Edexcel AEA 2011 June — Question 4

Exam BoardEdexcel
ModuleAEA (Advanced Extension Award)
Year2011
SessionJune
TopicParametric equations

4. The curve \(C\) has parametric equations $$\begin{gathered} x = \cos ^ { 2 } t
y = \cos t \sin t \end{gathered}$$ where \(0 \leqslant t < \pi\)
  1. Show that \(C\) is a circle and find its centre and its radius. \begin{figure}[h]
    \includegraphics[alt={},max width=\textwidth]{12d3f92f-8464-4ba1-93a2-c7b841e3d3de-3_668_750_726_660} \captionsetup{labelformat=empty} \caption{Figure 1}
    \end{figure} Figure 1 shows a sketch of \(C\). The point \(P\), with coordinates \(\left( \cos ^ { 2 } \alpha , \cos \alpha \sin \alpha \right) , \quad 0 < \alpha < \frac { \pi } { 2 }\), lies on \(C\). The rectangle \(R\) has one side on the \(x\)-axis, one side on the \(y\)-axis and \(O P\) as a diagonal, where \(O\) is the origin.
  2. Show that the area of \(R\) is \(\sin \alpha \cos ^ { 3 } \alpha\)
  3. Find the maximum area of \(R\), as \(\alpha\) varies.