Solutions to In-Class Problems: Related Rates
1. If V is the volume of the cube with edge length x and the cube expands as time passes. Find dV /dt in terms of dx/dt. If the length of the edge is increasing at a constant speed 1 cm/s, how fast is the volume changing when the edge length is 20 cm? Solution: The edge length x(t) is a function of time. We have the following formula for V as a function of time V (t) = x(t)3 . Using the chain rule, we get dV dx = 3x(t)2 . dt dt If the length of the edge is 20 cm. and is increasing at a speed 1 cm/s, dV = 3 202 1 = 1200 (cm3 /s) dt
2. At 7 : 00 A.M. a truck is 60 miles due north of a car. The truck is traveling south at a constant speed of 40 mph, while the car is traveling east at 60 mph. How fast is the distance between the car and the truck changing at 7 : 30 A.M.? Solution: Time t is measured in hours and t = 0 corresponds to 7 : 00 A.M. On the graph below the origin corresponds to the position of the car at 7 : 00 A.M., the x-axis point to the east and the y-axis points to the north; x(t) is position of the car, y(t) is position of the truck and z(t) is the distance between the two of them. y
z(t) y(t)
x(t)
Need: dz/dt at t = 0.5. Given: x(t)=60t (miles) y(t)=60-40t (miles) dx/dt = 60 (mph) dy/dt = 40 (mph) By Pythagorean theorem z(t)2 = x(t)2 + y(t)2 . Dierentiating with respect to t, we have 2z Solving for dz/dt: 1 dz = dt z x dx dy +y dt dt . (2) dz dx dy = 2x + 2y . dt dt dt (1)
(We have in the last formula because the truck is traveling south while the y-axis points to the north).
We are interested in dz/dt at t = 0.5, hence we need to nd x(0.5), y(0.5) and z(0.5). From formulas (1): x(0.5) = 30 miles, y(0.5) = 60 20 = 40 miles; by Pythagorean theorem z(0.5) = 302 + 402 = 50 miles. Substituting x, y, z, dx/dt and dy/dt in formula (2), we have 1 200 dz = (30 60 40 40) = = 4(mph). dt 50 50
3. A person is siting on a bench in a park and watching a balloon rising up in the air 100 m away from him. m Balloon is rising up at a constant speed of 5 sec . A person moves his head in order to keep balloon in sight. How fast does the person move his head when the balloon is at the height of 50 m? Solution: In the diagramm below P is the person and B is the balloon. B
h(t)
P Need: d/dt when h(t) = 50 m. Given:
(t)
P C = 100 meters BC = h(t) = 5t meters dh = 5 m/s dt From the rectangular triangle P BC we have tan = and hence = arctan Using the chain rule, we have d = dt
d dt
(3)
h(t) , 100
h(t) (radians) 100
1 1+
h(t) 100 2
100 dh 1 dh = . 100 dt 10000 + h(t)2 dt
dh dt
We are interested in
at the time, when h(t) = 50 meters. Since
= 5, we have
100 5 1 d = 5= = . dt 10000 + 502 125 25
4. Sand is being dumped into a conical pile whose height is pumped at a rate 5 cubic meters per minute.
1 2
the radius of its base. Suppose sand is being
(a) How fast is the height of the pile increasing when it is 9 meters heigh? (b) How fast is the area of the base increasing at this moment? (c) How fast is the circumference of the base increasing at this moment? (d) Will the height be increasing more slowly, more rapidly or at steady pace as time goes on? Solution:
r(t) = 2h(t) h(t)
The formula for the volume of the cone is V = 1 h r2 , where r is the radius of the base and h is the hight 3 4 of the cone. In our case r = 2h, hence V = 3 h3 . Solving for h, we have h= Given:
dV dt
3
3V . 4
(4)
= 5.
(a) Need: dh when h = 9. dt Applying the chain rule to equation (4), we get dh 1 = dt 3 3V 4
2/3
3 dV . 4 dt
which (simplifying and using (4)) is the same as 1 2 dV 5 5 dh = h = = . 2 dt 4 dt 49 324 (5)
(b) Let A be the area of the base. Then A = r2 , where r is the radius of the base, and in our case A = 4h2 . Need: dA when h = 9. dt By chain rule dh dA = 8h . dt dt If h = 9, then
dh dt
5 324
(by part (a)), and hence
dA dt
(c) Let C be the circumference of the base. In terms of the radius of the base it is given by C = 2r. In our case r = 2h, hence C = 4h. Need: dC when h = 9. dt By chain rule dh dC = 4 . dt dt Substituting the answer for part (a) instead of
dh dt ,
= 8 9
5 324
10 9 .
we have
5 5 dC = 4 = . dt 324 81 (d) From the equation (5), increasing more slowly.
dh dt
5 4h2 ,
i.e. the bigger is h, the smaller is
dh dt .
Hence the hight will be
5. A runner sprints around a circular track of radius 100 meters at a constant speed of 7 m . The runners friend s is standing at a distance 130 m from the center of the track. How fast is the distance between two friends changing when the distance between them is 130 m? Solution: R h(t) F O
Need: Given:
dh dt
when h = 130. F O = 130 meters RO = 100meters velocity of the runner is 7m/s.
By the Law of cosines the distance h(t) between the runner and his friend can be determined from the following formula h(t)2 = F O2 + RO2 2F O RO cos (t). Dierentiating both sides with respect to t we have 2h Hence dh d = 2F O RO sin (t) . dt dt dh 13000 sin (t) d = dt h dt is the angular velocity of the runner. It can be computed using the formula angular velocity = and in our case it is constant, equal to
7 100 .
(6).
The
d dt
velocity , radius of the circle
FA The only thing left is to compute sin when h = 9. Using the diagram below, sin = F O (here F A is perpendicular to RO). The F O equals to 130. Since F R = h = 130 = F O, the AO is a half of RO. The F A can be computed using Pythagorean theorem:
FA = Hence sin =
120 130
12 13 .
F O2 AO2 =
1302 502 = 120.
R h F Now, substituting this in (6), we get 13000 dh = dt 130
12 13
A O
7 12 7 84 = = . 100 13 13
6. A lighthouse is located 3 kilometers away from a long, straight beach wall. The beacon of light is rotating 1 steadily at a rate 1 2 revolutions per minute. (a) A lone soul is sitting on the beach wall 5 kilometers from the lighthouse, staring into the sea and contemplating the universe. At what rate is the ray of light moving along the beach wall when it passes the thinker? (b) At what point along the beach wall is the beam moving most slowly? Solution: O x(t) P
L (a) Need: dx when P L = 5. dt Given: LO = 3 d dt = 3 From the rectangular triangle in the diagram above tan = x(t) = 3 tan . Hence dx 3 d = . (7) 2 dt cos dt Let us compute cos when P L = 5. From the triangle above, cos = LO/P L = 3/5. Substituting this and d/dt in (7), we get 9 25 dx 3 3 = = = 25. dt (3/5)2 9
x(t) 3 .
Solving for x(t), we get
(b) From (7), dx is minimal when cos is maximal, i.e. when cos = 1. This corresponds to = 0. Hence dt the beam is moving most slowly at the point, where = 0, i.e. at the point O.