information without
any of the magnitude distractions.
Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.
 Example 3: Defining a Line
Parametrically
a) Find the equation of a line parallel
to the one shown at the right through (2,5).
2
Slope of Line:
1
Vector Through Given Points:
(4,3)  (3,1)  (1,2)
Equation of Line :
L(t)  (3,1)  t(1,2)
2
Slope of Line:
1
Vector Through Given Points:
(1,2)
Equation of Line :
L(t)  (2,5)  t(1,2)
Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.
 Example 3: Defining a Line
Parametrically
b) Find the equation of the line perpendicular
to the one shown at the right through (3,1).
2
Slope of Line:
1
Vector Through Given Points:
(4,3)  (3,1)  (1,2)
Equation of Line :
L(t)  (3,1)  t(1,2)
1
Slope of Line: 
2
Vector Through Given Points:
(5, 0)  (3,1)  (2, 1)
Equation of Line :
L(t)  (3,1)  t(2, 1)
Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.
 Example 3: Defining a Line
Parametrically
 x(t)
c) Rewrite the formula as 
 y(t)

Equation of Line :
L(t)  (3,1)  t(2, 1)

 x(t)  3  2t

 y(t)  1  t
Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.
 Example 3: Defining a Line
Parametrically
Let a line through a point P be given by the following equation:

L(t)  P  t(a,b)
The equation of the line parallel to L(t) through point R :

M(t)  R  (a,b)t  such that R  L(t) 

The equation of the line perpendicular to L(t) through point S :

N(t)  S  (b,  a)t

Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.
 Example 4: x-y-z Equations
Find the xyz-equations of the
line through (2,1,0) and (6,0,6)
Vector:
(6, 0,6)  (2,1, 0)  (4, 1,6)
Parametric Equation :
L(t)  (2,1, 0)  t(4, 1,6)
 x(t)  2  4t

 y(t)  1  t
 z(t)  0  6t

xyz-Equation:
x2 z
1y 
4 6 Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.
 Defining a Line in 3D-space
Parametrically
Let a line through a point P  (x 0 , y 0 , z 0 ) be given by the following
equation where V  (v 1 , v 2 , v 3 ) is a generating (direction) vector:

L(t)  P  tV
The equation of the line parallel to L(t) through point R :

M(t)  R  tV
 such that R  L(t) 
The equation of the line perpendicular to L(t) through point S :

N(t)  S  tW
 such that L(t) and N(t) intersect and V  W  0 
Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.
 Are the Following Pairs of Lines
Perpendicular?
L(t)  (1, 4,2)  t(3,1,1) L(t) and M(t) intersect at (1,4,2)
M(t)  (1, 4,2)  t(0, 1,1) and (3,1,1)  (0,  1,1)  0, so these
lines are 

L(t)  (2, 0, 1)  t(3,1,1) The lines intersect at

M(t)  (5,1, 0)  t(0, 1,1) L(1)  M(0)  (5,1, 0) and
(3,1,1)  (0,  1,1)  0, so
these lines are 

L(t)  (5,1, 0)  t(3,1,1) L(t) and M(t) do not intersect,

M(t)  ( 3,1,2)  t(0, 1,1) so these lines are not  (they
are skew)
Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.
 Are the Following Pairs of Lines
Parallel?
L(t)  (1, 4,2)  t(3,1,1) (1, 4,2)  M(t) and the lines have the
M(t)  (5, 9,6)  t(3,1,1) same generating vector, so they are P

L(t)  (1, 4,2)  t(3,1,1) M(1)  (1, 4,2)  L(t) and the lines
M(t)  ( 2,3,1)  t(3,1,1) have the same generating vector,
so they are the same line twice.

L(t)  (1, 4,2)  t(3,1,1) L(3)  (10,7,5)  M(t) and the

M(t)  (10,7,5)  t(6,2,2) generating vectors of the lines
are multiples of each other, so
they are the same line twice.
Created by Christopher Grattoni. All rights reserved.