To find the equation of a tangent to a curve: To find the equation of a normal to a curve: To find the coordinates of maximum/ minimum

dy dy points on a curve:
1) find the derivative, 1) find the derivative ; dy
dx dx 1) differentiate to get
2) find the gradient, m, of the tangent by 2) Substitute in the x-coordinate of the point dx
substituting in the x-ccordinate of the to find the value of the gradient there. dy
m = −1 dy 2) solve the equation =0
point; dx
3) the gradient of the normal is .
3) use one of the following formulae to get dx
3) find the y-coordinates of the points
the equation of the tangent: 4) Use one of the following formulae to get 4) determine whether the points are a
EITHER y = mx + c the equation of the normal: maximum or minimum EITHER using
OR ( y − y1 ) = m( x − x1 ) EITHER y = mx + c the second derivative OR by considering
OR ( y − y1 ) = m( x − x1 ) the gradient either side of the point.
Example: d2y
Recall: A turning point is a maximum if <0
Find the equation of the tangent to the curve Applications of dx 2
y = (2 x − 1)( x + 2) at the point where the curve d2y

crosses the y-axis.

Differentiation A turning point is a minimum if
dx 2
>0 .

Solution: Example: Example:

Expanding the brackets: y = 2 x 2 + 3 x − 2 Find the equation of the normal to the curve Find the coordinates of the stationary points on the
curve y = 2 x − 9 x − 24 x + 15 .
3 2
dy y = 3 x − x at the point where x = 4.
Differentiate: = 4x + 3
dx Solution: dy
The curve crosses the y-axis at the point (0, -2). Solution: = 6 x 2 − 18 x − 24
The curve can be written as y = 3x1/ 2 − x dx
The gradient of the tangent at x = 0 is: dy
m = 4× 0 + 3 = 3 dy 3 −1/ 2 At a stationary point, =0.
Therefore, = x −1 dx
dx 2
To find the equation of the tangent: Therefore, 6 x 2 − 18 x − 24 = 0 or x 2 − 3 x − 4 = 0 .
When x = 4, y = 3 4 − 4 = 2 Factorising gives (x + 1)(x – 4) = 0.
EITHER: y = mx + c dy 3 −1/ 2 Therefore x = -1 or x = 4.
y = 3x + c and = × 4 − 1 = 32 × 21 − 1 = − 14
dx 2 When x = -1, y = 28. When x = 4, y = -97.
Substitute x = 0, y = -2: -2 = 3(0) + c i.e. c = -2.
So equation is y = 3x - 2 So the gradient of the normal is m = −1 −1 = 4 . d2y
4 The 2nd derivative is = 12 x − 18 .
dx 2
OR: ( y − y1 ) = m( x − x1 ) where m = 3 d2y
To find the equation of the tangent:
Substitute x = 0, y = -2: ( y − ( −2)) = 3( x − 0) When x = -1, = −30 < 0 so (-1, 28) is a MAX.
y = mx + c ⇒ y = 4x + c dx 2
i.e. y = 3x - 2 Substitute x = 4, y = 2: 2 = 4(4) + c i.e. c = -14.
So equation is y = 4x – 14.
 d2y
When x = 4, = 30 > 0 so (4, -97) is a MIN.
dx 2