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Multiple Choice
What is the slope of the tangent line to the curve at the point ?
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Verified step by step guidance
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Step 1: Begin by understanding that the slope of the tangent line to a curve at a given point is determined by finding the derivative of the curve implicitly. The given equation is y³ - x y² + x³ = 5.
Step 2: Differentiate both sides of the equation with respect to x using implicit differentiation. Remember that y is a function of x, so when differentiating terms involving y, apply the chain rule. For example, the derivative of y³ is 3y²(dy/dx).
Step 3: Apply the derivative to each term: (1) The derivative of y³ is 3y²(dy/dx), (2) The derivative of -x y² is -y² - 2x y(dy/dx) (using the product rule), and (3) The derivative of x³ is 3x². The derivative of the constant 5 is 0.
Step 4: Combine all the differentiated terms into a single equation: 3y²(dy/dx) - y² - 2x y(dy/dx) + 3x² = 0. Rearrange the equation to isolate dy/dx, which represents the slope of the tangent line.
Step 5: Substitute the given point (x = 1, y = 2) into the equation to solve for dy/dx. This will give the slope of the tangent line at the specified point.