Polar Coordinates and Polar Curves · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.
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Finding points by distance and angle

Mathematics · Geometry · ages 17-18
Name ______________________   Date ____________
  1. The polar point is (-9, pi/2), with the angle in radians. What is its Cartesian y-coordinate?

    Answer: ______________

  2. Convert the Cartesian point (-4, -4) to polar form with r > 0 and 0 <= theta < 360 degrees. What is theta?

    • 45 degrees
    • 135 degrees
    • 225 degrees
    • 315 degrees
  3. A point has polar coordinates (2, 90 degrees). What are its Cartesian coordinates?

    • (0, 2)
    • (2, 0)
    • (0, -2)
  4. For r = 9, let theta run from 0 to 2pi radians. Calculate positions at 0, pi/2, pi, 3pi/2 and 2pi. Which ordered Cartesian trace and resulting curve are correct?

    • (9, 0), (0, -9), (-9, 0), (0, 9), (9, 0): a circle traced clockwise.
    • (9, 0), (9, 9), (9, 18), (9, 27), (9, 36): a vertical straight line.
    • (9, 0), (0, 9), (-9, 0), (0, -9), (9, 0): circle, anticlockwise.
  5. Compare an origin-centred circle of radius 6 and the vertical line x = 8. Which choice gives the shorter coordinate form for each curve and a reason?

    • Cartesian for both: x² + y² = 36 fixes the circle's radius directly, and x = 8 fixes the line's x-coordinate.
    • Polar for circle: r = 6 fixes radius. Cartesian for line: x = 8 fixes x without trigonometry.
    • Polar for both: r = 6 fixes the circle's radius, and r = 8 fixes x for every point on the vertical line.
  6. Which Cartesian equation describes the polar equation r sin theta = -3?

    • y = -3
    • y = 3
    • x = -3
    • x = 3
  7. On the spiral r = 3 theta, theta >= 0 is in radians. How much does r increase during one full turn?

    • 3pi units
    • 9pi units
    • 6pi units
    • 12pi units
  8. For r = 4 theta/pi, 0 <= theta <= 2pi in radians, use theta = 0, pi/2, pi, 3pi/2 and 2pi. Which ordered Cartesian trace and resulting curve are correct?

    • (0, 0), (0, -2), (-4, 0), (0, 6), (8, 0): an outward spiral traced clockwise.
    • (0, 0), (0, 2), (4, 0), (0, -6), (-8, 0): an outward spiral with reversed horizontal positions.
    • (0, 0), (0, 2), (-4, 0), (0, -6), (8, 0): an outward spiral traced anticlockwise.
  9. The Cartesian point is (3, 4). What is its nonnegative polar radius r?

    Answer: ______________

  10. Using r >= 0, what polar equation describes the same circle as x² + y² = 25?

    • r equals 25
    • r equals 5
    • theta equals 5
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Finding points by distance and angle W1-mt_R5QMUJvA1v-s1

  1. -9 · y = r sin theta = -9 sin(pi/2). Since sin(pi/2) = 1, y = -9. Negative r puts this point below the origin.
  2. 225 degrees · Both coordinates are negative, placing the point in quadrant III. Equal absolute coordinates give a 45-degree reference angle, so theta = 180 + 45 = 225 degrees.
  3. (0, 2) · x equals 2 cos 90, which is 0, and y equals 2 sin 90, which is 2.
  4. (9, 0), (0, 9), (-9, 0), (0, -9), (9, 0): circle, anticlockwise. · The radius stays 9. The angles point right, up, left, down and right, giving the listed axis points in anticlockwise order. Joining the curve through them completes a circle centred at the origin.
  5. Polar for circle: r = 6 fixes radius. Cartesian for line: x = 8 fixes x without trigonometry. · The circle's polar form r = 6 states its fixed radius more briefly than x² + y² = 36. The line's Cartesian form x = 8 states its fixed horizontal coordinate more briefly than r cos theta = 8.
  6. y = -3 · Use y = r sin theta. Replacing r sin theta with y gives y = -3, a horizontal line below the x-axis.
  7. 6pi units · A full turn adds 2pi radians to theta. Since r = 3 theta, the radial increase is 3 × 2pi = 6pi units.
  8. (0, 0), (0, 2), (-4, 0), (0, -6), (8, 0): an outward spiral traced anticlockwise. · Substitution gives radii 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8. Place them on the right, up, left, down and right rays. Joining in angle order winds anticlockwise outward, ending 8 units right of the origin.
  9. 5 · r squared equals 9 plus 16, which is 25, so r equals 5.
  10. r equals 5 · Substitute r² for x² + y² to get r² = 25. Since r >= 0, choose r = 5. Let theta make a full turn to trace the circle.
Worksheet · LightMySky