TANGENT& NORMAL # 1

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TA NG E NT & NO R M A L D E F I N I T I O N S
AND
R E S U LT S
y = f(x)

Let y = f (x) be the equation of a curve and let

P (x 1 , y 1) be a point on it . Then derivative at
P (x 1 , y 1) gives the slope of the tangent to the
curve at P .

nt
ng e

Equation of tangent at (x 1, y 1) is ;
y y 1 = f (x 1) (x x 1) .

P (x1, y1)

TO

of

gt h
al
lenr
om
n

>

ta
of
th
g
n
le

>x

length
of
subnormal

length of subtangent

Equation of normal at (x 1, y 1) is ;
f (x 1) (y y 1) + (x x 1) = 0 .
NOTE :
1.

If the tangent at any point P on the curve is parallel to the axis of x then dy/dx = 0 at
the point P .

2.

If the tangent at any point on the curve is parallel to the axis of y, then dy/dx = or
dx/dy = 0 .

3.

If the tangent at any point on the curve is equally inclined to both the axes there
dy/dx = 1 .

4.

Length of the tangent (PT) =

6.

Length of Normal (PN) =

y1 1 f x1

5.

f x1

y1 1 f x1

7.

Length of Subtangent (MT) =

y1
f x1

Length of Subnormal (MN) = y 1 f (x 1)

ANGLE BETWEEN TWO CURVES :

Angle of intersection between two curves is defined as the angle between the 2 tangents
drawn to the 2 curves at their point of intersection . If the angle between two curves is
90 then they are called ORTHOGONAL curves .

RATE MEASURE :
dy
represents the rate of change in ' y ' with respect to ' x ' . For example if ' y ' is
dx

displacement and ' t ' is time then

dy
represent the velocity .
dt

EXERCISE I
1.

The number of values of c such that the straight line 3x + 4y = c touches the curve
x4
= x + y is :
2

(A) 0
2.

(B) 1

(C) 2

(D) 4

Equation of the normal to the curve y = x + 2 at the point of its intersection with the
curve y = tan (tan 1 x) is :

TANGENT& NORMAL # 2

(A) 2x y 1 = 0
3.

(B) 2x y + 1 = 0

(C) 2x + y 3 = 0

Two tangents to the graph of the function f(x) = 17 1 x 2 intersect at right angles at a
certain point on the y axis . The equations of the tangents are :
(A) x y + 4 = 0
(B) x + y 4 = 0
(C) x + y + 4 = 0

4.

(D) none

(D) x y 4 = 0

Equation of normal drawn to the graph of the function defined as f(x) =

and f(0) = 0 at the origin is :
(A) x + y = 0
(B) x y = 0

(C) y = 0

sin x 2
, x0
x

(D) x = 0

5.

The points of contact of tangents drawn from the origin to the curve y = sin x lie on the
curve given by :
(A) x 2y 2 = x 2 + y 2 (B) x 2y 2 = x 2 y 2
(C) x 2/y 2 = x 2 + y 2
(D) x 2/y 2 = x 2 y 2

6.

The line which is parallel to x-axis and crosses the curve y =

(A) y =

7.

1
2

(B) x =

(C) y =

1 16
,
20 5

16 1
,
5 20

(B)

20

(C)

(B)

(C)
n

1
2

1 16
,
20 1

(D)

(D)

x
y
The equation of normal to the curve = 2 (n N) at the point with abscissa
a
b

equal to 'a' can be :

(A) ax + by = a2 b 2
(C) ax by = a2 b 2
10.

(D) y =

The angle of intersection of the curve y = x 2 & 6y = 7 x 3 at (1, 1) is :

(A)

9.

1
4

is
4

The tangent to the curve 3 xy 2 2 x 2y = 1 at (1, 1) meets the curve again at the point
(A) 16 , 1

8.

