Turning a Curve Into a Trip

You'll learnto turn a curve's equation into an ordered trip around it.

An implicit equation states a condition and stops there: it says which points belong, never in what order to visit them. A parametrization supplies the missing itinerary, and it stays guesswork until substitution proves it. Even then it can be correct and still cover the wrong piece. Twelve short steps; press Next for each one.

12 STEPS · 6 QUICK CHECKS · BUILD · SUBSTITUTE · AUDIT · v3

Unit 4 is not assessed on the AP exam; schools include it where local requirements ask.

which points belong · and in what order to visit them

Before you start

What you're looking at

The same circle shown two ways: unordered points that satisfy an equation, and one point traveling it.

The question

What does a parametrization add that the bare equation does not?

Step 1 / 12