AS/A2 Pure 5 Pure 6

P4 Topic 7: Polar Coordinates
r = p sec(q-t)
Investigate polar curves with equations of the form r = p sec(q-t) for various values of p and q, positive and negative. Pay close attention to any loops or symmetry or occurances of cusps. You may have to zoom out to get a better view. Click the left button to zoom in. Use Shift-click to zoom out. Click and hold down the right button to drag the graph.

Summary Clearly, curves with equations of the form r = p sec(q-t) are straight lines. Based on free Java applets from JavaMath