Agricultural Engineering Board

Review Materials

Mathematics

Prepared by

Alleli C. Domingo
Associate Professor, Mathematics Division
Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Physics
College of Arts and Sciences
University of the Philippines at Los Baños
College, Laguna

September 2005
(Reproduction with Permission Only)
PSAE Region IV – Agricultural Engineering Board Review Materials III- 1

Mathematics
Alleli C. Domingo
Associate Professor, Mathematics Division
Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Physics
University of the Philippines at Los Baños
College, Laguna 4031

I. Introduction
People in engineering must be familiar with an increasingly wide variety of
mathematical tools The real world is full of problems where it is important to find
the maximum or minimum value of some quantity. (For example, engineers want
to cut the strongest beam from a log of wood.) Derivatives provide an efficient
way of analyzing the quantitative behavior of functions and solving many
optimization problems.

Topics to be reviewed are:

 Formulas from algebra
 Algebraic problems
 Formulas from geometry
 Trigonometric problems
 Exponential growth or decay
 Basic differentiation formulas
 Related rates problems
 Maxima/minima problems
 Basic integration formulas
 Integral calculus

II. Topics on Mathematics

FORMULAS from ALGEBRA

SPECIAL PRODUCTS
1. (x + a)(x + b) = x2 + (a + b)x + ab
2. (x + y)2 = x2 + 2xy + y2
3. (x - y)2 = x2 - 2xy + y2
4. (x - y)(x + y) = x2 –y2
5. (ax + by)(cx + dy) = acx2 + (ad +bc)xy + bdy2
6. (x + y)3 = x3 + 3x2y + 3xy2 + y3
7. (x - y)3 = x3 - 3x2y + 3xy2 - y3

FACTORING POLYNOMIALS
1. x2 + (a + b)x + ab = (x + a)(x +b)
2. x2 + 2xy +y2 = (x + y)2
3. x2 - 2xy +y2 = (x - y)2
4. x2 – y2 = (x - y)(x + y)
5. acx2 + (ad +bc)xy + bdy2 = (ax + by)(cx + dy)
6. ax + ay +az = a(x + y + z)

7. x3 + y3 = (x + y)(x2 – xy + y2)
8. x3 - y3 = (x - y)(x2 + xy + y2)

RULES ON EXPONENTS

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1. Multiplication: an am = an+m

2. Division:

3. Power of a Quotient:

4. Power of a Product: (ab)n = anbn

5. Power of a Power: (an)m = anm

6. Negative Exponent:

7. Zero as an Exponent: a0 = 1 , a  0.

8. Rational Exponent: ;

RADICALS
1.

2. ;b0

QUADRATIC FORMULA
If a 0, the solutions of the equation ax2 + bx +c = 0 are given by

INEQUALITIES
If a < b, and b < c, then a < c.
If a < b, then a + c < b + c.
If a < b, then a –c < b – c.
If a < b, and c > 0, then ac < bc.
If a < b, and c < 0, then ac > bc.
If b > 0, x < b is equivalent to –b < x < b.
If b > 0, x > b is equivalent to x > b or x < -b

LOGARITHMS
1. y = log bx if and only if x = by.
2. log b1 = 0

3. log b b = 1
4. log b uv = log bu + lov bv

5. log b = log bu – log bv

6. log b un = nlog b u
7. ln x = log e x

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BINOMIAL THEOREM

where

ARITHMETIC PROGRESSION

nth term:

Sum of the first n terms:

FORMULAS from ANALYTIC GEOMETRY

DISTANCE FORMULA: The distance between two points P1(x1,y1) and P2(x2,y2) is

MIDPOINT FORMULAS: If M(x, y)is the midpoint of the line segment from P1(x1,y1)
and P2(x2,y2), then

and

EQUATION OF A CIRCLE: The circle with center at (h,k) and radius r has an equation
(x-h)2 + (y-k)2 = r2

SLOPE OF A LINE: If P1(x1,y1) and P2(x2,y2) are any two distinct points on a non-
vertical line, then the slope of the line is m, given by

EQUATIONS OF A LINE:
The point-slope form of a line having a slope m and through a point P(x 1,y1) is
y - y1 = m(x - x1)

The slope-intercept form of a line having slope m and y-intercept b is

y = mx + b

The general 1st degree equation is

Ax + By + C = 0

FORMULAS from TRIGONOMETRY

Let a , b, and c represent the sides of a triangle , and let , , and  be
the measures of the angles opposite a, b and c respectively.

