MATH2023 Multivariable Calculus Problem Set 2

L3 (Fall 2019)

Extra Problem Set 2

Note: The extra problem sets serve as additional exercise problems for your own practice. Some
problems may be a bit more difficult than those you encounter in WeBWorK.

1. Describe and sketch each of the surfaces in ℝ3 defined by the following equations.
(a) 𝑧 = cos 𝑥
(b) 𝑥 2 = 𝑦 − 𝑧
2. Suppose that the point 𝑃(𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐) lies on the hyperbolic paraboloid
𝑧 = 𝑦2 − 𝑥2.
Show that the two lines passing through 𝑃 with direction vectors 〈1, 1, −2(𝑎 − 𝑏)〉 and
〈1, −1, −2(𝑎 + 𝑏)〉 both lie completely on the hyperbolic paraboloid.
3. Match each of the following given equations with the surface it defines, and also identify the
type of surface (paraboloid, ellipsoid, etc.).
(a) 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 + 4𝑧 2 = 10 (e) 𝑥 = 𝑦2 − 𝑧2 (i) 𝑥 = 𝑧2 − 𝑦2
(b) 𝑧 2 + 4𝑦 2 − 4𝑥 2 = 4 (f) 𝑥 = −𝑦 2 − 𝑧 2 (j) 𝑧 = −4𝑥 2 − 𝑦 2
(c) 9𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 = 16 (g) 𝑥 2 + 2𝑧 2 = 8 (k) 𝑥 2 + 4𝑧 2 = 𝑦 2
(d) 𝑦2 + 𝑧2 = 𝑥2 (h) 𝑧2 + 𝑥2 − 𝑦2 = 1 (l) 9𝑥 2 + 4𝑦 2 + 2𝑧 2 = 36
𝑧 𝑧
𝑧 𝑧

𝑥 𝑦
𝑦 𝑦
𝑥 𝑥
𝑦 𝑥
Surface 𝐴 Surface 𝐵 Surface 𝐶 Surface 𝐷
𝑧 𝑧 𝑧 𝑧

𝑥 𝑥
𝑦 𝑦 𝑥
𝑥 𝑦

Surface 𝐸 Surface 𝐹 Surface 𝐺 Surface 𝐻

𝑧 𝑧 𝑧 𝑧

𝑥 𝑥
𝑥 𝑦 𝑦 𝑦
𝑦 𝑥

Surface 𝐼 Surface 𝐽 Surface 𝐾 Surface 𝐿

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MATH2023 Multivariable Calculus Problem Set 2
L3 (Fall 2019)

4. Let 𝑃 and 𝑄 be the points in ℝ3 with Cartesian coordinates (0, 2, 0) and (3, 0, 0)
respectively. Find the following equations.
(a) The equation in spherical coordinates describing a circular cylinder generated by translating
along the 𝑧-axis the circle with radius 2 centered at 𝑃 lying on the 𝑥𝑦-plane.
(b) The equation in cylindrical coordinates describing a sphere with radius 3 centered at 𝑄.
5. Consider the surface in ℝ3 defined by the equation
𝜌 = cos 𝜙 csc 2 𝜙
in spherical coordinates. Rewrite this equation in Cartesian and cylindrical coordinates, and
hence describe and sketch the surface it defines.
6. At what points does the curve
𝐫(𝑡) = 𝑡𝐢 + (2𝑡 − 𝑡 2 )𝐤
intersect the paraboloid 𝑧 = 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 ?
7. Find a vector-valued function which represents the curve of intersection of each of the following
pairs of surfaces in ℝ3 .
(a) The circular cone 𝑧 = √𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 and the plane 𝑧 = 1 + 𝑦
(b) The hyperboloid 𝑧 = 𝑥 2 − 𝑦 2 and the circular cylinder 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 = 1.
8. Suppose that a particle is moving in ℝ2 , and its position vector at time 𝑡 is given by 𝐫(𝑡).
Given each of the following functions 𝐫(𝑡), find an equation in 𝑥 and 𝑦 which defines the
path of motion of the particle, and find the velocity and acceleration vectors of the particle at
the specified value of 𝑡.
(a) 𝐫(𝑡) = 〈𝑡 2 + 1, 2𝑡 − 1〉, 𝑡=1 (b) 𝐫(𝑡) = 〈cos 2𝑡 , 3 sin 2𝑡〉, 𝑡=0
2
9. The position of a particle in ℝ at time 𝑡 is
1 𝑡
𝐫(𝑡) = 𝐢+ 𝐣.
√1 + 𝑡 2 √1 + 𝑡 2
Find the highest speed of the particle.
10. Suppose that the position vector of a particle in ℝ2 at time 𝑡 is given by
𝐫(𝑡) = 〈𝑒 𝑡 cos 𝑡 , 𝑒 𝑡 sin 𝑡〉.
Show that the angle between the position vector and the acceleration vector of the particle
never changes. What is the size of this angle?
11. For each of the following curves and the corresponding specified point, find (i) the parametric
equations of the tangent line to the curve at that point, and (ii) the equation of the plane
orthogonal to the curve at that point.
(a) 𝐫(𝑡) = 𝑒 𝑡 𝐢 + sin 𝑡 𝐣 + ln(1 − 𝑡) 𝐤, (1, 0, 0).
𝜋
(b) 𝐫(𝑡) = √2 cos 𝑡 𝐢 + √2 sin 𝑡 𝐣 + 𝑡𝐤, (1, 1, 4 ).

