Calculus BC - 2022 AP Live Review Session 6: Parametrics and Vectors for Calculus BC

What Do We Need to Know?

t
Position
Vector
( x(t ), y (t ) ) or x(t ), y (t ) Position
at time t
x(t ) = x(a) +  x(t ) dt
a

( x(t ), y(t ) ) or  , 
2 2
Velocity dx dy  dx   dy 
Vector  dt dt 
Speed   + 
 dt   dt 

d x d y
2 2 Total Distance   dx 2  dy 2
Acceleration
( x(t ), y(t ) ) or  2 , 2  Traveled    +   dt
  dt   dt 
Vector  dt dt  from t = a to t = b
a

d  dy 
Slope of Tangent dy dy / dt Second
d y d  dy  dt  dx 
2
= Derivative = =
Line to a Curve dx dx / dt (Parametric) dx 2 dx  dx  dx
dt

Finding Your Way Around AP Classroom

Topic Name Topic #

Defining and Differentiating Parametric Equations 9.1

Second Derivatives of Parametric Equations 9.2
Finding Arc Lengths of Curves Given by Parametric Equatons 9.3
Defining and Differentiaitng Vector-Valued Functons 9.4
Interpreting Vector-Valued Functions 9.5
Solving Motion Problems Using Parametric and Vector-Vlaued
Functions 9.6

AP Calculus BC: Working With Parametric Equations and Vectors 2022 AP Live Bryan Passwater & Tony Record
Short Answer / Multiple Choice Practice

1. Level: AP3
1
The position of a particle at any time t  0 is given by x ( t ) , y ( t ) = t 2 − 3, . Find the acceleration
2t − 1
vector at time t = 2.

8 2 1 2
(A) 2, (B) 4, − (C) 4, − (D) 2,
27 9 9 27

2. Level: AP3
t
0.4 t cos 2  
Given
dx e
= and
dy
=  5  , find the slope of the tangent line to the curve ( x(t ), y (t ) ) at t = 2.
dt sin t dt t

3. Level: AP4
 t 
For t  0 , a bug moves in the xy - plane with position ( x ( t ) , y ( t ) ) , where x ( t ) = sin   and
 4
y ( t ) = t 2 − 6t + 8 . At which of the following times is the bug at rest?

(A) t = 2 (B) t = 3 (C) t = 4 (D) t = 8

AP Calculus BC: Working With Parametric Equations and Vectors 2022 AP Live Bryan Passwater & Tony Record
4. Level: AP4

A particle moves in the xy - plane with position ( x ( t ) , y ( t ) ) . The graph of y ( t ) is shown in the figure
dx
above along with the line tangent to y ( t ) at t = 7 . If = (11 − 2t ) , find the speed of the particle at time
2

dt
t = 7.

5. Level: AP3
t 3
y (t ) 0
y(t ) 2
y (t ) −1

The position of a particle that moves in the xy - plane is given by the parametric functions x ( t ) and y ( t ) .
The graph of x ( t ) is shown in the figure above along with values for y ( t ) , y ( t ) , and y ( t ) at t = 3 .
Which of the following describes the direction of motion for the particle at time t = 3 ?

(A) Directly up
(B) Up and to the right
(C) Up and to the left
(D) Down and to the left

AP Calculus BC: Working With Parametric Equations and Vectors 2022 AP Live Bryan Passwater & Tony Record
6. Level: AP5

d2y
If x(t ) = 3t and y (t ) = 2t + 3 , for t  0 , then
2 4
=
dx 2

8 4 4 3
(A) t (B) t (C) (D)
3 9 9 2t 3

7. Level: AP4
dx 4 3
The motion of a particle in the xy-plane at any time t  0 can be described by = 1 − 2t and y (t ) = t 2 .
dt 3
What is the total distance traveled by the particle from t = 1 to t = 4 ?

(A) 11.136
(B) 15.340
(C) 20.440
(D) 21.637

8. Level: AP5

For t  0 , the position of a particle moving in the xy - plane can be modeled by ( x ( t ) , y ( t ) ) , where
12 − 3t 2 dx
y (t ) = and = 4te−2t . At t = 0 , the particle is at (1, −2 ) . As t increases without bound, what
t + 4t − 6
2
dt
position will the particle approach?