LAW OF SINES:

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LAW OF COSINES

FORMULAS from PLANE and SOLID GEOMETRY

The following symbols are used for the measure:

r – radius; l-length; w-width;; b-base; h-altitude
A – area; B- Area of base; C - circumference ;V-volume

CIRCLE: A =  r2 ; C= 2 r
TRIANGLE: A =

RECTANGLE : A = lw

PARALLELOGRAM: A = bh
TRAPEZOID: A =

RIGHT CIRCULAR CYLINDER:

V =  r2h ; S = 2rh

RIGHT CIRCULAR CONE: V =

SPHERE: V = ; S=4  r2
PRISM (with parallel base): V= Bh

PYRAMID: V =

BASIC DIFFERENTIATION FORMULAS

1. Let f be a differentiable function.

If h(x) = C f(x) , where C is a constant, then
h ‘(x) = C f ‘(x).

2. Let f and g be two differentiable functions.

If h(x) = f(x) + g(x), then h’(x) = f’(x) + g’(x),

3. Let f and g be two differentiable functions and suppose h(x) = f(x)g(x),

then h’(x) = f’(x)g(x)+f(x)g’(x),

4. Let f and g be two differentiable functions. such that g(x)  0. Then the

function defined by is differentiable and we have

5. The Chain Rule If f and g are differentiable, then so is the function h = f

g, In addition,
h’(x) = g’[f(x)] f’(x),

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BASIC INTEGRATION FORMULAS

1.
2
3.

4.

5.

6. a) b)

VERBAL PROBLEMS:

1. What three consecutive even numbers have their sum equal to 384?

2. Find three consecutive odd numbers whose sum is 1,323.

3. The sides of a right triangle form an arithmetic progression with a common

difference of 6. Find the sides of the triangle

4. A student takes a part-time job paying a starting salary of 5,000 a month and
is promised a fixed raise each month. How much is his monthly raise if he
receives P7,000 on the ninth month?

5. A well driller charges P100 for the first 50 feet and P10 less for every 50 feet
there after. How much would a 350-ft deep well cost?

6. Daniel is constructing a ten - level tower. He puts ten blocks on the bottom
level. If each level after that there is one block less than the level below it. The
completed tower has how many blocks?

7. One computer can do a job twice as fast as the other. Working together, both
computers can do the job in 2 hours. How long would it take each computer,
working alone, to do the job?

8. A pipe can fill a swimming pool in 10 hours. If a second pipe is open, the two
pipes together can fill the pool in 4 hours. How long will it take the second pipe
alone to fill the pool?

9. How much money do we have to invest at 3 percent compounded annually if

we want to have 750 thousand pesos in the bank after ten years?

10. Immaya is 11 years old today. If her favorite aunt is 31 years old, how many
years from now will the aunt be twice as old as she?

11. How many liters of a 15% solution of alcohol should be added to 3 liters of the
30% solution to get a 20 percent solution?

12. Ms. Sison invests part of P4,000 at 3% and the and the balance at 4% per
annum . How much did she invest at each of these rates if she earns P135 in one
year?

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13. Andre and Chris are traveling to a business conference. Andre travels 110 km
in the same time that Chris travels 140 km. Chris travels 15 km per hour faster
than Andre. Find the average rate of each person.

14. A man wants to make an open box from apiece of metal that is 12 inches wide
and 14 inches long by cutting equal squares out of the corners and folding up the
sides. How large a square must be cut out of each corner if the area of the bottom
of the box is 80 square inches?

15. Find the 4th term of .

PROBLEMS IN ANALYTIC GEOMETRY:

1. Find two values of x if the distance between (x,2) and (6,6) is 5.

2. Determine if the three points (0,-3), (1,4) and (2, 1) are collinear.

3. Prove that the three points (2,4) (1,-4) and (5,-2) are the vertices of a right
triangle.

4. Find the slope and y intercept of the line having the equation 2x –5y –10 = 0

5. Find an equation of the line passing through the point (1, -3) and having a slope
of ½.

6. Find an equation of the circle with center at (3, -5) and radius 2.

7. Find the equation of the circle having a diameter with endpoints at (3, -4) and
(1,2).

8. Find the center and radius of the circle

x2 + y2 –6x –8y +9 =0.

9. Draw a sketch of the graph of the equation y = x2 +3.

10. Locate the vertex and focus of the parabola

9y2 + 2x – 24y – 96 = 0.

11. Find the equation of the line tangent to the curve

y2 –2x-4y –1=0 at (2 , -1).

12. Find the equation of the line normal to the curve

xy+ 2x–5y–2=0 at (3 , 2).

13. Find the equations of the lines tangent to the curve

y = x3 –6x + 2 and parallel to the line y =6x – 2.

