Identify Function Part: Since x=3 is greater than 1, we use the first part of the piecewise function, which is x2−4.
Calculate Derivative: To find the slope of the tangent line, we need to calculate the derivative of x2−4 with respect to x. The derivative of x2 is 2x, and the derivative of −4 is 0. So, the derivative of x2−4 is 2x.
Find Slope at x=3: Now we evaluate the derivative at x=3 to find the slope of the tangent line.2x evaluated at x=3 is 2(3)=6. So, the slope of the tangent line at x=3 is 6.
Determine Point on Line: We also need a point on the tangent line to find its equation. Since we're looking at x=3, we plug it into the original function part x2−4. 32−4=9−4=5. So, the point on the function at x=3 is (3,5).
Write Equation of Line: Using the point-slope form of a line, y−y1=m(x−x1), where m is the slope and (x1,y1) is the point on the line, we can write the equation of the tangent line.With m=6 and the point (3,5), the equation is y−5=6(x−3).
Simplify Equation: Simplify the equation to get it into slope-intercept form, y=mx+b.y−5=6x−18Add 5 to both sides to get y by itself.y=6x−18+5y=6x−13
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