Tangent and Normal Lines

𝑑𝑦
1. The curve 𝐶 has equation 𝑦 = 2𝑥 3 + 𝑘𝑥 2 + 5𝑥 + 6, where 𝑘 is a constant. (𝑎) Find 𝑑𝑥 . The
point 𝑃, where 𝑥 = −2, lies on 𝐶. The tangent to 𝐶 at the point 𝑃 is parallel to the line with
equation 2𝑦 − 17𝑥 − 1 = 0. Find (𝑏) the value of 𝑘; (𝑐) the value of the 𝑦 − coordinate of 𝑃;
and (𝑑) the equation of the tangent to 𝐶 at 𝑃, expressing your answer in the form 𝑎𝑥 + 𝑏𝑦 +
𝑐 = 0, where 𝑎, 𝑏, and 𝑐 are integers.

2. What is the equation of the line tangent to the circle 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 − 8𝑥 − 10𝑦 − 128 = 0 at the
point 𝑃0 (−8, 10)?

3. Find the equation for the tangent line to the curve 𝑦 = 𝑙𝑛(3𝑥 2 − 11) − 5𝑥 at (2, −10).

4. Find the equation of the tangent line to the curve 𝑦 = 𝑥 2 − 4𝑥 + 1 that is perpendicular to
the line 3𝑥 + 6𝑦 − 5 = 0.

5. Find the equation of the normal line to the curve 𝑓(𝑥) = 2𝑥 3 − 3𝑥 + 7 at (1, 6).

6. Find the equation of the normal line to the curve 𝑥 2 𝑦 + 𝑦 2 − 4𝑥 + 6𝑦 = 16 at (2, 2).

1 1
7. Find equations of (𝑎) the tangent line and (𝑏) the normal line to 𝑦 = 𝑥 − 1 at (−2, − 3).

8. Find the equations of the lines tangent to the curve 𝑦 = 𝑥 3 − 3𝑥 2 + 𝑥 − 2 which are
perpendicular to the line 5𝑥 + 5𝑦 + 5 = 0.

𝑥 2
9. Find the slope of the tangent line to 𝑥𝑦 4 − 𝑦 = 1 at (31 , 2).

10. Find the coordinates of the point(s) on the curve 𝑦 = 2𝑥 3 − 2𝑥 + 4 where the tangent lines
are parallel to the line 𝑦 = 22𝑥 − 9.

11. Find the equation of the tangent line to 𝑥 3 + 𝑥 2 𝑦 + 𝑦 2 − 𝑥 = 0 at (1, −1).

𝑥 1
12. Find equations of (𝑎) the tangent line and (𝑏) the normal line to 𝑦 = 𝑥 + 4 at (4, 2).

13. For what numerical values of 𝑎 and 𝑏 is 2𝑥 + 𝑦 = 𝑏 tangent to 𝑦 = 𝑎𝑥 2 when 𝑥 = 2?

3
14. Find 𝑐 such that 𝑦 = 2 𝑥 + 6 is tangent to 𝑦 = 𝑐 √𝑥.

15. What is the equation of the tangent line to the curve 𝑦 = 𝑥 3 − 3𝑥 + 4 that is perpendicular
to the line 3𝑥 − 𝑦 = 4?

16. Find the equation of the line tangent to the curve 𝑦 = 3𝑥 2 − 1 and is parallel to the line
2𝑥 − 𝑦 + 3 = 0.

17. Find the equation of the line tangent to the curve 𝑦 = √4𝑥 − 3 − 1 and is perpendicular to
the line 𝑥 + 2𝑦 − 11 = 0.

18. Find the equations of the tangent line and the normal line to the curve 𝑦 = √4𝑥 − 3 at the
point 𝑃0 (3, 3).

1 1
19. Find the equations of the tangent line and the normal line to the curve 𝑦 = at (6, 2).
√𝑥 − 2

20. Find the equations of the tangent and normal line of 3𝑥 2 + 3𝑦 2 + 5𝑥 − 13𝑦 + 2 = 0 at the
10
point 𝑃0 (1, 3 ).

1|Page
 21. Find all values of 𝑥 where the tangent to 𝑦 = 2𝑥 3 + 9𝑥 2 + 5 has a slope of 24.

22. What is the slope of the tangent line to the curve 4𝑦 3 − 𝑥 2 𝑦 + 𝑥 = 2 at the point (2, −1)?

23. Find all points on the curve 𝑦 = 𝑥 3 + 2𝑥 2 − 6𝑥 + 5 where the tangent is parallel to the line
2𝑥 + 𝑦 = 4.

24. Find the equations of the tangent and normal lines to 3𝑥 2 𝑦 + 5𝑥 + √𝑦 = 19 at (1, 4).

25. Find the equation of a normal line to the curve 𝑦 = 𝑥 2 at 𝑥 = 1.

26. What are the equations of the tangent and the normal to the curve 𝑦 = 𝑥 2 + 4𝑥 − 3 at (1, 2)?

𝑑𝑦
27. Given the curve 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 − 𝑙𝑛(𝑥 2 ) + 𝑙𝑛(𝑦) = 2, (𝑎) find 𝑑𝑥 at (−1, 1); (𝑏) find an equation of
the normal to the curve at the point (−1, 1); and (𝑐) find all values of 𝑥 for which the tangent
line is horizontal.