14. Find the equation of the line normal to the curve

xy + 2x –y = 0 and parallel to the line 2x + y = 0.

15. Does the line tangent to the curve y = x 3 at the point (1,1) intersect the curve t
any other point? If so, find the point.

16. Sketch the ellipse 9x2 + y2 = 9.

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17. Sketch the hyperbola 9x2 - 4y2 =36.

EXPONENTIAL GROWTH /DECAY

A function defined by an equation of the form f(t) = Bekt where B and k are
positive constants, is said to describe exponential GROWTH. Such a function
results when the rate of growth of a quantity is proportional to its size.

A function defined by an equation of the form f(t) = Be-kt where B and k are
positive constants, is said to describe exponential DECAY. Exponential decay
occurs when the rate of decrease of a quantity is proportional to its size.

EXPONENTIAL GROWTH /DECAY PROBLEMS:

1. In a particular bacterial culture, if f(t) bacteria are present at t minutes, then f(t) =
Be0.04t where B is a constant, If there are 1,500 bacteria present initially, how
many bacteria will be present after 1 hour?

2. If f(t) grams of radioactive substance are present after t seconds, then f(t) =ke -
0.3t
where k is a constant. If 100 grams of the substance are present initially, how
much is present after 5 seconds?

3. If V(t) pesos is the value of a certain equipment t years after its purchase, then
V(t) = Be—0.20t where B is a constant, If the equipment was purchased for
8,000pesos, what will be its value in 2 years?

4. If P(h) pounds per square foot s the atmospheric pressure at a height h feet
above sea level, then P(h) = ke-0.00003h, where k is a constant. Given that the
atmospheric pressure at sea level is 2116ft/lb 2, find the atmospheric pressure
outside of an airplane that is 10,000 ft high.

5. The population of a particular town is increasing at a rate proportional to its

size. If the rate is 6 percent, and the population after t years is P(t), then P(t) =
ke0.06t, where k is a constant. If the current population is 10,000, what is the
expected population a) after 10 years? b) after 20 years?

6. Carbon 14, also known as radiocarbon, is a radioactive form of carbon that is

found in all living plants and animals. After a plant or animal dies the
radiocarbon disintegrates. Scientists can determine the age of the remains
by comparing the amount of radiocarbon with the amount present in living plants
and animals. This technique is known as carbon dating. The amount of
radiocarbon present after t years is given by y = y 0e-(ln2) (1/5700)t , where y0 is the
amount present in living plants and animals. Find the half-life of
radiocarbon.

TRIGONOMETRIC PROBLEMS:

1. If the angle of elevation of the sun is 42O, what is the length of the
shadow on the level ground of a man who is 6.1 ft tall?

2. A tower is 150 ft high, and from its top, the angle of depression of an object on
the ground is 364 degrees.
a) Determine the distance from the base of the tower to the object.
b) How far is the object from the top of the tower?

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3. Points A and B are on the same horizontal line with the foot of a hill, and the
angles of depression of these points from the top of the hill are 30.2 0 and 22.50.
respectively. If the distance between A and B is 75 meters, what is the height of
the hill?

8. To determine the distance across a straight river. A surveyor chooses two

points P and Q on the bank, where the distance between P and Q is 200 meters.
At each of these points, a point R on the opposite bank is sighted. The angle
having sides PQ and PR is measured to be 63.1 0 and the angle having sides PQ
and QR is measured as 80.4O. What is the distance across the river?

9. A triangular piece of land, with vertices at R, S and T, was to be enclosed by a

fence, but it was discovered that the surveyor’s mark at S was missing. From a
deed to the property, it was learned that the distance from T to R is 324 meters,
the distance from t to S is 506 meters, and the angle R in the triangle is 125.4 0.
Determine the location of S by finding the distance from R to S.

10. A ladder 24 feet long is leaning against a sloping embankment. The foot of the
adder is 11 ft from the base of the embankment and the distance from the top of
the ladder down the embankment to the ground is 16 feet. What is the angle at
which the ladder is inclined to the horizontal?

11. A point P is 1.4 km from one end of a lake and 2.2 km from the other end. If
at P the lake subtends an angle of 54 0, what is the length of the lake?

8. A tower 23.5 meters tall makes an angle of 110.2 0 with the inclined road on which
it is located. Determine the angle subtended by the tower at a point down the
road 28.2 from its foot.

12. A parallelogram has sides of length 10.3 cm and 23.2 cm. and one of its
angles is 54.2 0.
a) What is the length of the longer diagonal?
b) Find the area of the parallelogram.

