AP® Calculus BC

2010 Free-Response Questions

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 2010 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

CALCULUS BC
SECTION II, Part A
Time— 45 minutes
Number of problems— 3

A graphing calculator is required for some problems or parts of problems.

1. There is no snow on Janet’s driveway when snow begins to fall at midnight. From midnight to 9 A.M., snow
accumulates on the driveway at a rate modeled by f (t ) = 7tecos t cubic feet per hour, where t is measured
in hours since midnight. Janet starts removing snow at 6 A.M. (t = 6 ) . The rate g(t ) , in cubic feet per hour,
at which Janet removes snow from the driveway at time t hours after midnight is modeled by
Ï0 for 0 £ t < 6
Ô
g (t ) = Ì125 for 6 £ t < 7
ÔÓ108 for 7 £ t £ 9 .

(a) How many cubic feet of snow have accumulated on the driveway by 6 A.M.?
(b) Find the rate of change of the volume of snow on the driveway at 8 A.M.
(c) Let h(t ) represent the total amount of snow, in cubic feet, that Janet has removed from the driveway
at time t hours after midnight. Express h as a piecewise-defined function with domain 0 £ t £ 9.
(d) How many cubic feet of snow are on the driveway at 9 A.M.?

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 2010 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

t
0 2 5 7 8
(hours)
E (t )
(hundreds of 0 4 13 21 23
entries)

2. A zoo sponsored a one-day contest to name a new baby elephant. Zoo visitors deposited entries in a special box
between noon (t = 0 ) and 8 P.M. (t = 8). The number of entries in the box t hours after noon is modeled by a
differentiable function E for 0 £ t £ 8. Values of E (t ) , in hundreds of entries, at various times t are shown in
the table above.
(a) Use the data in the table to approximate the rate, in hundreds of entries per hour, at which entries were being
deposited at time t = 6. Show the computations that lead to your answer.
1 8
8 Ú0
(b) Use a trapezoidal sum with the four subintervals given by the table to approximate the value of E (t ) dt.
1 8
8 Ú0
Using correct units, explain the meaning of E (t ) dt in terms of the number of entries.

(c) At 8 P.M., volunteers began to process the entries. They processed the entries at a rate modeled by the
function P, where P (t ) = t 3 - 30t 2 + 298t - 976 hundreds of entries per hour for 8 £ t £ 12. According
to the model, how many entries had not yet been processed by midnight (t = 12 ) ?
(d) According to the model from part (c), at what time were the entries being processed most quickly? Justify
your answer.

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 2010 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

3. A particle is moving along a curve so that its position at time t is ( x (t ) , y(t )) , where x (t ) = t 2 - 4t + 8 and
y(t ) is not explicitly given. Both x and y are measured in meters, and t is measured in seconds. It is known
dy
that = tet - 3 - 1.
dt
(a) Find the speed of the particle at time t = 3 seconds.
(b) Find the total distance traveled by the particle for 0 £ t £ 4 seconds.
(c) Find the time t, 0 £ t £ 4, when the line tangent to the path of the particle is horizontal. Is the direction of
motion of the particle toward the left or toward the right at that time? Give a reason for your answer.
(d) There is a point with x-coordinate 5 through which the particle passes twice. Find each of the following.
(i) The two values of t when that occurs
(ii) The slopes of the lines tangent to the particle’s path at that point
1
(iii) The y-coordinate of that point, given y(2 ) = 3 +
e

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END OF PART A OF SECTION II

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 2010 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

CALCULUS BC
SECTION II, Part B
Time— 45 minutes
Number of problems— 3

No calculator is allowed for these problems.

4. Let R be the region in the first quadrant bounded by the graph of y = 2 x , the horizontal line y = 6, and
the y-axis, as shown in the figure above.
(a) Find the area of R.
(b) Write, but do not evaluate, an integral expression that gives the volume of the solid generated when R is
rotated about the horizontal line y = 7.
(c) Region R is the base of a solid. For each y, where 0 £ y £ 6, the cross section of the solid taken
perpendicular to the y-axis is a rectangle whose height is 3 times the length of its base in region R. Write,
but do not evaluate, an integral expression that gives the volume of the solid.

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 2010 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

dy
5. Consider the differential equation = 1 - y. Let y = f ( x ) be the particular solution to this differential
dx
equation with the initial condition f (1) = 0. For this particular solution, f ( x ) < 1 for all values of x.

(a) Use Euler’s method, starting at x = 1 with two steps of equal size, to approximate f (0 ) . Show the work
that leads to your answer.
f ( x)
(b) Find lim . Show the work that leads to your answer.
x Æ1 x 3 -1
dy
(c) Find the particular solution y = f ( x ) to the differential equation = 1 - y with the initial condition
dx
f (1) = 0.

Ï cos x - 1 for x π 0
Ô 2
f (x) = Ì x
Ô- 1 for x = 0
Ó 2

6. The function f, defined above, has derivatives of all orders. Let g be the function defined by
x
g( x ) = 1 + Ú0 f (t ) dt.
(a) Write the first three nonzero terms and the general term of the Taylor series for cos x about x = 0. Use this
series to write the first three nonzero terms and the general term of the Taylor series for f about x = 0.
(b) Use the Taylor series for f about x = 0 found in part (a) to determine whether f has a relative maximum,
relative minimum, or neither at x = 0. Give a reason for your answer.
(c) Write the fifth-degree Taylor polynomial for g about x = 0.
(d) The Taylor series for g about x = 0, evaluated at x = 1, is an alternating series with individual terms that
decrease in absolute value to 0. Use the third-degree Taylor polynomial for g about x = 0 to estimate the
1
value of g(1) . Explain why this estimate differs from the actual value of g(1) by less than .
6!

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END OF EXAM

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 AP® Calculus BC
2011 Free-Response Questions

About the College Board

The College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity.
Founded in 1900, the College Board was created to expand access to higher education. Today, the membership association is
made up of more than 5,900 of the world’s leading educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in
education. Each year, the College Board helps more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to college
through programs and services in college readiness and college success — including the SAT® and the Advanced
Placement Program®. The organization also serves the education community through research and advocacy on behalf of
students, educators and schools.

