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What is the equation of the tangent line to the curve at P(3,-2)?

What is the equation of the tangent line to the curve at P(3,-2)?-example-1
User Rgv
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1 Answer

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In order to find the equation of the tangent line to the curve at P(3,-2) first we would need to find the derivative of the function.

In this case y=x^2 -3x-2

Hence, the derivative would be:

f'(y)=2x -3

So, from the point (3,-2) we can obtain the x value which is 3.

Therefore, we would substitute the number 3 on f'(y)=2x -3.

So, f'(3)=2(3)-3

f'(3)=6-3=3

So, to form the equation we would have to base it from the original equation:

y=mx +b

m=3, because f'(3)=3.

So, we would use the P(3,-2) to give values to x and y and find b.

So:

-2=3(3)+b

-2=9+b

b=-11

if b=-11, hence, the equation of the tangent line to the curve at P(3,-2) would be:

y=3x -11

User Dhana
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