DIFFERENTIAL CALCULUS

The values of the derivative help us to analyze the behavior of a function. The
first step in understanding the qualitative behavior of a function is determining where
the derivative is zero, or where it does not exist.
Definition: CRITICAL NUMBER / CRITICAL VALUE
If c is a number in the domain of a function f, and if either f’(c ) or f” (c ) does
not exist, then c is called a CRITCAL NUMBER of f
A CRITICAL VALUE of the function f is the vale f ( c ), of a function at a critical
point c.

EXAMPLES:
1. The critical numbers of the function
f(x) = x3+ 7x2 – 5x are c = 1/3 and c = -5
since f’(x) = 3x2+ 14x – 5 = (3x –1)(x+5).
2. The critical numbers of f(x) = sin2 3x are c = 1/6 k, for any integer k since f’(x) =
sin 2(3x) = sin 6x.
3. There are no critical numbers for f(x) = (x-3)/(x+7)
since f’(x) = 10/(x+7)2.
Note that f’(x) does not exist when x +-7,
but –7 is not in the domain of f, Hence, it cannot be
considered as a critical number.

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Definition: RELATIVE MAXIMUM / MINIMUM VALUE

The function f is said to have a RELATIVE MAXIMUM VALUE at c if there exists
an open interval containing c on which f is defined, such that f (c ) ≥ f (x) for all x in
this interval..
The function is said to have a RELATIVE MINIMUM VALUE at c, if there exists
an open interval containing c on which f is defined, such that f (c ) ≤ f (x) for all x in
this interval..
A function f has a RELATIVE EXTREMUM at c if f has a relative maximum or a
relative minimum at c.

ALTERNATIVE TERMS
The terms “LOCAL MAXIMUM” and “LOCAL MINIMUM” are used as alternatives
for relative maximum and relative minimum, respectively.. The adjective “local” is
used because we are concerned only with what happens near the number c. If c is a
critical number of a function f, then either f has a local maximum at c, if, near c, the
values of f get no larger than f (c), or f has a local minimum at c, if, near c, the
values of f get no smaller than f (c ).
The relative maxima or minima tell us where a function is locally largest or
smallest. However, we are often more concerned where the function is absolutely
largest or smallest in a given domain.

Definition: ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM /MINIMUM VALUE

f(c) is said to be the ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM VALUE of the function f (or the
GLOBAL MAXIMUM VALUE) if c is in the domain of f and if f (c) ≥ f (x) for all values of
x in the domain of f.
f(c) is said to be the ABSOLUTE MINIMUM VALUE of the function f (or the
GLOBAL MINIMUM VALUE) if c is in the domain of f and if f (c)  f (x) for all values of
x in the domain of f..

EXTREME VALUE THEOREM:

If the function f is continuous on a closed interval [a,b]. then f has an absolute

maximum value and an absolute minimum values in [a,b].

PROCEDURE FOR FINDING ABSOLUTE EXTREMA:

1. Find the critical numbers c of f on [a,b].
2. Evaluate f (c).
3. Find the values of f(a) and f(b).
4. Absolute maximum value; the largest of the values f(a), f(b) and f(c). Absolute
minimum value: the smallest of the values f(a), f(b),and f(c).

FURTHER TREATMENT OF ABSOLUTE EXTREMA

There are some functions defined on some intervals for which the extreme
value theorem does not hold.

THEOREM:
Let the function f be continuous on the interval I containing the number c. If f
(c) is a relative extremum of f on I and c is the only number in I for which f has a
relative extremum, then f (c) is an absolute extremum of f on I.

Furthermore,
i) if f (c) is a relative maximum value of f on I, then f (c) is an absolute maximum
value of f on I.
ii) if f (c) is a relative minimum value of f on I, then f (c) is an absolute minimum
value of f on I.

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MAXIMA/MINIMA PROBLEMS

1. A rectangular field, having an area of 2, 700 m 2, is to be enclosed by a fence, and

an additional fence is to be used to divide the field down the middle. The cost of
the fence down the middle is P12 per running meter, and the fence along the
sides costs P18 per running meter. Find the dimensions of the field such that the
cost of the fencing will be least.

2. A box manufacturer is to produce a closed box of volume 288 cubic inches, where
the base is a rectangle having a length three times its width. Find the dimensions
of the box constructed from the least amount of material.

3. (a) A closed tin can of volume 16 in 3 is to be in the form of a right circular
cylinder. Find the height and radius if the least amount of material is used in its
production.
(b) Suppose that the cost of material for the top and bottom for the tin can in (a)
is twice as much as it is for the sides. Find the height and base radius for the cost
of the material to be least.
(c) If the tin can is open in (a) is open instead of closed, find the height and radius
if the least amount of material is to be used in its manufacture.