© 2011 The College Board. College Board, Advanced Placement Program, AP, AP Central, SAT and the acorn logo are registered
trademarks of the College Board. Admitted Class Evaluation Service and inspiring minds are trademarks owned by the College
Board. All other products and services may be trademarks of their respective owners. Visit the College Board on the Web:
[Link]. Permission to use copyrighted College Board materials may be requested online at:
[Link]/inquiry/[Link].

Visit the College Board on the Web: [Link].

AP Central is the official online home for the AP Program: [Link].
 2011 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

CALCULUS BC
SECTION II, Part A
Time— 30 minutes
Number of problems— 2

A graphing calculator is required for these problems.

1. At time t, a particle moving in the xy-plane is at position ( x (t ) , y(t )) , where x (t ) and y(t ) are not explicitly

given. For t ≥ 0,
dx
dt
= 4t + 1 and
dy
dt ( )
= sin t 2 . At time t = 0, x (0 ) = 0 and y(0 ) = - 4.

(a) Find the speed of the particle at time t = 3, and find the acceleration vector of the particle at time t = 3.
(b) Find the slope of the line tangent to the path of the particle at time t = 3.
(c) Find the position of the particle at time t = 3.
(d) Find the total distance traveled by the particle over the time interval 0 £ t £ 3.

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 2011 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

t
0 2 5 9 10
(minutes)
H (t )
66 60 52 44 43
(degrees Celsius)

2. As a pot of tea cools, the temperature of the tea is modeled by a differentiable function H for 0 £ t £ 10, where
time t is measured in minutes and temperature H (t ) is measured in degrees Celsius. Values of H (t ) at selected
values of time t are shown in the table above.
(a) Use the data in the table to approximate the rate at which the temperature of the tea is changing at time
t = 3.5. Show the computations that lead to your answer.
1 10
10 Ú0
(b) Using correct units, explain the meaning of H (t ) dt in the context of this problem. Use a trapezoidal
1 10
10 Ú0
sum with the four subintervals indicated by the table to estimate H (t ) dt.

10
(c) Evaluate Ú0 H ¢(t ) dt. Using correct units, explain the meaning of the expression in the context of this
problem.
(d) At time t = 0, biscuits with temperature 100∞C were removed from an oven. The temperature of the
biscuits at time t is modeled by a differentiable function B for which it is known that
B ¢(t ) = -13.84e - 0.173t . Using the given models, at time t = 10, how much cooler are the biscuits than
the tea?

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END OF PART A OF SECTION II

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 2011 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

CALCULUS BC
SECTION II, Part B
Time— 60 minutes
Number of problems— 4

No calculator is allowed for these problems.

3. Let f ( x ) = e2 x . Let R be the region in the first quadrant bounded by the graph of f, the coordinate axes, and
the vertical line x = k , where k > 0. The region R is shown in the figure above.
(a) Write, but do not evaluate, an expression involving an integral that gives the perimeter of R in terms of k.
(b) The region R is rotated about the x-axis to form a solid. Find the volume, V, of the solid in terms of k.
dk 1 dV 1
(c) The volume V, found in part (b), changes as k changes. If = , determine when k = .
dt 3 dt 2

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 2011 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

4. The continuous function f is defined on the interval - 4 £ x £ 3. The graph of f consists of two quarter circles
x
and one line segment, as shown in the figure above. Let g( x ) = 2 x + Ú0 f (t ) dt.
(a) Find g( -3) . Find g ¢( x ) and evaluate g ¢( -3) .
(b) Determine the x-coordinate of the point at which g has an absolute maximum on the interval - 4 £ x £ 3.
Justify your answer.
(c) Find all values of x on the interval - 4 < x < 3 for which the graph of g has a point of inflection. Give a
reason for your answer.
(d) Find the average rate of change of f on the interval - 4 £ x £ 3. There is no point c, - 4 < c < 3, for
which f ¢(c ) is equal to that average rate of change. Explain why this statement does not contradict the
Mean Value Theorem.

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 2011 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

5. At the beginning of 2010, a landfill contained 1400 tons of solid waste. The increasing function W models
the total amount of solid waste stored at the landfill. Planners estimate that W will satisfy the differential
dW 1
equation
dt
=
25
(W - 300) for the next 20 years. W is measured in tons, and t is measured in years from
the start of 2010.
(a) Use the line tangent to the graph of W at t = 0 to approximate the amount of solid waste that the landfill
1
contains at the end of the first 3 months of 2010 (time t = ).
4

d 2W d 2W
(b) Find 2
in terms of W. Use to determine whether your answer in part (a) is an underestimate or
dt dt 2
1
an overestimate of the amount of solid waste that the landfill contains at time t = .
4
dW 1
(c) Find the particular solution W = W (t ) to the differential equation = (W - 300) with initial
dt 25
condition W (0 ) = 1400.

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 2011 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

( )
6. Let f ( x ) = sin x 2 + cos x. The graph of y = f (5) ( x ) is shown above.

(a) Write the first four nonzero terms of the Taylor series for sin x about x = 0, and write the first four
( )
nonzero terms of the Taylor series for sin x 2 about x = 0.

(b) Write the first four nonzero terms of the Taylor series for cos x about x = 0. Use this series and the series
( )
for sin x 2 , found in part (a), to write the first four nonzero terms of the Taylor series for f about x = 0.

(c) Find the value of f (6) (0 ) .

(d) Let P4 ( x ) be the fourth-degree Taylor polynomial for f about x = 0. Using information from the graph of
y = f (5) ( x ) shown above, show that P4
1
4
- f () ()
1
4
<
1
3000
.

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END OF EXAM

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 AP® Calculus BC
2012 Free-Response Questions

About the College Board

The College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity.
Founded in 1900, the College Board was created to expand access to higher education. Today, the membership association is
made up of more than 5,900 of the world’s leading educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in
education. Each year, the College Board helps more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to college
through programs and services in college readiness and college success — including the SAT® and the Advanced
Placement Program®. The organization also serves the education community through research and advocacy on behalf of
students, educators, and schools.

