AP Calculus BC : Polar Form

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Calculus BC

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Example Questions

Example Question #31 : Parametric, Polar, And Vector Functions

What is the derivative of ?

Possible Answers:

Correct answer:

Explanation:

In order to find the derivative   of a polar equation , we must first find the derivative of with respect to  as follows:

We can then swap the given values of  and  into the equation of the derivative of an expression into polar form:

Using the trigonometric identity , we can deduce that . Swapping this into the denominator, we get:

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