4 In a particular community, a certain epidemic spreads in such a way that x

months after the start of the epidemic, P per cent of the population is infected,
where P = 30x2/ (1+x2)2. In how many months will the most people be infected,
and what per cent of the population is this?

5. Under a perfect competition, a firm can sell at a price of P200 per unit all of a
particular commodity it produces. If C(x) pesos is the total cost of each day’s
production when x units are produced, and C(x = 2x 2 + 40x + 1400, find the
number of units that should be produced daily for the firm to have the greatest
daily total profit.

6. Find the number in the interval [0,1] such that the difference between the
number and its square is a maximum.

7. Find the area of the largest rectangle having two vertices on the x-axis and two
vertices on or above the x-axis and two vertices on or above the x-axis and the
parabola y = 9 – x2.

8. An island is at point A, 6 km offshore from the nearest point B on a straight

beach. A woman on the island wants to go to a point C, 9 km down the beach
from B. The woman can rent a boat for P150 per km and travel by water to a
point P between B and C, and then she can hire a car with a driver at a cost P120
per kilometer and travel a straight road from point A to point C. Find the least
expensive route from point A to point C.

RELATED RATES
Problems concerned with rates of change of two or more related quantities or
variables with respect to time are referred to as related rates problems.

PROCEDURE FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS ON RELATED RATES:

Step 1: Draw a figure if it is possible to do so.
Step 2: Define the variables. Generally, define t first, because the other variables
usually depend on t.
Step 3: Write down any numerical facts known about the variables and their
derivatives with respect to t.
Step 4: Write an equation to relate the variables that depend on t

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Step 5: Differentiate with respect to t both sides of the equation obtained in Step 4
to relate the rates of change of the variables.
Step 6: Substitute values of known quantities in the equation of Step 5 and solve for
the desired quantity.

RELATED RATES PROBLEMS

1. A water tank in the form of an inverted cone is being emptied at the rate of 6
m3/min. The altitude of the cone is 24 m. and the radius is 12 m. Find how
fast the water level is lowering when the water is 10 m. deep

2. A kite is flying at a height of 40 ft. A child is flying it so that it is moving

horizontally at a rate of 3 ft/sec. If the string is taut, at what rate is the string
being paid out when the length of the string is 50 ft?

3. A stone is dropped into a still pond. Concentric circular ripples spread out, and
the radius of the disturbed region increases at the rate of 16 cm/sec. At what rate
does the area of the disturbed region increase when its radius is 4 cm?

4. Suppose that a tumor in a person’s body is spherical in shape. If, when the radius
of the tumor is 0.5 cm, the radius is increasing at the rate of 0.001 cm per day,
what is the rate of increase of the volume of the tumor at that time?

5. Sand is being dropped at the rate of 10m 3/min onto a conical pile. If the height of
the pile is always twice the base radius, at what rate is the height increasing
when the pile is 8 m. high?

INTEGRAL CALCULUS

FINDING THE AREA OF THE REGION between a curve , , and

the x-axis:
1. Partition [a,b] with the zeros of f.
2. Integrate f over each subinterval.
3. Add the absolute values of the integrals.

PROBLEMS IN INTEGRAL CALCULUS:

1. An object is thrown vertically upwards with a speed of 10m/sec from a height of 2

meters. Find the highest point it reaches and when it hits the ground.
(Acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/sec.)

2. Evaluate the following integrals:

a) b) c)

d) (Use integration by parts)

e) f)

3. Find the area of the region bounded by y = x2 –2x +1,

the x-axis and the vertical lines x =2 and x=5.
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4. Find the area of the region between the curve

y = 4 – x 2, 0 < x < 3, and the x-axis.

5. Find the area of the region between the x-axis and the graph of f(x) = x 3-x2-2x,
1< x < 2.

6. Find the area of the region between and .

7. Find the area bounded by the parabola y2+ x –4y –5 = 0 and the y-axis..

8. Find the area of the region bounded by the three curves y = x 2 , y = 8-x2 and
4x - y + 12 = 0

IV. REFERENCES
1. Finney, Ross L and G. B. Thomas. Calculus of a Single Variable
2. Hughes-Hallett, Deborah, A.M. Gleason et al. Calculus Preliminary Edition
3. Leithold, Louis. College Algebra and Trigonometry
4. Leithold, Louis. The Calculus With Analytic Geometry
5. Lowengrub, M and J.G Stampfli. Topics in Calculus
6. Purcell, Edwin J. Calculus with Analytic Geometry
7. Thomas, G.B. T., Jr. Calculus and Analytic Geometry

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