Find the unit tangent vector T and the principal unit normal vector N for the following parameterized curve.

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r(t) = <8$sint^2$,8$cost^2$> Solve for T and N.

I know that T is equal to v/|v|. and I believe that v is equal to

<$16sin(t)cos(t)$,$-16cos(t)sin(t)$>

and |v| is equal to $sqrt((16sin(t)cos(t))^2+(-16cos(t)sin(t))^2)$

so that means T is equal to $<8sin(t)^2$/$sqrt((16sin(t)cos(t))^2+(-16cos(t)sin(t))^2)$,

$8cos(t)^2/sqrt((16sin(t)cos(t))^2+(-16cos(t)sin(t))^2))$

MyMathLab does not accept this answer and says it is wrong, maybe because I didn't simplify it? I know that sin(t)cos(t) is equal to sin(2x) but even with that I'm not sure how to simplify it. MyMathLab says that the correct answer for T is $< cos(t)^2, -sin(t)^2>$

I know that to solve for N you do (dT/dt)/(|dT/dt) but first I need to know how to solve for T. I could do this problem if r was equal to something like $<5t,4t^2$ but I don't know how to do it with sin and cos and sorry for the formatting I don't know how to do that either.

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I think that you are complicating things right from the start. Try to simplify $x(t)$ and $y(t)$ first:

$$x(t)=8\sin^2t=4(1-\cos2t)$$

$$y(t)=8\cos^2t=4(1+\cos2t)$$

$$\dot{x}=8\sin2t$$

$$\dot{y}=-8\sin2t$$

$$v=\sqrt{\dot{x}^2+\dot{y}^2}=8\sqrt2 |\sin2t|$$

So the components of unit vector $\vec{T}$ are:

$$\vec{T}=\frac{\sqrt2}{2}\frac{\sin2t}{|\sin2t|}\vec i-\frac{\sqrt2}{2}\frac{\sin2t}{|\sin2t|}\vec j$$

In other words, for $\sin2t>0$, the unit vector is:

$$\vec{T}=\frac{\sqrt2}{2}\vec i-\frac{\sqrt2}{2}\vec j\tag{1}$$

It looks strange because $\vec{T}$ is not a function of $t$ but it makes perfect sense. From your starting equations it is obvious that $x+y=8$ so the point moves along a straight line and the unit vector $\vec{T}$ depends only on the direction of movement.

Hope this helps.