Parametric Plotter |
Using the MAPLET: A MAPLET is a graphical interface that allows the user access to the power of MAPLE without interacting with the complex underlying code. The Parametric Plotter MAPLET, which can be opened by clicking the link at the right, is designed to plot parametric curves. Please be patient while the initial MAPLET loads -- you may not see any indication onscreen that anything is happening until the Java/MAPLET button appears on your tsk bar.
The MAPLET is composed of, from top to bottom, a plotter box, four text fields to enter the parametric equations and the parameter plotting range, and a sequence of buttons designed to plot a designated parametric curve, clear the last curve plotted, clear all plots, and exit the MAPLET. Upon opening the MAPLET, you will see that it has been initialized with the parameterization (x(t), y(t)) = (cos(t), sin(t)), varying t from 0 to 2. Notice that the terms in the text fields are written in MAPLE syntax. For example, 2 is entered as 2*Pi. The syntax required in all text fields must be consistent with the language of MAPLE. Thus, multiplication must be made explicit, and special functions, such as the sine function, must be written just as in the MAPLE program.
By clicking the "Plot" button, you can obtain a plot of the initialized parametric functions. To plot other parametric equations, simply make the necessary changes in the appropriate text fields. The plots of new parametric curves will overlay the plots of previous curves, unless you use the "Clear" button, which will clear all plots from the plotter, allowing you to start anew. Clicking the “Clear Last” button will erase just the most recent curve plotted. The plots produced by the MAPLET are not drawn on a one-to-one scale, thus special attention should be given to axes labeling, as images may appear slightly warped. When you are done using the Parametric Plotter MAPLET, you can close the MAPLET by clicking the "Exit" button.
NOTE: If the sizing of your MAPLET window is not optimal, and you are having difficulty seeing all of the buttons/features, then see the Notes to Instructor.
Exercise 2.3
For each of a) through c), use the MAPLET to check your answer by producing the appropriate parametric plot.