1
2

x at an angle of

The lines y =

(B) ax + by = a2 + b 2
(D) bx ay = a2 b 2

3
2
x and y = x intersect the curve 3x 2 + 4xy + 5y 2 4 = 0 at the
2
5

points P and Q respectively . The tangents drawn to the curve at P and Q :

(A) intersect each other at angle of 45
(B) are parallel to each other
(C) are perpendicular to each other
(D) none of these
11.

The point(s) of intersection of the tangents drawn to the curve x 2y = 1 y at the points
where it is intersected by the curve xy = 1 y is/are given by :
(A) (0, 1)
(B) (0, 1)
(C) (1, 1)
(D) none of these

12.

A curve is represented by the equations, x = sec 2 t and y = cot t where t is a parameter.

If the tangent at the point P on the curve where t = /4 meets the curve again at the point
Q then PQ is equal to :
(A)

13.

5 3
2

(B)

5 5
2

(C)

2 5
3

For the curve represented parametrically by the equations ,

x = 2 ln cot t + 1 & y = tan t + cot t
(A)
tangent at t = /4 is parallel to x axis
(B)
normal at t = /4 is parallel to y axis
(C)
tangent at t = /4 is parallel to the line y = x

(D)

3 5
2

TANGENT& NORMAL # 3

14.

(D)
tangent and normal intersect at the point (2, 1)
The curve y exy + x = 0 has a vertical tangent at :
(A) (1, 1)
(B) (0, 1)
(C) (1, 0)

(D) no point

15.

A curve with equation of the form y = ax 4 + bx 3 + cx + d has zero gradient at the point
(0, 1) and also touches the x axis at the point ( 1, 0) then the values of x for which
the curve has a negative gradient are :
(A) x > 1
(B) x < 1
(C) x < 1
(D) 1 x 1

16.

The curves x 3 + p xy 2 = 2 and 3 x 2y y 3 = 2 are orthogonal for :

(A) p = 3
(B) p = 3
(C) no value of p
(D) p = 3

17.

At any two points of the curve represented parametrically by x = a (2 cos t cos 2t) ;
y = a (2 sin t sin 2t) the tangents are parallel to the axis of x corresponding to the values
of the parameter t differing from each other by :
(A) 2/3
(B) 3/4
(C) /2
(D) /3

18.

The ordinate of y = (a/2) (e x/a + e-x/a) is the geometric mean of the length of the normal
and the quantity :
(A) a/2
(B) a
(C) e
(D) none of these .

19.

If the line , ax + by + c = 0 is a normal to the curve xy = 2, then :

(A) a < 0 , b > 0
(B) a > 0, b < 0
(C) a > 0 , b > 0
(D) a < 0 , b < 0

20.

Three normals are drawn to the parabola y 2 = 4x from the point (c , 0). These normals are
real and distinct when
(A) c = 0
(B) c = 1
(C) c = 2
(D) c = 3

EXERCISE II
LEVEL I
1.

Show that the line

x
y
+ = 1 touches the curve y = b e x/a at the point where it crosses
a
b

the y axis .
2.

Find the parameters a , b , c if the curve y = a x 2 + b x + c is to pass through the point

(1 , 2) and is to be tangent to the line y = x at the origin .

3.

Show that the normal to any point of the curve x = a (cos t + t sin t) ,
y = a (sin t t cos t) is at a constant distance from the origin .

4.

Prove that the straight line , x cos + y sin = p will be a tangent to the curve
x2
a2

5.

y2
b2

If the tangent at
show that

6.

= 1 , if p 2 = a2 cos 2 + b 2 sin 2 .

(x1 , y1) to the curve x 3 + y3 = a3 meets the curve again at (x2 , y2)

x2
y
+ 2 =1.
x1
y1

Show that the curves y = 2 sin 2 x and y = cos 2 x intersects each other at x =
find the angle of intersection .

7.

Find the angle of intersection of the following curves :

. Also
6

TANGENT& NORMAL # 4

x2

y2

(i)

2 y 2 = x 3 & y 2 = 32 x

8.