© 2012 The College Board. College Board, Advanced Placement Program, AP, AP Central, SAT, and the acorn logo are registered
trademarks of the College Board. Admitted Class Evaluation Service and inspiring minds are trademarks owned by the College
Board. All other products and services may be trademarks of their respective owners. Visit the College Board on the Web:
[Link]. Permission to use copyrighted College Board materials may be requested online at:
[Link]/inquiry/[Link].

Visit the College Board on the Web: [Link].

AP Central is the official online home for the AP Program: [Link].
 2012 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

CALCULUS BC
SECTION II, Part A
Time— 30 minutes
Number of problems— 2

A graphing calculator is required for these problems.

t (minutes) 0 4 9 15 20
W t (degrees Fahrenheit) 55.0 57.1 61.8 67.9 71.0

1. The temperature of water in a tub at time t is modeled by a strictly increasing, twice-differentiable function W,
where W t is measured in degrees Fahrenheit and t is measured in minutes. At time t 0, the temperature of
the water is 55’F. The water is heated for 30 minutes, beginning at time t 0. Values of W t at selected
times t for the first 20 minutes are given in the table above.
(a) Use the data in the table to estimate W „ 12 . Show the computations that lead to your answer. Using correct
units, interpret the meaning of your answer in the context of this problem.
20 20
(b) Use the data in the table to evaluate Ô0 W „ t dt. Using correct units, interpret the meaning of Ô0 W „ t dt
in the context of this problem.
1 20
20 Ô0
(c) For 0 t 20, the average temperature of the water in the tub is W t dt. Use a left Riemann sum

1 20
20 Ô0
with the four subintervals indicated by the data in the table to approximate W t dt. Does this
approximation overestimate or underestimate the average temperature of the water over these 20 minutes?
Explain your reasoning.

(d) For 20 t 25, the function W that models the water temperature has first derivative given by
W„ t 0.4 t cos 0.06t . Based on the model, what is the temperature of the water at time t 25 ?

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 2012 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

2. For t • 0, a particle is moving along a curve so that its position at time t is x t , y t . At time t 2, the
dx t2 dy
particle is at position 1, 5 . It is known that t
and sin 2 t.
dt e dt
(a) Is the horizontal movement of the particle to the left or to the right at time t 2 ? Explain your answer.
Find the slope of the path of the particle at time t 2.
(b) Find the x-coordinate of the particle’s position at time t 4.

(c) Find the speed of the particle at time t 4. Find the acceleration vector of the particle at time t 4.
(d) Find the distance traveled by the particle from time t 2 to t 4.

END OF PART A OF SECTION II

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 2012 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

CALCULUS BC
SECTION II, Part B
Time— 60 minutes
Number of problems—4

No calculator is allowed for these problems.

3. Let f be the continuous function defined on >  4, 3@ whose graph, consisting of three line segments and a
x
semicircle centered at the origin, is given above. Let g be the function given by g x Ô1 f t dt.

(a) Find the values of g 2 and g 2 .

(b) For each of g „ 3 and g „„ 3 , find the value or state that it does not exist.
(c) Find the x-coordinate of each point at which the graph of g has a horizontal tangent line. For each of these
points, determine whether g has a relative minimum, relative maximum, or neither a minimum nor a
maximum at the point. Justify your answers.
(d) For  4  x  3, find all values of x for which the graph of g has a point of inflection. Explain your
reasoning.

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 2012 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

x 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4

f„ x 8 10 12 13 14.5

4. The function f is twice differentiable for x ! 0 with f 1 15 and f „„ 1 20. Values of f „, the derivative of
f, are given for selected values of x in the table above.
(a) Write an equation for the line tangent to the graph of f at x 1. Use this line to approximate f 1.4 .
(b) Use a midpoint Riemann sum with two subintervals of equal length and values from the table to
1.4 1.4
approximate Ô1 f „ x dx. Use the approximation for Ô1 f „ x dx to estimate the value of f 1.4 . Show
the computations that lead to your answer.

(c) Use Euler’s method, starting at x 1 with two steps of equal size, to approximate f 1.4 . Show the
computations that lead to your answer.
(d) Write the second-degree Taylor polynomial for f about x 1. Use the Taylor polynomial to approximate
f 1.4 .

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 2012 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

5. The rate at which a baby bird gains weight is proportional to the difference between its adult weight and its
current weight. At time t 0, when the bird is first weighed, its weight is 20 grams. If B t is the weight of the
bird, in grams, at time t days after it is first weighed, then
dB 1
100  B .
dt 5
Let y B t be the solution to the differential equation above with initial condition B 0 20.
(a) Is the bird gaining weight faster when it weighs 40 grams or when it weighs 70 grams? Explain your
reasoning.

d2B d2B
(b) Find in terms of B. Use to explain why the graph of B cannot resemble the following graph.
dt 2 dt 2

(c) Use separation of variables to find y B t , the particular solution to the differential equation with initial
condition B 0 20.

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 2012 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

6. The function g has derivatives of all orders, and the Maclaurin series for g is
‡
x 2 n 1 x x3 x5
Ç 1
n
2n  3 3

5

7
 ".
n 0

(a) Using the ratio test, determine the interval of convergence of the Maclaurin series for g.
1
(b) The Maclaurin series for g evaluated at x is an alternating series whose terms decrease in absolute
2
1 17
value to 0. The approximation for g using the first two nonzero terms of this series is . Show that
2 120
1 1
this approximation differs from g by less than .
2 200
(c) Write the first three nonzero terms and the general term of the Maclaurin series for g „ x .

STOP

END OF EXAM

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 AP® Calculus BC
2013 Free-Response Questions

About the College Board

The College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity.
Founded in 1900, the College Board was created to expand access to higher education. Today, the membership association is
made up of more than 6,000 of the world’s leading educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity
in education. Each year, the College Board helps more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to college
through programs and services in college readiness and college success — including the SAT® and the Advanced
Placement Program®. The organization also serves the education community through research and advocacy on behalf of
students, educators, and schools.

© 2013 The College Board. College Board, Advanced Placement Program, AP, AP Central, SAT, and the acorn logo are
registered trademarks of the College Board. Admitted Class Evaluation Service and inspiring minds are trademarks owned by
the College Board. All other products and services may be trademarks of their respective owners. Visit the College Board on
the Web: [Link]. Permission to use copyrighted College Board materials may be requested online
at: [Link]/inquiry/[Link].

