Properties of Tangents
The tangent to a curve has various properties and some of them are,
- Tangents touch the curve only at one point.
- If any tangent to a curve y = f(x) makes angle θ with the x-axis, then dy/dx = Slope of Tangent = tan θ.
- If the slope of the tangent is zero, then tan θ will be equal to 0 and so θ = 0 which implies that the tangent line is parallel to the x-axis.
- If the slope of the tangent is (θ) = π/2, then tan θ will approach ∞, i.e., the tangent line is perpendicular to the x-axis.
Tangents and Normals
Tangent and Normals are the lines that are used to define various properties of the curves. We define tangent as the line which touches the circle only at one point and normal is the line that is perpendicular to the tangent at the point of tangency. Any tangent of the curve passing through the point (x1, y1) is of the form y – y1 = m(x-x1) and the equation of the normal at that point is represented using y – y1 = -1/m(x-x1) where m is the slope of the line.
Tangents and normals are lines related to curves. A tangent is a line that touches a curve at a specific point without crossing it at that point, and every point on a curve has its tangent. A normal, on the other hand, is a line that is perpendicular to the tangent at the point where the tangent contacts the curve.
Let us learn more about the equation of tangents and normals for various curves like circles, parabolas, and other curves, examples, and others in this article.
Table of Content
- What are Tangents and Normals?
- What are Tangents?
- Tangent Definition
- Properties of Tangents
- What are Normal?
- Normal Definition
- Properties of Normals
- How To Find Tangents and Normals?
- Equation of Tangent and Normal to the Curve
- In Cartesian Coordinates System
- In Parametric Form
- Tangents and Normals for Various Curves
- Practice Problems on Tangents and Normals
- Tangents And Normals Examples