1 1
28. Find the equation of each normal of the function 𝑓(𝑥) = 3 𝑥 3 + 𝑥 2 + 𝑥 − 3 which is parallel
1 1
to the line 𝑦 = − 4 𝑥 + 3.

𝜋
29. For the function 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑠𝑖𝑛(2𝑥) determine the equation of the tangent at 𝑥 = 0 and 𝑥 = 6 .

30. Find the equation for the tangent and normal lines for (𝑎) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥𝑐𝑜𝑠(𝑥) at (0, 0) and
(𝑏) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥𝑒 𝑥 at (0, 0).

31. Find the equation of each tangent of the function 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 3 + 𝑥 2 + 𝑥 + 1 which is
perpendicular to the line 2𝑦 + 𝑥 + 5 = 0.

32. Find the equation of the line tangent to the curve 𝑓(𝑥) = (𝑥 2 + 1)3 at 𝑥 = −2 and 𝑥 = 1.

33. Let 𝑦 = 16𝑥 −1 − 𝑥 2 . At what point(s) is the tangent line horizontal?

34. Let 𝑦 = 4𝑥 4 + 𝑥. At what point is the tangent line to the graph perpendicular to the line
tangent to the graph (0, 0)?

35. Find the equations of the tangent and normal to the curve 𝑦 = 𝑥 4 − 6𝑥 3 + 13𝑥 2 − 10𝑥 + 5
at the point where 𝑥 = 1.

36. Find the equation of the normal to the following curves: (𝑎) 𝑦 = 𝑐𝑜𝑡 2 (𝑥) − 2𝑐𝑜𝑡(𝑥) + 2
𝜋 𝜋 1 + 𝑠𝑖𝑛(𝑥) 𝜋
at 𝑥 = 4 ; (𝑏) 𝑦 = [𝑠𝑖𝑛(2𝑥) + 𝑐𝑜𝑡(𝑥) + 2]2 at 𝑥 = 2 ; and (𝑐) 𝑦 = 𝑐𝑜𝑠(𝑥) at 𝑥 = 4 .

𝜋
37. Find the equation of the tangent to the curve 𝑦 = 𝑠𝑒𝑐 4 (𝑥) − 𝑡𝑎𝑛4 (𝑥) at 𝑥 = 3 .

38. Find the equations of the tangent and normal to the curve 16𝑥 2 + 9𝑦 2 = 144 at (𝑥1 , 𝑦1 )
where 𝑥1 = 2 and 𝑦1 > 0.

39. Show that the tangents to the curve 𝑦 = 2𝑥 3 − 3 at the points where 𝑥 = 2 and 𝑥 = −2 are
parallel to each other.

40. Show that the tangents to the curve 𝑦 = 𝑥 2 − 5𝑥 + 6 at the points (2, 0) and (3, 0) are at
right angles to each other.

41. Find the equations of the normal lines to the curve 2𝑥 2 − 𝑦 2 = 14 parallel to the line
𝑥 + 3𝑦 = 4.

2|Page
 42. Find the equation of the tangent to the curve 𝑥 2 + 2𝑦 = 8 which is perpendicular to the line
𝑥 − 2𝑦 + 1 = 0.

43. For the curve 𝑦(𝑥 − 2)(𝑥 − 3) = 𝑥 − 7 show that the tangent is parallel to the 𝑥 − axis at
the points for which 𝑥 = 7 ± 2√5.

44. Find the points on the curve 𝑦 = 4𝑥 3 − 2𝑥 5 at which the tangent passes through the origin.

45. Find the points on the circle 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 = 13 where the tangent is parallel to 2𝑥 + 3𝑦 = 7.

46. Find the point on the curve 𝑦 = 3𝑥 2 + 4 at which the tangent is perpendicular to a line
1
whose slope is − 6.

47. Find the equation of the tangent line to the curve 𝑦 = (𝑥 2 − 2)8 (3𝑥 − 2)7 at 𝑥 = 1.

48. Find an equation of the tangent line to the graph of 𝑓(𝑥) = √𝑥 2 + 3 at the point where
𝑥 = 1.

49. Determine the slope of the tangent line to (𝑎) 𝑥 2 + 2𝑥𝑦 + 2𝑦 2 = 10 at (−2, 3) and (𝑏)
3𝑥𝑦 + 𝑦 2 = 5𝑥 + 17 at (2, 3).

2𝑥 + 1
50. Find the equation of the line tangent to the graph of 𝑦 = 3𝑥 − 1 at the point where 𝑥 = 1.

Prepared by: Ate Steph, BS Biology (Plant Biology) – II

(Science, Mathematics & English Tutor)

3|Page