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What is a normal to a tangent?FP1 further maths definition

in coordinate geometry in problems involving tangents to parabolas what is the normal and why does it have a negative reciprocal gradient?fp1 further matsh edexcel
Original post by youreanutter
in coordinate geometry in problems involving tangents to parabolas what is the normal and why does it have a negative reciprocal gradient?fp1 further matsh edexcel


It's a line that makes 90 degrees to the tangent, and you use what you've learned in the past that the product of the two gradients is -1.
Original post by SeanFM
It's a line that makes 90 degrees to the tangent, and you use what you've learned in the past that the product of the two gradients is -1.

so does the normal goe through the two tangents at a given point as its symmetrical?thanks btw
Original post by youreanutter
so does the normal goe through the two tangents at a given point as its symmetrical?thanks btw


Two tangents? I'm not sure what you mean. There should only be one tangent at a given point.

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