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Related Rates Problem Solutions

The document contains solved related rates problems from Chapter 14, including scenarios with ladders, water in cones, balloons, shadows, and rotating beacons. Each problem is presented with a solution that applies calculus concepts, particularly the Pythagorean theorem and differentiation. Key results include rates of movement and changes in dimensions for various geometric shapes and situations.

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6 views2 pages

Related Rates Problem Solutions

The document contains solved related rates problems from Chapter 14, including scenarios with ladders, water in cones, balloons, shadows, and rotating beacons. Each problem is presented with a solution that applies calculus concepts, particularly the Pythagorean theorem and differentiation. Key results include rates of movement and changes in dimensions for various geometric shapes and situations.

Uploaded by

markpulga1096
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Related Rates – Complete Solved Problems from Chapter 14

Problem 14.1
A 25-ft ladder is leaning against a wall. Its top is sliding down at 1 ft/sec. Find the rate at
which the bottom is moving when the bottom is 7 ft from the wall.

Solution:

Use the Pythagorean theorem: x² + y² = 625. Differentiate both sides: 2x dx/dt + 2y dy/dt =
0. Given dy/dt = -1, x = 7, y = 24. Then: 7 dx/dt + 24(-1) = 0 → dx/dt = 24/7 ≈ 3.43 ft/sec.

Problem 14.2
A 10-ft ladder is sliding down a wall. The top descends at 1 ft/sec. How fast is the bottom
moving when it is 6 ft from the wall?

Solution:

x² + y² = 100. dx/dt = ?, dy/dt = -1, x = 6 → y = 8. Differentiate: 2x dx/dt + 2y dy/dt = 0 → 12


dx/dt - 16 = 0 → dx/dt = 4/3 ft/sec.

Problem 14.3
Water is poured into a cone with height 20 ft and base radius 10 ft at 5 ft³/min. Find how
fast the water level rises when it is 4 ft deep.

Solution:

Volume V = (1/3)πr²h. Similar triangles: r/h = 1/2 → r = h/2. Then V = (1/3)π(h/2)²h =


(1/12)πh³. dV/dt = π/4 h² dh/dt. 5 = π/4 (4)² dh/dt → dh/dt = 5 / (4π) ≈ 0.398 ft/min.

Problem 14.4
A spherical balloon is being inflated at 100 cm³/sec. How fast is the radius increasing when
the radius is 5 cm?

Solution:

V = (4/3)πr³ → dV/dt = 4πr² dr/dt. 100 = 4π(25) dr/dt → dr/dt = 1 / π ≈ 0.318 cm/sec.

Problem 14.5
A girl 5 ft tall walks away from a 20-ft lamppost at 6 ft/sec. How fast is the tip of her shadow
moving?

Solution:
Use similar triangles: (s + x)/s = 20/5 → (s + x) = 4s → x = 3s. Then dx/dt = 3 ds/dt = 3(6) =
18 ft/sec (tip of shadow).

Problem 14.6
How fast is the length of her shadow increasing (same conditions as 14.5)?

Solution:

From 14.5, dx/dt = 18, girl walks at 6 ft/sec → ds/dt = 18 - 6 = 12 ft/sec.

Problem 14.7
A balloon is rising at 40 ft/sec. An observer is 200 ft away. How fast is the distance from
observer to balloon changing when it is 50 ft high?

Solution:

Let z² = x² + y² = 200² + 50² = 42500 → z = sqrt(42500). dz/dt = (1/z)(y dy/dt) =


(50*40)/sqrt(42500) ≈ 9.7 ft/sec.

Problem 14.8
A circle’s radius increases at 2 cm/sec. How fast is its area increasing when the radius is 5
cm?

Solution:

A = πr² → dA/dt = 2πr dr/dt = 2π(5)(2) = 20π cm²/sec.

Problem 14.9
A rotating beacon casts a spot on a wall 100 ft away. The beam rotates at 3 rad/sec. How
fast is the spot moving along the wall when angle = π/3?

Solution:

x = 100 tan(θ), dx/dt = 100 sec²(θ) dθ/dt = 100 sec²(π/3)(3) = 100(4)(3) = 1200 ft/sec.

Common questions

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The mathematical approach involves differentiating the volume V = (4/3) π r³ with respect to time to obtain dV/dt = 4 π r² dr/dt. Given dV/dt = 100 cm³/sec and r = 5 cm, solving 100 = 4 π (25) dr/dt gives dr/dt = 1/(4 π) ≈ 0.318 cm/sec .

Volume V = (1/3) π (h/2)²h, differentiated with respect to time as dV/dt = π/4 h² dh/dt. For dV/dt = 5 ft³/min and h = 4 ft, dh/dt = 5/(4π) ≈ 0.398 ft/min, relates volume rise to level increase .

The method uses trigonometric functions: x = 100 tan(θ), differentiated as dx/dt = 100 sec²(θ) dθ/dt. With dθ/dt = 3 rad/sec and θ = π/3, the rate is 100(4)(3) = 1200 ft/sec .

The area increases with a rate determined by dA/dt = 2 π r dr/dt. For a constant dr/dt and r = 5 cm, dA/dt = 2 π (5)(2) = 20 π cm²/sec. Hence, as dr/dt is constant, dA/dt changes linearly with r .

The rate of change in the position of the ladder's bottom is inversely related to the rate at which the ladder's top slides down through the Pythagorean theorem. Given a 25-ft ladder, differentiated as 2x dx/dt + 2y dy/dt = 0, if the top slides at 1 ft/sec, the bottom moves at dx/dt = 24/7 ≈ 3.43 ft/sec when the bottom is 7 ft from the wall .

Calculate it using z² = x² + y² and differentiate: dz/dt = (1/z)(y dy/dt). Given y = 50 ft, dy/dt = 40 ft/sec, x = 200 ft, z = √42500, we find dz/dt ≈ 9.7 ft/sec .

Apply x² + y² = 625 for a 25-ft ladder. Differentiate to 2x dx/dt + 2y dy/dt = 0, and solve for dx/dt given values for dy/dt, x, and y. For dy/dt = -1 ft/sec, x = 7 ft, find dx/dt = 24/7 ≈ 3.43 ft/sec .

Determine using similar triangles where the shadow's tip movement dx/dt involves the person's speed ds/dt and geometry: dx/dt = 3 ds/dt (from x = 3s). For ds/dt = 6 ft/sec, dx/dt = 18 ft/sec .

Similar triangles enable proportional relationships, like (s+x)/s = 20/5, simplifying calculations by relating shadow and object rates, such as dx/dt = 3 ds/dt, key in determining movement speeds .

The rate at which the shadow's tip moves is calculated using similar triangles, where (s + x)/s = 20/5 leads to x = 3s. Therefore, dx/dt = 3 ds/dt = 3(6 ft/sec) = 18 ft/sec .

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