12. Do the curves

𝐫(𝑡) = 〈𝑡, 1 − 𝑡, 3 + 𝑡 2 〉 and 𝐬(𝑡) = 〈3 − 𝑡, 𝑡 − 2, 𝑡 2 〉
intersect? If they do, what is the angle between them at the point of intersection?

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MATH2023 Multivariable Calculus Problem Set 2
L3 (Fall 2019)

13. Consider a moving particle in ℝ3 with mass 𝑚, and let 𝐫(𝑡) be its position vector at time 𝑡.
In physics, we define the angular momentum of the particle at time 𝑡 to be the vector
𝐋(𝑡) ≔ 𝐫(𝑡) × 𝑚𝐫 ′ (𝑡).
We say that its angular momentum is conserved if 𝐋(𝑡) is a non-zero constant vector.
(a) Show that if the angular momentum of the particle is conserved, then the motion of the
particle is confined in a fixed plane, i.e. 𝐫(𝑡) always lies in a fixed plane for all 𝑡.
(b) Let 𝐅(𝑡) be the net force acting on the particle at time 𝑡, so that we have 𝐅(𝑡) = 𝑚𝐫 ′′ (𝑡)
according to Newton’s second law of motion. Show that
𝐋′ (𝑡) = 𝐫(𝑡) × 𝐅(𝑡),
and hence give a condition about the vectors 𝐫(𝑡) and 𝐅(𝑡) so that the angular
momentum of the particle is conserved.
14. A stone is thrown at an angle of 45° to the ground. If the stone lands 90 m away, what was
the initial speed of the stone? Assume that the gravitational acceleration is 𝑔 = 10 m/s 2 .
15. A ball is thrown from the origin with initial velocity 50𝐢 + 80𝐤. The spin of the ball together
with the gravity result in an acceleration vector 𝐚 = −4𝐣 − 32𝐤 applied to the ball throughout
its flight. At what position (on the 𝑥𝑦-plane) and with what speed does the ball land?
16. The position vector of a spaceship at time 𝑡 is
4
𝐫(𝑡) = 〈3 + 𝑡, 2 + ln 𝑡 , 7 − 〉
+1 𝑡2
when the engine are switched on, and the captain wants the spaceship to coast into the space
station at (6, 4, 9). At what time 𝑡 should the engine be switched off?
17. Find the arc-length of the curve
𝐫(𝑡) = √2𝑡𝐢 + √2𝑡𝐣 + (1 − 𝑡 2 )𝐤
from (0, 0, 1) to (√2, √2, 0).
18. A particle in ℝ3 starts moving at (0, 0, 3) along the curve with parametric equations
𝑥 = 3 sin 𝑡
{𝑦 = 4𝑡
𝑧 = 3 cos 𝑡
in the direction of increasing 𝑡. What is the position of the particle after it has traveled a
distance of 5 units?
19. Find the arc-length of the curve of intersection of the surfaces in ℝ3 defined by the equations
𝑟 = 𝑒𝜃 and 𝑧 = 𝑒𝜃,
for 𝜃 ∈ [0, ln 8], where (𝑟, 𝜃, 𝑧) are the cylindrical coordinates.
20. Let 𝐫: [0, +∞) → ℝ3 be the curve defined by
𝐫(𝑡) = 𝑒 𝑡 𝐢 + √2𝑡𝐣 − 𝑒 −𝑡 𝐤.
(a) Find the arc-length parametrization of 𝐫.
(b) Let 𝑠 denote the arc-length parameter you obtained in (a). Find the length of the portion
of the curve between 𝑠 = 1997 and 𝑠 = 2047.

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MATH2023 Multivariable Calculus Problem Set 2
L3 (Fall 2019)

21. Let 𝐑 be the arc-length parametrization of a smooth curve. Then the curvature of the
smooth curve at the point 𝐑(𝑠) is defined by
𝜅 ≔ ‖𝐑′′ (𝑠)‖.
(a) Show that the curvature of a circle in ℝ2 of radius 𝑎 > 0 is
1
𝜅=
𝑎
at every point on the circle.
(b) Find the curvature of the curve 𝐫: ℝ → ℝ3 defined by
𝐫(𝑡) = 𝑒 𝑡 𝐢 + √2𝑡𝐣 − 𝑒 −𝑡 𝐤
(the same curve as in Q20 but with full domain) at each point on the curve.

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