Show that the condition , that the curves x 2/3 + y 2/3 = c2/3 and

(ii)

a2

= 1 & x2 + y2 = a b

b2

x2
a2

y2

b2

= 1 may

touch, if c = a + b .
9.

An inverted cone has a depth of 10 cm & a base of radius 5 cm . Water is poured into it
at the rate of 1.5 cm3/min . Find the rate at which level of water in the cone is rising ,
when the depth of water is 4 cm .

10.

The top of a ladder 13 m long is resting against a vertical wall when a ladder begins
to slide . When the foot of the ladder is 5 m from the wall , it is sliding at the rate of
2 m/s . How fast then is the top sliding downwards ?

LEVEL II
11.

Find the equation of the normal to the curve x 3 + y 3 = 8 x y at the point other than
origin where it meets the curve y 2 = 4 x .

12.

Find the equation of tangent to the curve whose parametric equations are ,
x = a cos 2 t . cos t

y = a cos 2 t . sin t

Does the straight line

x
y
x
y

= 2 touch the curve

a
b
a
b

13.

.
6

at t =
2

= 2 ? If it touches,

give the co-ordinates of the point of contact .

14.

Show that the normal to the rectangular hyperbola x y = c2 at the point t 1 meets the
curve again at the point t 2 such that t 13 t 2 = 1 .

15.

If the point on y = x tan

has an ordinate
16.

gx 2
2 u 2 cos 2

( > 0) , where the tangent is parallel to y = x

u2
, then find the value of .
4g

x
a

Prove that all points on the curve , y 2 = 4 a x a sin at which the tangent is

parallel to the x axis lie on the parabola y 2 = 4 a x .

17.

If x 1 & y 1 be the intercepts on the axes of ' x ' and ' y ' cut off by the tangent to the curve,
n

x
y

a
b

a
= 1 , then show that
x1

n /( n 1)

b

y1

n /( n 1)

= 1.

18.

In the curve x a y b = Ka+b , prove that the portion of the tangent intercepted between the
coordinate axes is divided at its point of contact into segments which are in a constant
ratio . (All the constants being positive) .

19.

Find the minimum value of (x 1 x 2)2 + 2 x12

x2

where x 1 0 , 2

and

x 2 R+ .
20.

Show that the distance from the origin of the normal at any point of the curve

TANGENT& NORMAL # 5

x = a e
21.

sin 2 cos

2
2

& y = a e

cos 2 sin

2
2

is twice the distance of the tangent at the

point from the origin .

Show that the curves y 2 = 4 a x & a y 2 = 4 x 3 intersect each other at an of tan 1 (1/2)
and also if PG1 & PG2 be the normals to the two curves at common point of intersection
(which is not origin) meeting the axis of x in G1 & G2 , then G1 G2 = 4 a.

22.

In the curve x = a cos t log tan 1 t , y = a sin t , show that the portion of the tangent
2
between the point of contact and the x axis is of constant length .

23.

Prove that the equation of the normal to ,

x 2/3 + y 2/3 = a2/3 is y cos x sin = a cos 2 , where is the angle which the
normal makes with the axis of ' x ' .

24.

Find the abscissa of the point on the curve , x y = (c + x)2 the normal at which cuts off
numerically equal intercepts from the axes of co-ordinates .

25.

Show that the condition that the curves , a x 2 + by 2 = 1 & a x 2 + b y 2 = 1 should

intersect orthogonally is that ,

26.

1 1
1
1

=
.
a b
a b

A straight line is drawn through the origin and parallel to the tangent to a curve
x

a a 2 y2
a 2 y2
at an arbitary point M . Show that the locus of the
= ln

y
a

point P of intersection of the straight line & the straight line parallel to the x-axis &
passing through the point M is x 2 + y 2 = a2 .
27.