Visit the College Board on the Web: [Link].

AP Central is the official online home for the AP Program: [Link].
 2013 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

CALCULUS BC
SECTION II, Part A
Time— 30 minutes
Number of problems— 2

A graphing calculator is required for these problems.

1. On a certain workday, the rate, in tons per hour, at which unprocessed gravel arrives at a gravel processing plant
È t2 Ø
is modeled by G t 90  45cos É Ù , where t is measured in hours and 0 t 8. At the beginning of the
Ê 18 Ú
workday t 0 , the plant has 500 tons of unprocessed gravel. During the hours of operation, 0 t 8, the
plant processes gravel at a constant rate of 100 tons per hour.
(a) Find G„ 5 . Using correct units, interpret your answer in the context of the problem.
(b) Find the total amount of unprocessed gravel that arrives at the plant during the hours of operation on this
workday.
(c) Is the amount of unprocessed gravel at the plant increasing or decreasing at time t 5 hours? Show the
work that leads to your answer.
(d) What is the maximum amount of unprocessed gravel at the plant during the hours of operation on this
workday? Justify your answer.

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 2013 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

2. The graphs of the polar curves r 3 and r 4  2sin q are shown in the figure above. The curves intersect
p 5p
when q and q .
6 6
(a) Let S be the shaded region that is inside the graph of r 3 and also inside the graph of r 4  2sin q.
Find the area of S.
(b) A particle moves along the polar curve r 4  2sin q so that at time t seconds, q t 2 . Find the time t in
the interval 1 t 2 for which the x-coordinate of the particle’s position is 1.
(c) For the particle described in part (b), find the position vector in terms of t. Find the velocity vector at
time t 1.5.

END OF PART A OF SECTION II

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 2013 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

CALCULUS BC
SECTION II, Part B
Time— 60 minutes
Number of problems—4

No calculator is allowed for these problems.

t
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
(minutes)
C t
0 5.3 8.8 11.2 12.8 13.8 14.5
(ounces)

3. Hot water is dripping through a coffeemaker, filling a large cup with coffee. The amount of coffee in the cup at
time t, 0 t 6, is given by a differentiable function C, where t is measured in minutes. Selected values of
C t , measured in ounces, are given in the table above.

(a) Use the data in the table to approximate C„ 3.5 . Show the computations that lead to your answer, and
indicate units of measure.

(b) Is there a time t, 2 t 4, at which C „ t 2 ? Justify your answer.

(c) Use a midpoint sum with three subintervals of equal length indicated by the data in the table to approximate
1 6 1 6
the value of Ô
6 0
C t dt. Using correct units, explain the meaning of
6 0 Ô
C t dt in the context of the
problem.

(d) The amount of coffee in the cup, in ounces, is modeled by B t 16  16e  0.4 t . Using this model, find the
rate at which the amount of coffee in the cup is changing when t 5.

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 2013 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

4. The figure above shows the graph of f „, the derivative of a twice-differentiable function f, on the closed
interval 0 x 8. The graph of f „ has horizontal tangent lines at x 1, x 3, and x 5. The areas of the
regions between the graph of f „ and the x-axis are labeled in the figure. The function f is defined for all real
numbers and satisfies f 8 4.
(a) Find all values of x on the open interval 0  x  8 for which the function f has a local minimum. Justify
your answer.
(b) Determine the absolute minimum value of f on the closed interval 0 x 8. Justify your answer.
(c) On what open intervals contained in 0  x  8 is the graph of f both concave down and increasing?
Explain your reasoning.
3 5
(d) The function g is defined by g x f x . If f 3  , find the slope of the line tangent to the graph
2
of g at x 3.

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-5-
 2013 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

dy
5. Consider the differential equation y 2 2 x  2 . Let y f x be the particular solution to the differential
dx
equation with initial condition f 0 1.
f x 1
(a) Find lim . Show the work that leads to your answer.
x0 sin x

1
(b) Use Euler’s method, starting at x 0 with two steps of equal size, to approximate f .
2
(c) Find y f x , the particular solution to the differential equation with initial condition f 0 1.

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 2013 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

6. A function f has derivatives of all orders at x 0. Let Pn x denote the nth-degree Taylor polynomial
for f about x 0.
1
(a) It is known that f 0  4 and that P1 3. Show that f „ 0 2.
2
2 1
(b) It is known that f „„ 0  and f „„„ 0 . Find P3 x .
3 3
(c) The function h has first derivative given by h „ x f 2 x . It is known that h 0 7. Find the
third-degree Taylor polynomial for h about x 0.

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-7-
 2023

AP Calculus BC
®

Free-Response Questions

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AP® Calculus BC 2023 Free-Response Questions

CALCULUS BC

SECTION II, Part A

Time—30 minutes
2 Questions

A GRAPHING CALCULATOR IS REQUIRED FOR THESE QUESTIONS.

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 AP® Calculus BC 2023 Free-Response Questions

t
0 60 90 120 135 150
(seconds)
f (t )
0 0.1 0.15 0.1 0.05 0
(gallons per second)

1. A customer at a gas station is pumping gasoline into a gas tank. The rate of flow of gasoline is modeled by a
differentiable function f , where f (t) is measured in gallons per second and t is measured in seconds since
pumping began. Selected values of f (t) are given in the table.

135
(a) Using correct units, interpret the meaning of ∫60 f (t) dt in the context of the problem. Use a right

Riemann sum with the three subintervals [60, 90], [90, 120], and [120, 135] to approximate the value of
135
∫60 f (t) dt .

(b) Must there exist a value of c , for 60 < c < 120, such that f ¢(c) = 0 ? Justify your answer.

⎛ t ⎞ ⎛⎜⎛ t ⎞ ⎟⎞⎟
2
(c) The rate of flow of gasoline, in gallons per second, can also be modeled by g(t) = ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ cos⎜⎜ ⎟⎟ ⎟ for
⎝ 500 ⎟⎠ ⎜⎜ ⎜⎝⎝ 120 ⎠⎟ ⎟⎠⎟

0 £ t £ 150 . Using this model, find the average rate of flow of gasoline over the time interval 0 £ t £ 150 .

