Introduction

In this Section we see how the equations of the tangent line and the normal line at a particular point on the curve $y=f\left(x\right)$ can be obtained. The equations of tangent and normal lines are often written as

$y=mx+c,y=nx+d$

respectively. We shall show that the product of their gradients $m$ and $n$ is such that $mn$ is $-1$ which is the condition for perpendicularity.

Prerequisites

• be able to differentiate standard functions
• understand the geometrical interpretation of a derivative
• know the trigonometric expansions of $sin\left(A+B\right),cos\left(A+B\right)$

Learning Outcomes

• obtain the condition that two given lines are perpendicular
• obtain the equation of the tangent line to a curve
• obtain the equation of the normal line to a curve

View these resources in original pdf format