{"id":10162,"date":"2017-06-06T11:54:19","date_gmt":"2017-06-06T18:54:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/?p=10162"},"modified":"2018-10-24T03:53:35","modified_gmt":"2018-10-24T10:53:35","slug":"ap-calculus-bc-review-parametric-functions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/ap\/ap-calculus-bc-review-parametric-functions\/","title":{"rendered":"AP Calculus BC Review: Parametric Functions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Parametric functions only show up on the AP Calculus BC exam.  In this article we&#8217;ll take a close look at these kinds of functions which turn out to be extremely useful in the sciences.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, this is one case in which the phrase <em>&#8220;It&#8217;s not rocket science!&#8221;<\/em> isn&#8217;t really appropriate.  Parametric equations play a huge role in rocket guidance systems!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_9350\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9350\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/03\/rocket-1245696_640-600x399.jpg\" alt=\"Path of a rocket traced through the atmosphere can be modeled using parametric functions\" width=\"600\" height=\"399\" class=\"size-large wp-image-9350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/03\/rocket-1245696_640-600x399.jpg 600w, https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/03\/rocket-1245696_640-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/03\/rocket-1245696_640.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-9350\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The path of a rocket can be modeled using parametric functions.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>What are Parametric Functions?<\/h2>\n<p>While they may at first seem foreign and confusing, parametric functions are just a more flexible way to track motion in the plane.<\/p>\n<p>Usually you might think of a function as <em>y<\/em> = <em>f<\/em>(<em>x<\/em>).  The graph of a function must pass the <em>Vertical Line Test (VLT)<\/em>, and as a result, your options are limited.  <\/p>\n<p>Sure you can use typical functions to define parabolas, catenaries and even sinusoidal waves, but what about a the orbit of a planet?<\/p>\n<p>Certainly any circular or elliptical graph fails the VLT.  So you can&#8217;t write a function of the form <em>y<\/em> = <em>f<\/em>(<em>x<\/em>) for this situation.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_10066\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10066\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/05\/ellipse_plot.png\" alt=\"Graph of x=3cos(t), y = 5sin(t). example of vector-valued functions.\" width=\"500\" height=\"300\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10066\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/05\/ellipse_plot.png 500w, https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/05\/ellipse_plot-300x180.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-10066\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The graph of an ellipse is not a function of the form <em>y<\/em> = <em>f<\/em>(<em>x<\/em>).  Instead, you could use the parametric function defined by <em>x<\/em> = 3 cos(<em>t<\/em>) and <em>y<\/em> = 5 sin(<em>t<\/em>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Instead, you need to be able to specify both <em>x<\/em> and <em>y<\/em> in terms of some independent <strong>parameter<\/strong>, <em>t<\/em>.  That&#8217;s where the term <strong>parametric<\/strong> comes from.<\/p>\n<h3>Definition<\/h3>\n<p>A <strong>parametric function<\/strong> (or a set of <strong>parametric equations<\/strong>) is a pair of two functions specifying the <em>x<\/em>&#8211; and <em>y<\/em>-coordinates of a point moving through the plane.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/05\/parametric_function.gif\" alt=\"Parametric function\" width=\"64\" height=\"44\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10164\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/05\/parametric_function.gif 64w, https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/05\/parametric_function-30x21.gif 30w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 64px) 100vw, 64px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Think of each function as a separate control, one for <em>x<\/em> and one for <em>y<\/em>.  Perhaps the best physical example of parametric equations is the Etch-A-Sketch.<\/p>\n<p>The Etch-A-Sketch has two knobs, one controlling the vertical, and one controlling the horizontal position of a stylus.  When the two knobs work together, almost anything can be drawn!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_10175\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-10175\" style=\"width: 320px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/05\/etchasketch.jpg\" alt=\"Etch A Sketch\" width=\"320\" height=\"480\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10175\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/05\/etchasketch.jpg 320w, https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/05\/etchasketch-200x300.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-10175\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This is about the best I could ever manage on an Etch-A-Sketch.