MATHEMATICS 317 Assignment #1

due at the beginning of class on Wednesday, January 13th

1. A particle moves in the xy-plane with velocity v = r& = dr / dt = xi − (2 / x 2 ) j.

(a) Find the position of the particle, i.e., r(t) at time t, if r(0) = i + j.
(b) Find the acceleration of the particle.

2. Suppose r (t ) = (t − sin t )i + (1 − cos t ) j is the position of a particle at time t.

(a) Find the times when the particle has zero velocity.
(b) Find the times when the particle has its greatest speed.

3. If b(t ) = a × da / dt , show that db(t ) / dt = a × d 2 a / dt 2 .

d  dr d 2 r 
4. Simplify  r ⋅ × 2 ..
dt  dt dt 

5. (a) Use properties 5 and 6 on p. , i.e.,

a ⋅ (b × c) = (a × b) ⋅ c, a × (b × c) = (a ⋅ c)b − (a ⋅ b)c, to show that
(a × b) ⋅ (c × d) = (a ⋅ c)(b ⋅ d) − (b ⋅ c)(a ⋅ d).
(b) Consider two particles located at positions r1 (t ) and r2 (t ), respectively, with
corresponding velocities given respectively by v 1 (t ) and v 2 (t ). Consider the
triangle formed by the origin and the position vectors of the two particles. Show
that the rate of change of the area A(t) of this triangle is given by the expression
dA | r2 | 2 ( v 1 ⋅ r1 )+ | r1 | 2 ( v 2 ⋅ r2 ) − (r2 ⋅ r1 )[( v 1 ⋅ r2 ) + ( v 2 ⋅ r1 )]
= .
dt 2 | r2 × r1 |

6. Find the unit tangent vector at each point of the curve

r (t ) = (1 + 2t )i + (2 − 3t ) j + (1 + 6t )k. What does your answer imply about the curve?
Find the arc length between the points where t = 0 and t = 1.

7. Consider the curve given by r (t ) = e t i + e − t j + t 2k.

(a) Show that this curve lies on the surfaces of the cylinders xy = 1 and x = e z / 2 .
(b) Find the unit tangent vector at each point of the curve.
(c) Find the arc length of the curve from t = 0 to t = 1.

8. Consider the curve given by r (t ) = t cos ti + t sin tj + tk.

(a) Show that this curve lies on the surface of a cone.
(b) Find the arc length of the curve from t = 0 to t = π.