Show the setup for your calculations.

(d) Using the model g defined in part (c), find the value of g¢(140). Interpret the meaning of your answer in
the context of the problem.

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 AP® Calculus BC 2023 Free-Response Questions

2. For 0 £ t £ p , a particle is moving along the curve shown so that its position at time t is (x(t), y(t)), where
dx
x(t) is not explicitly given and y(t) = 2 sin t . It is known that = e cos t . At time t = 0, the particle is at
dt
position (1, 0).

(a) Find the acceleration vector of the particle at time t = 1. Show the setup for your calculations.

(b) For 0 £ t £ p , find the first time t at which the speed of the particle is 1.5. Show the work that leads to
your answer.

(c) Find the slope of the line tangent to the path of the particle at time t = 1. Find the x -coordinate of the
position of the particle at time t = 1. Show the work that leads to your answers.

(d) Find the total distance traveled by the particle over the time interval 0 £ t £ p . Show the setup for your
calculations.

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AP® Calculus BC 2023 Free-Response Questions

END OF PART A

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AP® Calculus BC 2023 Free-Response Questions

CALCULUS BC

SECTION II, Part B

Time—1 hour
4 Questions

NO CALCULATOR IS ALLOWED FOR THESE QUESTIONS.

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 AP® Calculus BC 2023 Free-Response Questions

3. A bottle of milk is taken out of a refrigerator and placed in a pan of hot water to be warmed. The increasing

function M models the temperature of the milk at time t , where M(t) is measured in degrees Celsius (°C )

and t is the number of minutes since the bottle was placed in the pan. M satisfies the differential equation
dM 1
= (40 − M). At time t = 0, the temperature of the milk is 5°C. It can be shown that M(t) < 40 for all
dt 4
values of t .

dM 1
(a) A slope field for the differential equation = (40 − M) is shown. Sketch the solution curve through
dt 4
the point (0, 5).

(b) Use the line tangent to the graph of M at t = 0 to approximate M(2), the temperature of the milk at
time t = 2 minutes.

d 2M d 2M
(c) Write an expression for in terms of M . Use to determine whether the approximation from
dt 2 dt 2

part (b) is an underestimate or an overestimate for the actual value of M(2). Give a reason for your answer.

(d) Use separation of variables to find an expression for M(t), the particular solution to the differential
dM 1
equation = (40 − M) with initial condition M(0) = 5.
dt 4
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 AP® Calculus BC 2023 Free-Response Questions

4. The function f is defined on the closed interval [−2, 8] and satisfies f (2) = 1. The graph of f ¢ , the derivative
of f , consists of two line segments and a semicircle, as shown in the figure.

(a) Does f have a relative minimum, a relative maximum, or neither at x = 6 ? Give a reason for your
answer.

(b) On what open intervals, if any, is the graph of f concave down? Give a reason for your answer.

6 f (x) − 3x
(c) Find the value of lim , or show that it does not exist. Justify your answer.
x→2 x 2 − 5x + 6
(d) Find the absolute minimum value of f on the closed interval [−2, 8]. Justify your answer.

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 AP® Calculus BC 2023 Free-Response Questions

12
5. The graphs of the functions f and g are shown in the figure for 0 £ x £ 3. It is known that g(x) =
3+x
for x ≥ 0. The twice-differentiable function f , which is not explicitly given, satisfies f (3) = 2 and
3
∫0 f (x) dx = 10.
(a) Find the area of the shaded region enclosed by the graphs of f and g .
∞
(b) Evaluate the improper integral ∫0 (g(x))2 dx, or show that the integral diverges.

3
(c) Let h be the function defined by h(x) = x ◊ f ¢(x). Find the value of ∫0 h(x) dx .

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 AP® Calculus BC 2023 Free-Response Questions

6. The function f has derivatives of all orders for all real numbers. It is known that f (0) = 2, f ¢(0) = 3,

( ) ( )
f ¢¢(x) = − f x 2 , and f ¢¢¢(x) = −2x · f ¢ x 2 .

(a) Find f (4) (x), the fourth derivative of f with respect to x . Write the fourth-degree Taylor polynomial for f
about x = 0. Show the work that leads to your answer.

(b) The fourth-degree Taylor polynomial for f about x = 0 is used to approximate f (0.1). Given that

f (5) (x) £ 15 for 0 £ x £ 0.5, use the Lagrange error bound to show that this approximation is within
1
of the exact value of f (0.1).
105
(c) Let g be the function such that g(0) = 4 and g¢(x) = e x f (x). Write the second-degree Taylor polynomial
for g about x = 0.

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AP® Calculus BC 2023 Free-Response Questions

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 2022

AP Calculus BC
®

Free-Response Questions

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AP® Calculus BC 2022 Free-Response Questions

CALCULUS BC

SECTION II, Part A

Time—30 minutes
2 Questions

A GRAPHING CALCULATOR IS REQUIRED FOR THESE QUESTIONS.

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AP® Calculus BC 2022 Free-Response Questions

1. From 5 A.M. to 10 A.M., the rate at which vehicles arrive at a certain toll plaza is given by
A(t ) = 450 sin(0.62t) , where t is the number of hours after 5 A.M. and A(t ) is measured in vehicles per hour.
Traffic is flowing smoothly at 5 A.M. with no vehicles waiting in line.

(a) Write, but do not evaluate, an integral expression that gives the total number of vehicles that arrive at the
toll plaza from 6 A.M. (t = 1) to 10 A.M. (t = 5).

(b) Find the average value of the rate, in vehicles per hour, at which vehicles arrive at the toll plaza from
6 A.M. (t = 1) to 10 A.M. (t = 5).

(c) Is the rate at which vehicles arrive at the toll plaza at 6 A.M. (t = 1) increasing or decreasing? Give a reason
for your answer.

(d) A line forms whenever A(t ) ≥ 400. The number of vehicles in line at time t , for a £ t £ 4 , is given by
t
N (t ) = ∫a (A(x) − 400) dx, where a is the time when a line first begins to form. To the nearest whole
number, find the greatest number of vehicles in line at the toll plaza in the time interval a £ t £ 4 . Justify

your answer.

