MATH 32A, BRIDGE 2013 M.

Wang

Homework 6
Solution

1. What is the domain of the following? (14.1 Exercises 1, 2)

a. r(t) = et i + 1t j + (t + 1)−3 k
Ans: domain D = {t ∈ R : t 6= 0, t 6= −1}
√
b. r(s) = es i + sj + cos sk
Ans: domain D = {s ∈ R : s ≥ 0}

2. Find a vector parametrization of the line through P = (3, −5, 7) in the direction v = h3, 0, 1i. (14.1
Exercises 5)
−−→
Ans: r(t) = OP + tv = h3, −5, 7i + th3, 0, 1i (vector parametrization form)
or: x = 3 + 3t, y = −5, z = 7 + t (parametric equations form)

3. Describe the projections of the circle r(t) = hsin t, 0, 4 + cos ti onto the coordinate planes. (14.1
Exercises 12)
Ans:

• The projection onto the xy-plane is the curve trace by hsin t, 0, 0i.
• The projection onto the xz-plane is the curve trace by hsin t, 0, 4 + cos ti.
• The projection onto the yz-plane is the curve trace by h0, 0, 4 + cos ti.

4. r(t) = hsin t, cos t, sin t cos 2ti (14.1 Exercises 19, 20)

a. Find the points where r(t) intersects the xy-plane.

Ans: For xy-plane, we have z = 0. Therefore, the intersection of the two surfaces must have
z = 0. Thus, sin t cos 2t = 0 =⇒ sin t = 0 or cos 2t = 0 =⇒ t = kπ or t = 2k+1 4 π. Then
 

 h0, 1, 0i if t = kπ and k is even 

h0, −1, if and is odd
 


 √ √
0i t = kπ k 


 
 h 2 , 2 , 0i if t = 2k+1
π and k = 4n
 

√2 2√ 4
r(t) = (k ∈ R, n ∈ R)

 h 22√, − 22√, 0i if t = 2k+1
4 π and k = 4n + 1 
h− √22 , − 2
if t = 2k+1 π and k = 4n + 2 
 
, 0i

 

 √ 2 4 

 h− 2 , 2 , 0i if 2k+1
and
 
2 2 t = 4 π k = 4n + 3 

b. Show that the projection of r(t) onto the xz-plane is the curve

z = x − 2x3 for −1≤x≤1

Ans: The projection of r(t) onto the xz-plane is

r(t) = hsin t, 0, sin t cos 2ti

1
 Therefore,
x = sin t, z = sin t cos 2t
Since
cos 2t = 1 − 2 sin2 t
we have
z = sin t(1 − 2 sin2 t) = sin t − 2 sin3 t
Substitute x = sin t into the equation, we get

z = x − 2x3

As sin t ∈ [−1, 1], the domain for x is −1 ≤ x ≤ 1.

5. Parametrize the intersection of the surfaces

y 2 − z 2 = x − 2, y2 + z2 = 9

using t = y as the parameter or trigonometric parametrization. (14.1 Exercises 21)

Ans: Note that y 2 +z 2 = 9 has a trigonometric parametrization: y = 3 cos t, z = 3 sin t for 0 ≤ t ≤ 2π.
The equation y 2 − z 2 = x − 2 gives us

x = y 2 − z 2 + 2 = 9 cos2 t − 9 sin2 t + 2 = 9 cos 2t + 2

Thus, we may parametrize the entire curve by a single vector-valued function:

r(t) = h3 cos t, 3 sin t, 9 cos 2t + 2i