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Graphing<\/h3>\n<p>There is a straightforward way to graph any parametric function.  <\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Choose a number of sample <em>t<\/em>-values.  If there is a given range of values, <em>a<\/em> &le; <em>t<\/em> &le; <em>b<\/em>, then you must stick to values within that interval.  Otherwise, just pick a wide range of values, both positive and negative.<\/li>\n<li>For each sample <em>t<\/em>, plug it into <em>x<\/em> = <em>f<\/em>(<em>t<\/em>) and into <em>y<\/em> = <em>g<\/em>(<em>t<\/em>) to find out the corresponding <em>x<\/em>&#8211; and <em>y<\/em>-coordinates.<\/li>\n<li>Plot each (<em>x<\/em>, <em>y<\/em>) pair on the plane.  Then connect the dots in the order of increasing <em>t<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>Example Graph<\/h3>\n<p>Graph the parametric function defined by <em>x<\/em> = <em>t<\/em><sup>2<\/sup> &#8211; 2<em>t<\/em> + 1 and <em>y<\/em> = &#8211;<em>t<\/em><sup>2<\/sup> + 2.<\/p>\n<p>Because there was no range specified for <em>t<\/em>, let&#8217;s just pick a few easy numbers to work with.  Remember, use both positive and negative values to get a good sense for how the function behaves.  <\/p>\n<p>I like to organize my work in a table.<\/p>\n<table id=\"tablepress-118\" class=\"tablepress tablepress-id-118 tablepress-responsive\">\n<thead>\n<tr class=\"row-1 odd\">\n<th class=\"column-1\"><em>t<\/em><\/th>\n<th class=\"column-2\"><em>x<\/em> = <em>t<\/em><sup>2<\/sup> &#8211; 2<em>t<\/em> + 1<\/th>\n<th class=\"column-3\"><em>y<\/em> = &#8211;<em>t<\/em><sup>2<\/sup> + 2<\/th>\n<th class=\"column-4\">(<em>x<\/em>, <em>y<\/em>)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody class=\"row-hover\">\n<tr class=\"row-2 even\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">-3<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">16<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-3\">-7<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-4\">(16, -7)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-3 odd\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">-2<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">9<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-3\">-2<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-4\">(9, -2)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-4 even\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">-1<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">4<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-3\">1<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-4\">(4, 1)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-5 odd\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">0<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">1<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-3\">2<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-4\">(1, 2)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-6 even\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">1<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">0<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-3\">1<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-4\">(0, 1)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-7 odd\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">2<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">1<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-3\">-2<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-4\">(1, -2)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr class=\"row-8 even\">\n<td class=\"column-1\">3<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-2\">4<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-3\">-7<\/td>\n<td class=\"column-4\">(4, -7)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><!-- #tablepress-118 from cache --><\/p>\n<p>Next, plot these points on a coordinate plane.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/05\/parametric_points.png\" alt=\"sample points in a parametric plot\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10166\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/05\/parametric_points.png 300w, https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/05\/parametric_points-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Finally, connect the dots in order of increasing <em>t<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/05\/parametric_plot.png\" alt=\"Parametric plot (example)\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10167\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/05\/parametric_plot.png 300w, https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/05\/parametric_plot-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Derivatives of Parametric Functions<\/h2>\n<p>Now that you have seen some graphing, let&#8217;s talk about slope.  As you know, the <strong>derivative measures slope<\/strong>.  But how do you find the derivative of a set parametric equations?  <\/p>\n<p>We must be careful, because there are two equations to deal with.  Should you take the derivative of <em>f<\/em>(<em>t<\/em>) or <em>g<\/em>(<em>t<\/em>)?<\/p>\n<p>In fact, you&#8217;ll have to take the derivative of <em>both<\/em>.  