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 AP® Calculus BC 2022 Free-Response Questions

2. A particle moving along a curve in the xy -plane is at position (x(t ), y(t )) at time t > 0. The particle moves in

such a way that

dx
dt
= 1 + t 2 and
dy
dt
( )
= ln 2 + t 2 . At time t = 4, the particle is at the point (1, 5).

(a) Find the slope of the line tangent to the path of the particle at time t = 4.

(b) Find the speed of the particle at time t = 4, and find the acceleration vector of the particle at time t = 4.

(c) Find the y -coordinate of the particle’s position at time t = 6.

(d) Find the total distance the particle travels along the curve from time t = 4 to time t = 6.

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AP® Calculus BC 2022 Free-Response Questions

END OF PART A

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AP® Calculus BC 2022 Free-Response Questions

CALCULUS BC
SECTION II, Part B
Time—1 hour
4 Questions

NO CALCULATOR IS ALLOWED FOR THESE QUESTIONS.

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 AP® Calculus BC 2022 Free-Response Questions

3. Let f be a differentiable function with f (4) = 3. On the interval 0 £ x £ 7, the graph of f ¢ , the derivative
of f , consists of a semicircle and two line segments, as shown in the figure above.

(a) Find f (0) and f (5).

(b) Find the x -coordinates of all points of inflection of the graph of f for 0 < x < 7. Justify your answer.

(c) Let g be the function defined by g(x) = f (x ) − x. On what intervals, if any, is g decreasing for
0 £ x £ 7 ? Show the analysis that leads to your answer.

(d) For the function g defined in part (c), find the absolute minimum value on the interval 0 £ x £ 7. Justify
your answer.

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 AP® Calculus BC 2022 Free-Response Questions

t
(days) 0 3 7 10 12

r ¢(t )
−6.1 −5.0 −4.4 −3.8 −3.5
(centimeters per day)

4. An ice sculpture melts in such a way that it can be modeled as a cone that maintains a conical shape as it
decreases in size. The radius of the base of the cone is given by a twice-differentiable function r , where r(t ) is
measured in centimeters and t is measured in days. The table above gives selected values of r¢(t), the rate of
change of the radius, over the time interval 0 £ t £ 12.

(a) Approximate r ≤(8.5) using the average rate of change of r ¢ over the interval 7 £ t £ 10. Show the
computations that lead to your answer, and indicate units of measure.

(b) Is there a time t , 0 £ t £ 3, for which r ¢(t ) = −6 ? Justify your answer.

(c) Use a right Riemann sum with the four subintervals indicated in the table to approximate the value of
12
∫0 r ¢(t ) dt .

(d) The height of the cone decreases at a rate of 2 centimeters per day. At time t = 3 days, the radius is

100 centimeters and the height is 50 centimeters. Find the rate of change of the volume of the cone with

respect to time, in cubic centimeters per day, at time t = 3 days. (The volume V of a cone with radius r
1 2
and height h is V = pr h.)
3

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 AP® Calculus BC 2022 Free-Response Questions

1
5. Figures 1 and 2, shown above, illustrate regions in the first quadrant associated with the graphs of y = and
x
1 1
y= 2
, respectively. In Figure 1, let R be the region bounded by the graph of y =
, the x -axis, and the
x x
1
vertical lines x = 1 and x = 5. In Figure 2, let W be the unbounded region between the graph of y = 2 and
x
the x -axis that lies to the right of the vertical line x = 3.

(a) Find the area of region R.

(b) Region R is the base of a solid. For the solid, at each x the cross section perpendicular to the x -axis is a
rectangle with area given by xe x / 5. Find the volume of the solid.

(c) Find the volume of the solid generated when the unbounded region W is revolved about the x -axis.

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AP® Calculus BC 2022 Free-Response Questions

x3 x5 x7 (−1)n x 2n+1
6. The function f is defined by the power series f (x ) = x − + − ++ +  for all
3 5 7 2n + 1

real numbers x for which the series converges.

(a) Using the ratio test, find the interval of convergence of the power series for f . Justify your answer.

⎛1 ⎞ 1 1
(b) Show that f ⎜⎜ ⎟⎟⎟ − < . Justify your answer.
⎜⎝ 2 ⎠ 2 10

(c) Write the first four nonzero terms and the general term for an infinite series that represents f ¢(x).

⎛1 ⎞
(d) Use the result from part (c) to find the value of f ¢⎜⎜ ⎟⎟⎟.
⎜⎝ 6 ⎠

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AP® Calculus BC 2022 Free-Response Questions

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 2021

AP Calculus BC
®

Free-Response Questions

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AP® Calculus BC 2021 Free-Response Questions

CALCULUS BC
SECTION II, Part A
Time—30 minutes
2 Questions

A GRAPHING CALCULATOR IS REQUIRED FOR THESE QUESTIONS.

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 AP® Calculus BC 2021 Free-Response Questions

r
(centimeters) 0 1 2 2.5 4

f (r )
1 2 6 10 18
(milligrams per square centimeter)

1. The density of a bacteria population in a circular petri dish at a distance r centimeters from the center of the
dish is given by an increasing, differentiable function f , where f (r ) is measured in milligrams per square
centimeter. Values of f (r ) for selected values of r are given in the table above.

(a) Use the data in the table to estimate f ¢(2.25). Using correct units, interpret the meaning of your answer
in the context of this problem.

(b) The total mass, in milligrams, of bacteria in the petri dish is given by the integral expression
4 4
2p ∫0 r f (r ) dr . Approximate the value of 2p ∫0 r f (r ) dr using a right Riemann sum with the four
subintervals indicated by the data in the table.

(c) Is the approximation found in part (b) an overestimate or underestimate of the total mass of bacteria in the
petri dish? Explain your reasoning.

(d) The density of bacteria in the petri dish, for 1 £ r £ 4, is modeled by the function g defined by
g(r ) = 2 − 16(cos(1.57 r ))3. For what value of k , 1 < k < 4 , is g(k ) equal to the average value of g(r )
on the interval 1 £ r £ 4 ?

