Geometry or calculus? I

Calculus Level 4

Given that the two ellipses with equations 3 x 2 + 4 y 2 = 43 3x^2+4y^2=43 and 4 x 2 + y 2 32 x + 56 = 0 4x^2+y^2-32x+56=0 intersect at two points A ( a , b ) A(a,b) and B ( a , b ) B(a,-b) , where a a and b b are positive numbers. Find the obtuse angle of intersection in the point A A in degrees rounded to 3 3 decimal places.


The answer is 111.8014.

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1 solution

Ronak Agarwal
Oct 12, 2014

First part solving the two eqautions that is very easy.

43 3 x 2 = 128 x 16 x 2 224 43-3{x}^{2}=128x-16{x}^{2}-224 (Eliminating y from both the equations)

13 x 2 128 x + 267 = 0 \Rightarrow 13{x}^{2}-128x+267=0

Solving x = 3 , 89 13 x=3,\frac{89}{13}

But since x 43 3 x \le \sqrt{\frac{43}{3}} hence only one solution is possible that is :

x = 3 x=3

Solving for y y we get y = 2 , 2 y=2,-2

Let's take the point ( 3 , 2 ) (3,2)

Second part finding equation of tangents( that is finding their slopes)

We know that equation of a tangent to the conic a x 2 + 2 h x y + b y 2 + 2 g x + 2 f y + c = 0 a{x}^{2}+2hxy+b{y}^{2}+2gx+2fy+c=0 at a point ( u , v ) (u,v) is given by :

T = 0 T=0 where :

T = a u x + h ( u y + v x ) + b v y + g ( x + u ) + f ( y + v ) + c T=aux+h(uy+vx)+bvy+g(x+u)+f(y+v)+c

Putting the co-ordinates and finding equation of tangent we get :

T 3 x 2 + 4 y 2 43 = 0 = 9 x + 8 y 43 = 0 {T}_{3{x}^{2}+4{y}^{2}-43=0}=9x+8y-43=0

T 4 x 2 + y 2 32 x + 56 = 0 = 2 x y = 4 = 0 {T}_{4{x}^{2}+{y}^{2}-32x+56=0} = 2x-y=4 = 0

m 1 = 9 8 \Rightarrow {m}_{1}=\frac{-9}{8}

and m 2 = 2 {m}_{2}=2

Last part finding the angle between the tangents :

Let the acute angle between them be θ \theta . Hence :

t a n ( θ ) = m 1 m 2 1 + m 1 m 2 tan(\theta)=\left| \frac { { m }_{ 1 }-{ m }_{ 2 } }{ 1+{ m }_{ 1 }{ m }_{ 2 } } \right|

Putting m 1 {m}_{1} and m 2 {m}_{2} we get :

t a n ( θ ) = 5 2 tan(\theta)=\frac{5}{2}

Hence the obtuse angle is given by :

= π t a n 1 ( 5 2 ) 111.801 =\pi { -tan }^{ -1 }(\frac { 5 }{ 2 } ) \approx 111.801

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