How to Find the Slope of a Curve and the Equation of the Tangent Line?

To find the slope of the curve and the equation of the tangent line at the given point (p), we need to follow a few steps.

Given the equation of the curve: y = 5 – 6x²

1. **Finding the Slope:**
First, we need to calculate the derivative of the function. This derivative represents the slope of the curve at any point x.

The derivative of the function y = 5 – 6x² is:

dy/dx = -12x

2. **Evaluating the Derivative at Point P:**
To find the slope at the specific point p where x = 2, we substitute x = 2 into the derivative:

dy/dx = -12(2) = -24

This means the slope of the curve at the point p(2, 19) is -24.

3. **Finding the Equation of the Tangent Line:**
Now that we have the slope, we can use the point-slope form of the equation of a line to find the equation of the tangent line. The point-slope form is given by:

y – y₁ = m(x – x₁)

Here, m is the slope, and (x₁, y₁) is the point of tangency, which is (2, 19). Using the slope we found:

y – 19 = -24(x – 2)

4. **Simplifying the Equation of the Tangent Line:**
Now we’ll simplify this equation:

y – 19 = -24x + 48

y = -24x + 67

Thus, the equation of the tangent line at the point p is:

y = -24x + 67

In summary, the slope of the curve at the given point p(2, 19) is -24, and the equation of the tangent line at that point is y = -24x + 67.

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