Here is the formula for <em>dy<\/em>\/<em>dx<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/04\/param_derivative.gif\" alt=\"Derivative of a parametric function\" width=\"128\" height=\"50\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-9740\" srcset=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/04\/param_derivative.gif 128w, https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/04\/param_derivative-30x12.gif 30w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 128px) 100vw, 128px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Example &mdash; Tangent Line<\/h3>\n<p>What is the equation of the tangent line at <em>t<\/em> = &pi;\/6 for the parametric function <em>x<\/em> = 3 cos <em>t<\/em>, <em>y<\/em> = 3 sin <em>t<\/em>?<\/p>\n<p>Using the derivative formula, we get:<\/p>\n<p><em>dy<\/em>\/<em>dx<\/em> = (3 cos <em>t<\/em>)\/(-3 sin <em>t<\/em>) = -cos <em>t<\/em> \/ sin <em>t<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Plugging in <em>t<\/em> = &pi;\/6, the slope is -cos(&pi;\/6)\/sin(&pi;\/6) = -1.732.<\/p>\n<p>Now we also need to know what the <em>x<\/em>&#8211; and <em>y<\/em>-coordinates are for the point in question.<\/p>\n<p><em>x<\/em> = 3 cos(&pi;\/6) = 2.598, and <em>y<\/em> = 3 sin(&pi;\/6) = 1.5.<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, using the point-slope form, the equation of the tangent line is:<\/p>\n<p><em>y<\/em> = -1.732(<em>x<\/em> &#8211; 2.598) + 1.5<\/p>\n<h3>Derivatives and Velocity<\/h3>\n<p>There is another interpretation of the derivative that allows you to compute the <strong>velocity<\/strong> of an object traveling along a parametric curve.<\/p>\n<p>The idea is to think of a parametric function as a <em>vector<\/em>. <\/p>\n<p>Thinking of <em>t<\/em> as <em>time<\/em>, then both the <strong>velocity vector<\/strong> and <strong>accelerations<\/strong> vectors are simply derivatives in each component.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/04\/derivatives_vector_function.gif\" alt=\"Derivative and second derivative of a vector function\" width=\"336\" height=\"45\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-9733\" \/><\/p>\n<p>For more information about vector functions, check out this <a href=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/ap\/ap-calculus-bc-review-vector-valued-functions\/\">AP Calculus BC Review: Vector-Valued Functions<\/a><\/p>\n<h3>Example &mdash; Velocity<\/h3>\n<p>Find the velocity vector at <em>t<\/em> = 1 for an object traveling according to the parametric function <em>x<\/em> = <em>t<\/em><sup>2<\/sup> &#8211; 2<em>t<\/em> + 1, <em>y<\/em> = &#8211;<em>t<\/em><sup>2<\/sup> + 2.<\/p>\n<p>First find the derivative of each component function.<\/p>\n<p><strong>v<\/strong>(<em>t<\/em>) = (2<em>t<\/em> &#8211; 2, -2<em>t<\/em>).<\/p>\n<p>Therefore at time <em>t<\/em> = 1, the velocity vector is:<\/p>\n<p><strong>v<\/strong>(1) = (0, -2).<\/p>\n<h2>Length Integrals<\/h2>\n<p>Another important formula to memorize is the arc-length integral.  If you want to know the length of the curve traced out by the parametric function <em>x<\/em> = <em>f<\/em>(<em>t<\/em>), <em>y<\/em> = <em>g<\/em>(<em>t<\/em>), for <em>a<\/em> &le; <em>t<\/em> &le; <em>b<\/em>, then just set up and compute the following integral.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/03\/Length_of_parametric_curve.gif\" alt=\"Formula for the length of a parametric curve\" width=\"271\" height=\"45\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-9359\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Example &mdash; Length of a Parametric Curve<\/h3>\n<p>Find the length of the curve defined by <em>x<\/em> = 3 cos <em>t<\/em>, <em>y<\/em> = 3 sin <em>t<\/em> on the interval [0, &pi;\/2].<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/hs\/files\/2017\/05\/length_parametric_function_example.gif\" alt=\"example of finding length for a parametric function\" width=\"328\" height=\"299\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-10174\" \/><\/p>\n<h2>Summary<\/h2>\n<p>Parametric functions show up on the AP Calculus BC exam.  You should know the following.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How to graph or interpret the graph of a parametric function<\/li>\n<li>Finding the slope at any given point on a parametric curve<\/li>\n<li>Computing the velocity vector<\/li>\n<li>Finding the length of the curve<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Parametric functions only show up on the AP Calculus BC exam. In this article we&#8217;ll take a close look at these kinds of functions which turn out to be extremely useful in the sciences. In fact, this is one case in which the phrase &#8220;It&#8217;s not rocket science!&#8221; isn&#8217;t really appropriate. Parametric equations play a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":223,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[240],"tags":[241],"ppma_author":[24932],"class_list":["post-10162","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ap","tag-ap-calculus"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v21.7 (Yoast SEO v21.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>AP Calculus BC Review: Parametric Functions - Magoosh Blog | High School<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Parametric functions only show up on the AP Calculus BC exam. 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