Find an equation of the tangent line to the curve at the given point y = √x at point (36, 6)

To find the equation of the tangent line to the curve y = √x at the point (36, 6), we will follow these steps:

  1. Calculate the derivative: The derivative of the function gives us the slope of the tangent line. The function is y = √x, which can also be written as y = x^(1/2).
  2. Using the power rule of differentiation, the derivative is:
    • y’ = (1/2)x^(-1/2) = 1/(2√x)
  3. Evaluate the derivative at x = 36:
    • y’|_(x=36) = 1/(2√36) = 1/(2*6) = 1/12
  4. So, the slope (m) of the tangent line at the point (36, 6) is 1/12.
  5. Use the point-slope form to find the equation of the tangent line: The point-slope form of a line is given by:
    • y – y1 = m(x – x1)
  6. Here, (x1, y1) = (36, 6) and m = 1/12. Plugging these values into the point-slope form:
    • y – 6 = (1/12)(x – 36)
  7. Simplifying:
    • y – 6 = (1/12)x – 3
    • y = (1/12)x + 3
  8. Final result: The equation of the tangent line to the curve y = √x at the point (36, 6) is:
    • y = (1/12)x + 3

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