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AP® Calculus BC 2021 Free-Response Questions

2. For time t ≥ 0, a particle moves in the xy -plane with position (x(t ), y(t )) and velocity vector
2
( ) . At time t = 0, the position of the particle is (− 2, 5).
(t − 1) et , sin t1.25

(a) Find the speed of the particle at time t = 1.2. Find the acceleration vector of the particle at time t = 1.2.

(b) Find the total distance traveled by the particle over the time interval 0 £ t £ 1.2.

(c) Find the coordinates of the point at which the particle is farthest to the left for t ≥ 0. Explain why there is
no point at which the particle is farthest to the right for t ≥ 0.

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AP® Calculus BC 2021 Free-Response Questions

END OF PART A

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AP® Calculus BC 2021 Free-Response Questions

CALCULUS BC
SECTION II, Part B
Time—1 hour
4 Questions

NO CALCULATOR IS ALLOWED FOR THESE QUESTIONS.

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 AP® Calculus BC 2021 Free-Response Questions

3. A company designs spinning toys using the family of functions y = cx 4 − x 2 , where c is a positive
constant. The figure above shows the region in the first quadrant bounded by the x -axis and the graph of
y = cx 4 − x 2 , for some c . Each spinning toy is in the shape of the solid generated when such a region is
revolved about the x -axis. Both x and y are measured in inches.

(a) Find the area of the region in the first quadrant bounded by the x -axis and the graph of y = cx 4 − x 2
for c = 6.

2dy (
c 4 − 2x 2 )
(b) It is known that, for y = cx 4 − x , = . For a particular spinning toy, the radius of the
dx 4 − x2
largest cross-sectional circular slice is 1.2 inches. What is the value of c for this spinning toy?

(c) For another spinning toy, the volume is 2p cubic inches. What is the value of c for this spinning toy?

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 AP® Calculus BC 2021 Free-Response Questions

4. Let f be a continuous function defined on the closed interval −4 £ x £ 6. The graph of f , consisting of four
x
line segments, is shown above. Let G be the function defined by G(x ) = ∫0 f (t) dt.
(a) On what open intervals is the graph of G concave up? Give a reason for your answer.

◊
(b) Let P be the function defined by P(x ) = G(x ) f (x ). Find P¢(3).

G (x )
(c) Find lim 2
.
x→2 x − 2x

(d) Find the average rate of change of G on the interval [−4, 2]. Does the Mean Value Theorem guarantee a
value c , −4 < c < 2, for which G ¢(c) is equal to this average rate of change? Justify your answer.

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AP® Calculus BC 2021 Free-Response Questions

dy
5. Let y = f (x ) be the particular solution to the differential equation
dx
◊
= y (x ln x ) with initial condition

f (1) = 4. It can be shown that f ≤(1) = 4.

(a) Write the second-degree Taylor polynomial for f about x = 1. Use the Taylor polynomial to
approximate f (2).

(b) Use Euler’s method, starting at x = 1 with two steps of equal size, to approximate f (2). Show the
work that leads to your answer.

dy
(c) Find the particular solution y = f (x ) to the differential equation
dx
◊
= y (x ln x ) with initial

condition f (1) = 4.

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AP® Calculus BC 2021 Free-Response Questions

6. The function g has derivatives of all orders for all real numbers. The Maclaurin series for g is given by
∞ (− 1)n x n
g(x) = ∑ on its interval of convergence.
n=0
2e n + 3

∞
1
(a) State the conditions necessary to use the integral test to determine convergence of the series ∑ en .
n=0
∞
1
Use the integral test to show that ∑ n converges.
n=0
e

∞
1 ∞ (− 1)n
(b) Use the limit comparison test with the series ∑ n to show that the series g(1) = ∑ 2e n + 3
n=0
e n=0

converges absolutely.

(c) Determine the radius of convergence of the Maclaurin series for g .

∞ (− 1)n
(d) The first two terms of the series g(1) = ∑ 2e n + 3 are used to approximate g(1). Use the alternating
n=0

series error bound to determine an upper bound on the error of the approximation.

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AP® Calculus BC 2021 Free-Response Questions

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 2019

AP Calculus BC
®

Free-Response Questions

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 2019 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

CALCULUS BC
SECTION II, Part A
Time—30 minutes
Number of questions—2

A GRAPHING CALCULATOR IS REQUIRED FOR THESE QUESTIONS.

1. Fish enter a lake at a rate modeled by the function E given by E (t ) = 20 + 15 sin ( p6t ). Fish leave the lake at
2
a rate modeled by the function L given by L(t ) = 4 + 20.1t . Both E (t ) and L(t) are measured in fish per

hour, and t is measured in hours since midnight (t = 0).

(a) How many fish enter the lake over the 5-hour period from midnight (t = 0) to 5 A.M. (t = 5) ? Give your
answer to the nearest whole number.

(b) What is the average number of fish that leave the lake per hour over the 5-hour period from
midnight (t = 0) to 5 A.M. (t = 5) ?

(c) At what time t, for 0 £ t £ 8 , is the greatest number of fish in the lake? Justify your answer.

(d) Is the rate of change in the number of fish in the lake increasing or decreasing at 5 A.M. (t = 5) ? Explain
your reasoning.

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 2019 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

( )
2. Let S be the region bounded by the graph of the polar curve r(q ) = 3 q sin q 2 for 0 £ q £ p , as shown

in the figure above.

(a) Find the area of S.

( )
(b) What is the average distance from the origin to a point on the polar curve r(q ) = 3 q sin q 2 for

0£q£ p ?

(c) There is a line through the origin with positive slope m that divides the region S into two regions with
equal areas. Write, but do not solve, an equation involving one or more integrals whose solution gives the
value of m.

(d) For k > 0, let A(k ) be the area of the portion of region S that is also inside the circle r = k cos q . Find

lim A(k ).
k→∞

END OF PART A OF SECTION II

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 2019 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

CALCULUS BC
SECTION II, Part B
Time—1 hour
Number of questions—4

NO CALCULATOR IS ALLOWED FOR THESE QUESTIONS.

3. The continuous function f is defined on the closed interval −6 £ x £ 5. The figure above shows a portion of
the graph of f, consisting of two line segments and a quarter of a circle centered at the point (5, 3). It is
known that the point (3, 3 − 5 ) is on the graph of f.

