13.

3  Arc Length in Space 773

Solution  In that example, we found

dr
v = = -(3 sin t)i + (3 cos t)j + 2tk
dt
and
 v  = 29 + 4t 2.
Thus,
v 3 sin t 3 cos t 2t
T = = - i + j + k.
y v 29 + 4t 2
29 + 4t 2
29 + 4t 2

T=v
x2 + y2 = 1
For the counterclockwise motion
P(x, y)
r r(t) = (cos t)i + (sin t)j
t
x
0 (1, 0) around the unit circle, we see that
v = (-sin t)i + (cos t)j
is already a unit vector, so T = v and T is orthogonal to r (Figure 13.16).
FIGURE 13.16  Counterclockwise
The velocity vector is the change in the position vector r with respect to time t, but
motion around the unit circle.
how does the position vector change with respect to arc length? More precisely, what is
the derivative dr>ds? Since ds>dt 7 0 for the curves we are considering, s is one-to-one
and has an inverse that gives t as a differentiable function of s (Section 7.1). The derivative
of the inverse is
dt 1 1
= = .
ds ds>dt v
This makes r a differentiable function of s whose derivative can be calculated with the
Chain Rule to be
dr dr dt 1 v
= = v = = T.(5)
ds dt ds v v
This equation says that dr > ds is the unit tangent vector in the direction of the velocity vec-
tor v (Figure 13.15).

Exercises  13.3
Finding Tangent Vectors and Lengths 10. Find the point on the curve
In Exercises 1–8, find the curve’s unit tangent vector. Also, find the r(t) = (12 sin t)i - (12 cos t)j + 5t k
length of the indicated portion of the curve. at a distance 13p units along the curve from the point (0, -12, 0)
1. r(t) = (2 cos t)i + (2 sin t)j + 25t k, 0 … t … p in the direction opposite to the direction of increasing arc length.
2. r(t) = (6 sin 2t)i + (6 cos 2t)j + 5t k, 0 … t … p
Arc Length Parameter
3. r(t) = ti + (2>3)t 3>2 k, 0 … t … 8 In Exercises 11–14, find the arc length parameter along the curve
4. r(t) = (2 + t)i - (t + 1)j + t k, 0 … t … 3 from the point where t = 0 by evaluating the integral
5. r(t) = (cos3 t )j + (sin3 t )k, 0 … t … p>2 t

L0
3 3
6. r(t) = 6t i - 2t j - 3t k, 1 … t … 2 3 s =  v(t)  dt

7. r(t) = (t cos t)i + (t sin t)j + 1 2 22>3 2t 3>2

k, 0 … t … p from Equation (3). Then find the length of the indicated portion of the
8. r(t) = (t sin t + cos t)i + (t cos t - sin t)j, 22 … t … 2 curve.
9. Find the point on the curve 11. r(t) = (4 cos t)i + (4 sin t)j + 3t k, 0 … t … p>2
r(t) = (5 sin t)i + (5 cos t)j + 12t k 12. r(t) = (cos t + t sin t)i + (sin t - t cos t)j, p>2 … t … p
at a distance 26p units along the curve from the point (0, 5, 0) in 13. r(t) = (et cos t)i + (et sin t)j + et k, - ln 4 … t … 0
the direction of increasing arc length. 14. r(t) = (1 + 2t)i + (1 + 3t)j + (6 - 6t)k, - 1 … t … 0

M13_THOM9799_13_SE_C13.indd 773 04/04/16 3:42 PM

 774 Chapter 13: Vector-Valued Functions and Motion in Space

Theory and Examples 19. The involute of a circle  If a string wound around a fixed circle
15. Arc length  Find the length of the curve is unwound while held taut in the plane of the circle, its end P
r(t) =1 22t 2i + 1 22t 2j + ( 1 - t2 )k traces an involute of the circle. In the accompanying figure, the
circle in question is the circle x2 + y2 = 1 and the tracing point
from (0, 0, 1) to 1 22, 22, 0 2. starts at (1, 0). The unwound portion of the string is tangent to the
16. Length of helix  The length 2p 22 of the turn of the helix in circle at Q, and t is the radian measure of the angle from the posi-
Example 1 is also the length of the diagonal of a square 2p units tive x-axis to segment OQ. Derive the parametric equations
on a side. Show how to obtain this square by cutting away and x = cos t + t sin t, y = sin t - t cos t, t 7 0
flattening a portion of the cylinder around which the helix winds.
of the point P(x, y) for the involute.
17. Ellipse
a. Show that the curve r(t) = (cos t)i + (sin t)j + (1 - cos t)k,
0 … t … 2p, is an ellipse by showing that it is the intersec-
tion of a right circular cylinder and a plane. Find equations
for the cylinder and plane.
b. Sketch the ellipse on the cylinder. Add to your sketch the unit y
tangent vectors at t = 0, p>2, p, and 3p>2.
Q String
c. Show that the acceleration vector always lies parallel to the
plane (orthogonal to a vector normal to the plane). Thus, if P(x, y)
you draw the acceleration as a vector attached to the ellipse, it t
will lie in the plane of the ellipse. Add the acceleration vec- x
O 1 (1, 0)
tors for t = 0, p>2, p, and 3p>2 to your sketch.
d. Write an integral for the length of the ellipse. Do not try to
evaluate the integral; it is nonelementary.
T e. N
 umerical integrator  Estimate the length of the ellipse to
two decimal places.
20. (Continuation of Exercise 19.) Find the unit tangent vector to the
18. Length is independent of parametrization  To illustrate that
involute of the circle at the point P(x, y).
the length of a smooth space curve does not depend on the param-
etrization you use to compute it, calculate the length of one turn 21. Distance along a line  Show that if u is a unit vector, then the
of the helix in Example 1 with the following parametrizations. arc length parameter along the line r(t) = P0 + t u from the point
P0(x0 , y0 , z0) where t = 0, is t itself.
a. r(t) = (cos 4t)i + (sin 4t)j + 4t k, 0 … t … p>2
22. Use Simpson’s Rule with n = 10 to approximate the length of
b. r(t) = 3cos (t>2) 4i + 3sin (t>2) 4j + (t>2)k, 0 … t … 4p
arc of r(t) = t i + t 2j + t 3k from the origin to the point (2, 4, 8).
c. r(t) = (cos t)i - (sin t)j - t k, - 2p … t … 0

13.4  Curvature and Normal Vectors of a Curve

In this section we study how a curve turns or bends. To gain perspective, we look first at
curves in the coordinate plane. Then we consider curves in space.
y

Curvature of a Plane Curve

As a particle moves along a smooth curve in the plane, T = dr>ds turns as the curve
T bends. Since T is a unit vector, its length remains constant and only its direction changes
as the particle moves along the curve. The rate at which T turns per unit of length along
T
the curve is called the curvature (Figure 13.17). The traditional symbol for the curvature
P function is the Greek letter k (“kappa”).
s
T
P0
x
0
DEFINITION  If T is the unit vector of a smooth curve, the curvature function of
FIGURE 13.17  As P moves along the the curve is
curve in the direction of increasing arc
length, the unit tangent vector turns. The dT
k = ` `.
value of 0 d T>ds 0 at P is called the curva- ds
ture of the curve at P.

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