A curve is given by the equations x = at2 & y = at 3 . A variable pair of perpendicular lines
through the origin 'O' meet the curve at P & Q . Show that the locus of the point of
intersection of the tangents at P & Q is 4y 2 = 3ax a2 .

28.

For the curve x 2/3 + y 2/3 = a2/3 , show that | z |2 + 3p = a where z = x + i y & p is the
length of the perpendicular from (0 , 0) to the tangent at (x , y) on the curve .

29.

The tangent at a variable point P of the curve y = x 2 x 3 meets it again at Q . Show that
the locus of the middle point of PQ is y = 1 9x + 28x 2 28x 3 .

30.

Find all the tangents to the curve y = cos (x + y) , 2 x 2 , that are parallel to the
line x + 2y = 0 .

31.

A water tank has the shape of a right circular with its vertex down . Its altitude is 10 cm
and the radius of the base is 15 cm . Water leaks out of the bottom at a constant rate of
1 cu. cm/sec . Water is poured into the tank at a constant rate of C cu. cm/sec . Compute
C so that the water level will be rising at the rate of 4 cu cm/sec at the instant when the
water is 2 cm deep .

32.

A circular metal plate expands under heating so that its radius increases by 2 % . Find
the approximate increase in the area of the plate , if the radius of the plate before heating
is 10 cm .

33.

An air force plane is ascending vertically at the rate of 100 km/h . If the radius of the
earth is R Km , how fast the area of the earth , visible from the plane increasing at 3 min
after it started ascending . Take visible area A =
plane in kms above the earth .

2 R2 h
Where h is the height of the
Rh

TANGENT& NORMAL # 6

34.
(i)
(ii)
35.

A man 1.5 m tall walks away from a lamp post 4.5 m high at the rate of 4 km/hr .
how fast is the farther end of the shadow moving on the pavement ?
how fast is his shadow lengthening ?
If in a triangle ABC, the side 'c' and the angle 'C' remain constant, while the remaining
elements are changed slightly, show that

da
db
+
=0.
cos A
cos B

EXERCISE III
1.

Find the equations of the tangents drawn to the curve y 2 2 x 3 4y + 8 = 0 from the
point (1 , 2) .
[ REE 90, 6 ]

2.

Find the equation of the straight line which is tangent at one point & normal at
another point to the curve , y = 8 t 3 1 , x = 4 t 2 + 3 .
[ REE 91, 6 ]

3.

3 normals are drawn from the point (c , 0) to the curve y = x . Show that c must
be greater than 1/2 . One normal is always the x - axis . Find c for which the other
two normals are perpendicular to each other .
[ JEE 91, 4 ]

4.
(a)

[ REE 92, 6 + 6 ]
A ladder 15 m long leans against a wall 7 m high & a portion of the ladder protrudes over
the wall such that its projection along the vertical is 3 m. How fast does the bottom
start to slip away from the wall if the ladder slides down along the top edge of the wall at
2 m/s ?
Show that the normal to the curve 5 x5 10 x3 + x + 2 y + 6 = 0 at P (0 , 3) meets the curve
again at two points . Find the equations of the tangents to the curve at these points .

(b)
5.
(a)
(b)

[ JEE 93, 3 + 5 ]
Find the equation of the normal to the curve y = (1 + x)y + sin 1 (sin x) at x = 0 .
Tangent at a point P1 [other than (0 , 0)] on the curve y = x 3 meets the curve again at P 2 .
The tangent at P2 meets the curve at P3 & so on . Show that the abscissae of
P1, P2, P3, ......... Pn, form a GP . Also find the ratio

area P1 P2 P3
area P2 P3 P4

6.

Find the points on the curve 9 y 2 = x 3 where normal to the curve make equal intercepts
with the axes .
[ REE 93, 6 ]

7.
(a)

[ JEE 94, 2 + 5 ]
Let C be the curve y 3 xy + 2 = 0 . If H is the set of points on the curve C where the
tangent is horizontal & V is the set of points on the curve C where the tangent is vertical,
then H = _____ & V = _____ .
The curve y = ax 3 + bx 2 + cx + 5 , touches the x - axis at P ( 2 , 0) & cuts the y - axis at
a point Q where its gradient is 3 . Find a , b , c .

