MATH 1020 – Calculus II, Spring 2025
Midterm Exam
Time: 90 minutes. Scale: 100 points.
Student Name Student ID
1. (30 points) A bicycle is moving at a constant speed along Ox-axis. The front tire of the
bicycle is a circle with a radius of 1. Assume P is the valve stem of the tire, with its
initial position at the origin (0,0). Prove that the parametric equation of the trajectory
of P as the bicycle moves has the following form:
(
x = θ − sin θ,
y = 1 − cos θ,
where θ is the angle shown in the figure.
Solution: Let ( x,y) be the position of P; C the center of the tire and Q,T be points as
shown in the following:
Because the circle has been in contact with the line. From the figure, the distance it has
rolled from the origin is
|OT | = arc PT = rθ = θ
Therefore the center of the circle is C (θ, 1). Next, the value of x and y are:
x = |OT | − | PQ| = rθ − r sin θ = θ − sin θ
y = | TC | − | QC | = r − r cos θ = 1 − cos θ
(
x = θ − sin θ
Therefore parametric equations of the P are where θ ∈ R.
y = 1 − cos θ
2. (20 points) Let a curve Γ in R3 be traced by the position vector
1 3/2 1 3/2 t
R(t) = (1 + t ) , (1 − t ) , √
3 3 2
for t ∈ (−1, 1). Compute the following for the curve Γ:
(a) The unit tangent vector T̂(t).
(b) The unit normal vector N̂(t).
(c) The curvature κ (t).
d D √ √ E
Solution: First, compute the derivative ⃗R′ (t) = R(t) = 12 1 + t, − 21 1 − t, √1 .
dt 2
′
Next, find the magnitude |⃗R (t)|:
s 2 2 2
′ 1 √ 1 √ 1
|⃗R (t)| = 1+t + − 1−t + √ = 1.
2 2 2
(a) The unit tangent vector is
⃗R′ (t) 1√ 1√
1
T (t) = = 1 + t, − 1 − t, √
|⃗R′ (t)| 2 2 2
T ′ (t)
(b) The unit normal vector is N (t) = . First, compute T ′ (t):
| T ′ (t)|
d 1 1 1 1
(1 + t ) 1/2
= · (1 + t)−1/2 = √
dt 2 2 2 4 1+t
d 1 1 1 1
− (1 − t)1/2 = − · (1 − t)−1/2 · (−1) = √
dt 2 2 2 4 1−t
d 1
√ =0
dt 2
1 1
So, T ′ (t) = √ , √ ,0 .
4 1+t 4 1−t
Now compute the magnitude | T ′ (t)|:
s 2 2
′ 1 1
| T (t)| = √ + √ + 02
4 1+t 4 1−t
s
1 1 1
= + = √ √
16(1 + t) 16(1 − t) 2 2 1 − t2
Finally, find N (t):
D E
√1 , √1 , 0
T ′ (t) 4 1+ t 4 1− t
N (t) = =
| T ′ (t)| √ √1
2 2 1− t2
√ p
1 1
= 2 2 1 − t2 √ , √ ,0
4 1+t 4 1−t
*√ √ √ √ +
2 1−t 2 1+t
= , ,0
2 2
(c) The curvature is
| T ′ (t)|
κ (t) = = | T ′ (t)|/1
| R′ (t)|
1
= √ √ .
2 2 1 − t2
3. (20 points) Let R be the region in the first and second quadrants that is inside the polar
curve r = 3 and inside the polar curve r = 2 + 2 cos θ as shown in the graph. Find the
area of R.
Solution: Intersection point is the root of the equation:
3 = 2 + 2 cos θ =⇒ cos θ = 1/2 =⇒ θ = π/3 ± 2kπ.
The only possible solution is π/3 since 0 ≤ θ ≤ π/2.
Thus the area
π
1 2 π 1
Z Z
3
R= (3) dθ + (2 + 2 cos θ )2 dθ
0 2 π/3 2
. . . (concrete computation needed)
√
7π 9 3
= − .
2 4
4. (30 points) Find the maximum and minimum distances from the point P = (0, 0, 3) to
the surface defined by the equation
x2 + 2y2 + 3z2 = 6.
Solution: The distance D between ( x,y,z) and (0,0,3) is
q q
D = ( x − 0) + ( y − 0) + ( z − 3) = x 2 + y2 + ( z − 3)2
2 2 2
Let f ( x,y,z) be the squared distance:
f ( x,y,z) = D2 = x2 + y2 + (z − 3)2
Finding the extrema of f subject to the constraint will give us the points corresponding
to the extrema of D.
Constraint is
g( x,y,z) = x2 + 2y2 + 3z2 − 6
Use the method of Lagrange multipliers. We need to solve the system of equations
∇ f = λ∇ g and g( x,y,z) = 0. First, compute the gradients:
∂f ∂f ∂f
∇f = , , = ⟨2x, 2y, 2(z − 3)⟩ = ⟨2x, 2y, 2z − 6⟩
∂x ∂y ∂z
∂g ∂g ∂g
∇g = , , = ⟨2x, 4y, 6z⟩
∂x ∂y ∂z
The system of equations derived from ∇ f = λ∇ g and the constraint g = 0 is:
2x = λ(2x ) (1)
2y = λ(4y) (2)
2z − 6 = λ(6z) (3)
x2 + 2y2 + 3z2 = 6 (4)
Solving the System: From (1): 2x − 2λx = 0 =⇒ 2x (1 − λ) = 0. This means either
x = 0 or λ = 1. From (2): 2y − 4λy = 0 =⇒ 2y(1 − 2λ) = 0. This means either y = 0
or λ = 1/2.
Consider the cases:
• Case 1: x = 0 and y = 0. √ √
Substitute
√ into (4) =⇒ z = ± 2. This gives two candidate points: ( 0, 0, 2) and
(0, 0, − 2).
• Case 2: x ̸= 0,λ = 1
Substitute λ = 1 into (2) =⇒ y = 0.
Substitute λ = 1 into (3): =⇒ z = −3/2.
Substitute y = 0 and z = −3/2 into (4): =⇒ x2 = −3/4. An impossible case.
• Case 3: y ̸= 0,λ = 1/2.
Substitute λ = 1/2 into (1) =⇒ x = 0.
Substitute λ = 1/2 into (3) =⇒ z = −6.
Substitute x = 0 and z = −6 into (4) =⇒ y2 = −51. An impossible case.
√ √
Candidate points are (0, 0, 2) and (0, 0, − 2). For each point:
√ √ √
• For (0, 0, 2): f = 02 + 02 + ( 2 − 3)2 = 11 − 6 2.
√ √ √
• For (0, 0, − 2): f = 02 + 02 + (− 2 − 3)2 = 11 + 6 2.
The actual distances:
p √ √
• Minimum distance Dmin = 11 − 6 2 = 3 − 2.
p √ √
• Maximum distance Dmax = 11 + 6 2 = 3 + 2.
THE END