(A) ( 0, −3)
(B) ( 2, −3)
(C) (1, −5 )

(D) ( 4, −1)

AP Calculus BC: Working With Parametric Equations and Vectors 2022 AP Live Bryan Passwater & Tony Record
9. Level: AP3
cos ( t 2 ) ,3 − e
t
An object moving along a curve in the xy-plane has velocity vector 3
. Which of the following
represents the acceleration of the object at time t = 4?
4 4
(A) 8sin (16 ) , − e 3
3
− sin (16 ) , −e
4
3
(B)

1 4
(C) −8sin (16 ) , − e 3
3
1 4
(D) −4sin (16 ) , − e 3
3

10. Level: AP4

The motion of a particle in the xy-plane at any time t  0 can be described by a curve with the properties
dy
x(t ) = 4t 3 − 48t and = 10t − 2 . At which time is the line tangent to the path of the particle vertical?
dt
1
(A) t = 0 (B) t = (C) t = 2 (D) t = 12
5

11. Level: AP4

The position of a particle that moves in the xy - plane is given by the parametric functions x ( t ) and y ( t ) ,
where y ( t ) = e4t −t . The path of the particle xy - plane is shown in the figure above. What is the value of
2

x ( 7 ) ?
−1 2 5 20
(A) (B) (C) (D)
2e 21 e21 e21 e21

AP Calculus BC: Working With Parametric Equations and Vectors 2022 AP Live Bryan Passwater & Tony Record
Free Response Practice
1.

For t  0 , the position of a particle moving in the xy-plane is given by the vector p(t ) = x(t ), y (t ) with
dx t + sin ( t + 1)
2 1.2
dy  y
p (0) = ( 2, 4 ) . It is known that = and = 2 y 1 −  .
 12 
t
dt e dt

(a) Write the equation of the line tangent to the curve at time t = 0.

(b) Describe the direction of motion of the particle at time t = 0.

(c) Find the x-coordinate of the particle at time t = 3.

(d) Find lim y (t ) .

t →

AP Calculus BC: Working With Parametric Equations and Vectors 2022 AP Live Bryan Passwater & Tony Record
2.
t 0 1.5 2 4
y (t ) 2 −1 6 5

The position of a particle moving in the xy - plane is defined by the parametric equations x ( t ) and y ( t ) ,
where x ( t ) = y ( t ) . It is known that at t = 0, x = 3 . The function y ( t ) is not explicitly known, but
selected values for y  ( t ) are shown in the table above.
4
(a) Let S R be the right Riemann sum approximation of  y ( t ) dt
0
using the three intervals indicated in the

23
table. Show that S R = . Use S R to approximate y ( 4 ) .
2

2n ( n −1)
(b) For t  8 , the nth - derivative of x ( t ) is defined as x ( t ) = x
( n)
( t ) , where n  1. Using the
n!
approximation of y ( 4 ) from part (a) , find the third-degree Taylor polynomial for x ( t ) about t = 16 .

(c) The slope of the line tangent to the path of the particle is −7 at t = 16 . Use the Taylor polynomial for x ( t )
about t = 16 found in part (b) to estimate y (16 ) .

AP Calculus BC: Working With Parametric Equations and Vectors 2022 AP Live Bryan Passwater & Tony Record
2.
t 0 1.5 2 4
y (t ) 2 −1 6 5

The position of a particle moving in the xy - plane is defined by the parametric equations x ( t ) and y ( t ) ,
where x ( t ) = y ( t ) . It is known that at t = 0, x = 3 . The function y ( t ) is not explicitly known, but
selected values for y  ( t ) are shown in the table above.

(d) Use Euler’s method with the data in the table, starting at t = 0 with two steps of equal size, to approximate
y ( 3) .

(e) For 0  t  5 , the y - coordinate of the particle’s position at time t can be modeled by
( t − 2 ) . Find y 1 . According to this model, does y t have a relative minimum, relative
n

1
y (t ) = t −  () ()
4 n =1 n  3n
maximum, or neither at t = 1 ? Give a reason for your answer.

AP Calculus BC: Working With Parametric Equations and Vectors 2022 AP Live Bryan Passwater & Tony Record