(b)

8.

Find the acute angles between the curves y = x 2 1 and y = x 2 3 at their point of
intersection .
[ REE '98, 6 ]

9.

Find the equation of the straight line which is tangent at one point and normal at another
point of the curve, x = 3 t 2 , y = 2 t 3 .
[ REE 2000 (Mains) 5 out of 100 ]

10.

If the normal to the curve , y = f (x) at the point (3, 4) makes an angle
positive x axis . Then f (3) =

3
with the
4

TANGENT& NORMAL # 7

(A) 1
11.
(a)

(b)

12.
(a)

(B)

3
4

4
3

(C)

(D) 1

[ JEE 2000 (Screening) 1 ]

[ JEE 2001 Screening , 1 + 1]
The triangle formed by the tangent to the curve f (x) = x 2 + b x b at the point (1 , 1) and
the co-ordinate axes lies in the first quadrant . If its area is 2 , then the value of b is :
(A) 1
(B) 3
(C) 3
(D) 1
The equation of the common tangent touching the circle (x 3)2 + y 2 = 9 and the parabola
y 2 = 4 x above the x-axis is :
(A)

3 y=3x+1

(B)

3 y = (x + 3)

(C)

3 y=x+3

(D)

3 y = (3 x + 1)

[ JEE 2002 Screening , 3 + 3 + 3 ]

If the tangent at the point P on the circle x + y + 6x + 6y = 2 meets the straight line
5x 2y + 6 = 0 at a point Q on the y-axis , then the length of PQ is :
2

(A) 4

(B) 2 5

(D) 3 5

(C) 5
2

(b)

The equation of the common tangent to the curves y = 8 x & x y = 1 is :

(A) 3 y = 9 x + 2
(B) y = 2 x + 1
(C) 2 y = x + 8
(D) y = x + 2

(c)

The position on the curve , y 2 + 3 x 2 = 12 y where the tangent is vertical , is/are :

TANGENT& NORMAL # 8

, 2

(A)

(B)

11
, 1
3

(C) (0 , 0)

(D)

4
3

, 2

ANS W ERSH EET

EXERCISE I
1. B
8. D
15. C

2. A
9. AC
16. B

3. AB
10. C
17. A

4. A
11. B
18. B

5. B
12. D
19. AB

6. D
13. AB
20. D

7. A
14. C

EXERCISE II
2. a = 1 , b = 1 , c = 0

a b

(ii) tan 1

1
2

7. (i) tan 1

11. y = x
24.

12. y = a

2
or
3
3

6.

ab

2
4

9. 3/8 cm/min

13. yes , (a, b)

15.

10. 5/6 m/s

30. x + 2 y = /2 & x + 2 y = 3 /2

33. 200 R3 / (R + 5) km / h

32. 8 sq. cm

19. 2 2
31. 1 + 36 cu. cm/sec

34. (i) 6 km/h (ii) 2 km/hr

EXERCISE III
1. 2 3 x y = 2
2.

4. (a)

3 1

or 2 3 x + y = 2

x y = (89 2 /27) + 1 or
6
5

31

2 x + y = (89 2 /27) 1

3. c = 3/4

m/s (b) normal at P (0 , 3) intersects the curve at A (1 , 1) & B ( 1 , 5) .

The equation of the tangent at both A & B is 2 x y = 3

5. (a) x + y 1 = 0

(b) 1/16

6. (4, 8/3)

(b) a = 1/2 ; b = 3/4 ; c = 3

9.

2 x+y2

11. (a) C

2 = 0 or

(b) C

7. (a) H = ; V = {(1 , 1)}

8. = tan 1

2 xy2 2 =0

12. (a) C

4 2
7

10. D
(b) D

(c) D