Find the equation of the tangent to the curve $y = 2x^3 + 3$ at the point where $x = -2.$ - Scottish Highers Maths - Question 2 - 2015
Question 2
Find the equation of the tangent to the curve $y = 2x^3 + 3$ at the point where $x = -2.$
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Find the equation of the tangent to the curve $y = 2x^3 + 3$ at the point where $x = -2.$ - Scottish Highers Maths - Question 2 - 2015
Step 1
Differentiate the curve
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Answer
To find the equation of the tangent, we first need to differentiate the curve y=2x3+3 to find the gradient of the tangent. The derivative is given by:
dxdy=6x2
Step 2
Evaluate the derivative at $x = -2$
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Answer
Now, we substitute x=−2 into the derivative to find the slope of the tangent:
dxdy∣x=−2=6(−2)2=6⋅4=24
Step 3
Find the y-coordinate at $x = -2$
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Answer
Next, we need to find the corresponding y-coordinate when x=−2:
y=2(−2)3+3=2(−8)+3=−16+3=−13
Step 4
State the equation of the tangent
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Answer
The point of tangency is (−2,−13) with a slope of 24. We can use the point-slope form of the equation of a line:
y−y1=m(x−x1)
Substituting the values:
y−(−13)=24(x−(−2))
This simplifies to:
y+13=24(x+2)
Thus,
y=24x+48−13⇒y=24x+35
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