Skip to main content
Contents Index
Calc
Dark Mode Prev Up Next
\(\newcommand{\R}{\mathbb{R}}
\newcommand{\va}{\vec{a}}
\newcommand{\vb}{\vec{b}}
\newcommand{\vc}{\vec{c}}
\newcommand{\vC}{\vec{C}}
\newcommand{\vd}{\vec{d}}
\newcommand{\ve}{\vec{e}}
\newcommand{\cursedihat}{\hat{\dot{i}}}
\newcommand{\vi}{\hat{\imath}}
\newcommand{\vj}{\hat{\jmath}}
\newcommand{\vk}{\hat{k}}
\newcommand{\vn}{\vec{n}}
\newcommand{\vm}{\vec{m}}
\newcommand{\vr}{\vec{r}}
\newcommand{\vs}{\vec{s}}
\newcommand{\vu}{\vec{u}}
\newcommand{\vv}{\vec{v}}
\newcommand{\vw}{\vec{w}}
\newcommand{\vx}{\vec{x}}
\newcommand{\vy}{\vec{y}}
\newcommand{\vz}{\vec{z}}
\newcommand{\vzero}{\vec{0}}
\newcommand{\vF}{\vec{F}}
\newcommand{\vG}{\vec{G}}
\newcommand{\vH}{\vec{H}}
\newcommand{\vR}{\vec{R}}
\newcommand{\vT}{\vec{T}}
\newcommand{\vN}{\vec{N}}
\newcommand{\vL}{\vec{L}}
\newcommand{\vB}{\vec{B}}
\newcommand{\vS}{\vec{S}}
\newcommand{\proj}{\text{proj}}
\newcommand{\comp}{\text{comp}}
\newcommand{\nin}{}
\newcommand{\vecmag}[1]{\left\lVert #1\right\rVert}
\newcommand{\grad}{\nabla}
\newcommand\restrict[1]{\raise-.5ex\hbox{$\Big|$}_{#1}}
\DeclareMathOperator{\curl}{curl}
\DeclareMathOperator{\divg}{div}
\newcommand{\lt}{<}
\newcommand{\gt}{>}
\newcommand{\amp}{&}
\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}
\newcommand{\fillinmath}[1]{\mathchoice{\colorbox{fillinmathshade}{$\displaystyle \phantom{\,#1\,}$}}{\colorbox{fillinmathshade}{$\textstyle \phantom{\,#1\,}$}}{\colorbox{fillinmathshade}{$\scriptstyle \phantom{\,#1\,}$}}{\colorbox{fillinmathshade}{$\scriptscriptstyle\phantom{\,#1\,}$}}}
\)
Activity 10.1.3 .
Vector-valued functions can be used to generate many interesting curves. Graph each of the following using an appropriate technological tool, and then write one sentence for each function to describe the behavior of the resulting curve.
(a)
\(\vr(t) = \langle t\cos(t), t\sin(t) \rangle\)
(b)
\(\vr(t) = \langle \sin(t)\cos(t), t\sin(t) \rangle\)
(c)
\(\vr(t) = \langle \sin(5t), \sin(4t) \rangle\)
(d)
\(\vr(t) = \langle t^2\sin(t)\cos(t), 0.9t\cos(t^2), \sin(t) \rangle\text{.}\) (Note that this defines a curve in three-dimensional space.)
Experiment with different formulas for
\(x(t)\) and
\(y(t)\) and ranges for
\(t\) to see what other interesting curves you can generate. Share your best results with peers.