SL 5.4—Tangents and normals Topic Practice
SL 5.4—Tangents and normals Topic Practice
Students practise finding equations of tangents and normals to curves using derivatives, often at specified points or after solving for coordinates.
How this is tested
- calculate f′(x), substitute x-coordinate to find gradient, then use point–gradient form y−y₁=m(x−x₁)
- find normal gradient as −1∕f′(x) before applying point–gradient form with same point on curve
- find where a normal meets the curve again by solving simultaneous equations