POLAR CURVES

Angle between radius vector and tangent

If | be the angle between radius vector and the tangent at any point of the curve
( ) r f u = then
( )
d
tan r
dr
u
| = .
Angle of intersection of two curves:
2 1
| |
Length of the perpendicular form pole to the length:
2
2 2 4
sin
1 1 1
p r
dr
p r r d

u
=

| |
= +
|
\ .

Pedal Equation:-
If r be the radius vector of any point on the curve p the length of the perpendicular from the pole on the
tangent at that point, then the relation between p and r is called the pedal equation.
1. Find the angle between the radius vector and the tangent for the following curves:
a) r
2
cos2= a
2
ans: =

-2
b) r
m
= a
m
(cos m + sin m) ans: =

+m
c)

= 1+cos ans:= tan

-1
[

]
d) r = (1 cos ) a u + ans:
3 2
2 r ap =
e) r
2 2 2
sin a u = ans:
3 2 1
r a p =
f) r cos
m m
m a u = ans:
1 m m
pa r
+
=
2. Find the angle between the radius vector and the tangent. Also find the slope of the
tangent as indicated for the following curves:
a) rcos2 (/2) = a at = 2/3 ans: =

, tan = 1
b)

= 1- cos at = 2/3 ans: =

, tan =
3. Find the angle of intersection of the following pair of curves:
a) r =

and r = a log ans: 2 tan

-1
e
b) r
2
sin 2 = 4 and r
2
= 16 sin2 ans:

c) r = 6 cos asnd r = 2(1+ cos ) ans:

d) r
n
= a
n
sec(n +) and r
n
= b
n
sec( n +) ans: -
e) r =

and r =

ans:

f) r = a = a/ ans :

g) r = a and r = 2a cos ans:

h) r = 3cos and r = 1+cos ans:

4. Show that the following pairs of curves intersect each other orthogonally.
a) r = a(1+cos) and r = a(1-cos)
b) r
n
= a
n
cos n and r
n
= b
n
sin n
c) r
2
sin2 = a
2
and r
2
cos 2 = b
2

d) r = ae

and re

= b
e) r = 4 sec
2
(/2) and r = 9 cosec
2
(/2)
f)
2 2
1 cos , 1 cos
a b
r r
u u = + =
g) r = a cos , r = a sin
h) r
2 2 2 2
sin 2 , cos 2 a r b u u = =
i) r = a(1+cos ), r = b(1-cos )

5. Find the pedal equation of the following curves:
a) r (1-cos) = 2a ans: p
2
= ar
b) r
m
cos m = a
m
ans: pr
m-1
= a
m

c)

= 1+ ecos ans:
2
2 2
1 -1 2 e
p l lr
= +
d) r
2
cos 2 = a
2
ans: pr = a
2

e) r = a sin3 ans : p
2
[ 2ar +b
2
- a
2
]= r
4

f) r
n
= a
n
sin + b
n
cos n ans: p
2
[ a
2n
+b
2n
] = r
2n+2

g) r
2
= a
2
cos 2 ans r
3
= pa
2

h)
r= ae
cot
6. Find the length of the perpendicular from pole to the tangent at the point ( , /2) on the
curve r = a(1- cos ) .
7. Determine the length of the perpendicular from the pole to the tangent at the point = /3
on the curve r = a sec
2
( /2).