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Q.If the tangent at any point on the curve x2/3+y2/3=a2/3x^{2/3} + y^{2/3} = a^{2/3} intersects the co-ordinate axes in AA and BB, then show that the length ABAB is a constant.

Telangana TsbieTelangana Board of Intermediate Education (Intermediate 1st Year) 2019Subjective· 7mImportance★★★★★
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Parametrize the astroid, find the tangent line, compute its intercepts AA, BB, and show AB=aAB=a for every θ\theta.

The curve x2/3+y2/3=a2/3x^{2/3}+y^{2/3}=a^{2/3} (an astroid) can be parametrized as:

x=acos⁡3θ,y=asin⁡3θx=a\cos^{3}\theta, \qquad y=a\sin^{3}\theta

(check: x2/3+y2/3=a2/3cos⁡2θ+a2/3sin⁡2θ=a2/3x^{2/3}+y^{2/3}=a^{2/3}\cos^{2}\theta+a^{2/3}\sin^{2}\theta=a^{2/3} ✓)

Slope of tangent: differentiating implicitly, 23x−1/3+23y−1/3dydx=0  ⟹  dydx=−(yx)1/3\frac23x^{-1/3}+\frac23y^{-1/3}\frac{dy}{dx}=0 \implies \dfrac{dy}{dx}=-\left(\dfrac{y}{x}\right)^{1/3}. At the parametrized point:

dydx=−(asin⁡3θacos⁡3θ)1/3=−tan⁡θ\frac{dy}{dx} = -\left(\frac{a\sin^{3}\theta}{a\cos^{3}\theta}\right)^{1/3} = -\tan\theta

Tangent line at (acos⁡3θ,asin⁡3θ)(a\cos^{3}\theta, a\sin^{3}\theta):

y−asin⁡3θ=−tan⁡θ (x−acos⁡3θ)y-a\sin^{3}\theta = -\tan\theta\,(x-a\cos^{3}\theta)

y=−tan⁡θ x+atan⁡θcos⁡3θ+asin⁡3θ=−tan⁡θ x+asin⁡θcos⁡2θ+asin⁡3θy = -\tan\theta\, x + a\tan\theta\cos^{3}\theta + a\sin^{3}\theta = -\tan\theta\,x + a\sin\theta\cos^{2}\theta+a\sin^{3}\theta

y=−tan⁡θ x+asin⁡θ(cos⁡2θ+sin⁡2θ)=−tan⁡θ x+asin⁡θy = -\tan\theta\,x + a\sin\theta(\cos^{2}\theta+\sin^{2}\theta) = -\tan\theta\,x+a\sin\theta

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