Problem 29

Question

In Exercises 27-36, find the inclination \(\theta\) (in radians and degrees) of the line. \(3x - 3y + 1 = 0\)

Step-by-Step Solution

Verified
Answer
The inclination \(\theta\) of the line \(3x - 3y + 1 = 0\) is approximately 0.785 radians or 45°.
1Step 1: Convert to Slope-Intercept Form
To find the inclination of the line, convert the equation into the slope-intercept form. The given equation is \(3x - 3y + 1 = 0\). Let's isolate 'y' on one side: \n\(y = x + \frac{1}{3}\). So, m (the slope) = 1.
2Step 2: Calculate Inclination in Radians
Substitute the slope into the formula for inclination, which is \(\theta = tan^{-1}(m)\). We have \(\theta = tan^{-1}(1)\). Using a calculator, we find \(\theta \approx 0.785\). So, in radians, the inclination is approximately 0.785.
3Step 3: Calculate Inclination in Degrees
Because the student is required also to find the angle in degrees, convert the radian measure to degrees. We multiply by \(\frac{180}{\pi}\) to do this. So the inclination in degrees is \(\theta = 0.785 * \frac{180}{\pi} \approx 45°\).

Key Concepts

Slope-Intercept FormRadians to Degrees ConversionTangent InverseSlope of a Line
Slope-Intercept Form
The slope-intercept form is a way of writing the equation of a straight line. It's written as \(y = mx + b\), where \(m\) represents the slope and \(b\) represents the y-intercept, which is where the line crosses the y-axis.
The slope indicates how steep the line is. A larger slope means a steeper line. In our given equation \(3x - 3y + 1 = 0\), we need to rearrange it to find \(m\) and \(b\).
  • First, move the \(x\) term to the right side to isolate \(y\): \(3x - 3y = -1\).
  • Next, solve for \(y\) by dividing the entire equation by \(-3\): \(y = x + \frac{1}{3}\).
This shows that the slope \(m\) is 1, and the y-intercept \(b\) is \(\frac{1}{3}\). This form makes it easy to graph the line and understand its direction.
Radians to Degrees Conversion
Radians and degrees are two units of measuring angles, and conversion between them can be done using a simple formula. One full circle is 360 degrees or \(2\pi\) radians.
To convert radians to degrees, you use the formula:
\[\text{Degrees} = \text{Radians} \times \frac{180}{\pi}\]
For instance, if you have an angle of \(0.785\) radians, as calculated from the tangent inverse in the problem, you multiply it by \(\frac{180}{\pi}\):
\[0.785 \times \frac{180}{\pi} \approx 45\] degrees.
This straightforward calculation allows us to switch between the two systems of measurement easily.
Tangent Inverse
The tangent inverse, denoted as \(\tan^{-1}\), helps find the angle whose tangent is a given number. This function is crucial in finding the inclination of a line when you know its slope.
For any slope \(m\), the inclination \(\theta\) can be calculated as:
\[\theta = \tan^{-1}(m)\]
In our exercise, the slope \(m\) is 1. Hence, \(\theta = \tan^{-1}(1)\), which approximately evaluates to \(0.785\) radians.
This value represents the angle from the positive x-axis to the line, highlighting the angle's emphasis on direction and rotation.
Slope of a Line
The slope of a line is a measure of how steep the line is. It is the ratio of the change in y to the change in x, often expressed as "rise over run."
Mathematically, the slope \(m\) can be calculated when you have a linear equation in the form \(y = mx + b\).
For the equation \(3x - 3y + 1 = 0\), after rewriting it in slope-intercept form as \(y = x + \frac{1}{3}\), the slope is clearly \(m = 1\).
This tells us the line rises 1 unit for every unit it moves horizontally, indicating a 45-degree incline in the standard xy-coordinate plane when considering the positive slope towards the upward direction.