Question

Find an equation of the tangent line to the graph of the function square root(x-2) at the point (18,4)

Answer 1

Start by finding the derivative.

Answer 2

Do you know how to do that?

Answer 3

yes but i must be doing my work wrong

Answer 4

What are you getting?

Answer 5

y=4/8x+16

Answer 6

... You are finding the derivative of \[\sqrt{x-2}\] correct?

Answer 7

Yes. I got 4/8 for the derivative and than I plugged it into this formula y-y1=m(x-x1)

Answer 8

Did you get \[\frac{ 1 }{ 2\sqrt{x-2}}\] for the derivative?

Answer 9

Before you plugged in 18

Answer 10

yes I did

Answer 11

Then you should've gotten 1/8, not 4/8?

Answer 12

oh okay i see what happened. Ok so that is the derivative which also equals the slope?

Answer 13

Yes. Are you getting the right answer now?

Answer 14

no. y-4=(1/8)(x-18)
y-4=1/8x+9=4
y=1/8x+25/4

Answer 15

Where did the 9 come from in your second line? 18/8 =/= 9

Answer 16

Was that supposed to be a slash?

Answer 17

yes sorry

Answer 18

Alright, what does your book say the answer is supposed to be?

Answer 19

Also, you seem to have written 9/4 as positive instead of negative.

Answer 20

it is an online quiz the answers are:
y=x/8+9/4
y=x/8+7/4
y=x/8+9/2
y=x/4+9/2
y=x/4+7/2

Answer 21

Yes, the answer is the second one. If you look at your work, you'll see that a negative's become a positive, which messed up your answer.

Answer 22

I see now thank you so much! :)

Answer 23

Np. :) Since this is apparently your first question, I'll ask you straight-out for a medal, if you understood my explanation.