5 −2
(a) If ∫−6 f (x) dx = 7, find the value of ∫−6 f (x) dx . Show the work that leads to your answer.
5
(b) Evaluate ∫3 (2f ¢(x) + 4) dx.
x
(c) The function g is given by g(x ) = ∫− 2 f (t) dt . Find the absolute maximum value of g on the interval
− 2 £ x £ 5. Justify your answer.

10 x − 3f ¢(x )
(d) Find lim .
x→1 f (x ) − arctan x

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 2019 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

4. A cylindrical barrel with a diameter of 2 feet contains collected rainwater, as shown in the figure above. The

water drains out through a valve (not shown) at the bottom of the barrel. The rate of change of the height h of
dh 1
the water in the barrel with respect to time t is modeled by =− h , where h is measured in feet and
dt 10
t is measured in seconds. (The volume V of a cylinder with radius r and height h is V = pr 2h.)

(a) Find the rate of change of the volume of water in the barrel with respect to time when the height of the
water is 4 feet. Indicate units of measure.

(b) When the height of the water is 3 feet, is the rate of change of the height of the water with respect to time
increasing or decreasing? Explain your reasoning.

(c) At time t = 0 seconds, the height of the water is 5 feet. Use separation of variables to find an expression
for h in terms of t.

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 2019 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

1
5. Consider the family of functions f (x ) = 2
, where k is a constant.
x − 2x + k

(a) Find the value of k, for k > 0, such that the slope of the line tangent to the graph of f at x = 0 equals 6.

1
(b) For k = − 8, find the value of ∫0 f (x) dx .
2
(c) For k = 1, find the value of ∫0 f (x) dx or show that it diverges.

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 2019 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

6. A function f has derivatives of all orders for all real numbers x. A portion of the graph of f is shown above,
along with the line tangent to the graph of f at x = 0. Selected derivatives of f at x = 0 are given in the table
above.

(a) Write the third-degree Taylor polynomial for f about x = 0.

(b) Write the first three nonzero terms of the Maclaurin series for e x . Write the second-degree Taylor
polynomial for e x f (x ) about x = 0.

x
(c) Let h be the function defined by h(x ) = ∫0 f (t) dt. Use the Taylor polynomial found in part (a) to find an
approximation for h(1).

(d) It is known that the Maclaurin series for h converges to h(x ) for all real numbers x. It is also known that
the individual terms of the series for h(1) alternate in sign and decrease in absolute value to 0. Use the
alternating series error bound to show that the approximation found in part (c) differs from h(1) by at
most 0.45.

STOP
END OF EXAM

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 2018

AP Calculus BC
Free-Response Questions

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are registered trademarks of the College Board. Visit the College Board on the Web: [Link].
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 2018 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

CALCULUS BC
SECTION II, Part A
Time—30 minutes
Number of questions—2

A GRAPHING CALCULATOR IS REQUIRED FOR THESE QUESTIONS.

1. People enter a line for an escalator at a rate modeled by the function r given by

⎧⎪
( )( )
3 7
t t
⎪⎪ 1− for 0 £ t £ 300
r(t ) = ⎨ 44 100 300
⎪
⎪⎪⎪⎩ 0 for t > 300,

where r(t ) is measured in people per second and t is measured in seconds. As people get on the escalator,
they exit the line at a constant rate of 0.7 person per second. There are 20 people in line at time t = 0.

(a) How many people enter the line for the escalator during the time interval 0 £ t £ 300 ?

(b) During the time interval 0 £ t £ 300 , there are always people in line for the escalator. How many people
are in line at time t = 300 ?

(c) For t > 300, what is the first time t that there are no people in line for the escalator?

(d) For 0 £ t £ 300 , at what time t is the number of people in line a minimum? To the nearest whole
number, find the number of people in line at this time. Justify your answer.

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 2018 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

2. Researchers on a boat are investigating plankton cells in a sea. At a depth of h meters, the density of plankton
2
cells, in millions of cells per cubic meter, is modeled by p(h) = 0.2h2e−0.0025h for 0 £ h £ 30 and is
modeled by f (h) for h ≥ 30. The continuous function f is not explicitly given.

(a) Find p¢(25). Using correct units, interpret the meaning of p ¢(25) in the context of the problem.

(b) Consider a vertical column of water in this sea with horizontal cross sections of constant area 3 square
meters. To the nearest million, how many plankton cells are in this column of water between h = 0 and
h = 30 meters?

∞
(c) There is a function u such that 0 £ f (h) £ u(h) for all h ≥ 30 and ∫30 u(h) dh = 105. The column of
water in part (b) is K meters deep, where K > 30. Write an expression involving one or more integrals

that gives the number of plankton cells, in millions, in the entire column. Explain why the number of

plankton cells in the column is less than or equal to 2000 million.

(d) The boat is moving on the surface of the sea. At time t ≥ 0, the position of the boat is (x(t ), y(t )), where
x ¢(t ) = 662 sin (5t ) and y ¢(t ) = 880 cos (6t). Time t is measured in hours, and x(t ) and y(t ) are
measured in meters. Find the total distance traveled by the boat over the time interval 0 £ t £ 1.

END OF PART A OF SECTION II

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 2018 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

CALCULUS BC
SECTION II, Part B
Time—1 hour
Number of questions—4

NO CALCULATOR IS ALLOWED FOR THESE QUESTIONS.

3. The graph of the continuous function g, the derivative of the function f, is shown above. The function g is
piecewise linear for −5 £ x < 3, and g(x ) = 2(x − 4)2 for 3 £ x £ 6.

(a) If f (1) = 3, what is the value of f (− 5) ?

6
(b) Evaluate ∫1 g(x) dx.
(c) For −5 < x < 6, on what open intervals, if any, is the graph of f both increasing and concave up? Give a
reason for your answer.

(d) Find the x-coordinate of each point of inflection of the graph of f. Give a reason for your answer.

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 2018 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

4. The height of a tree at time t is given by a twice-differentiable function H, where H (t ) is measured in meters
and t is measured in years. Selected values of H (t ) are given in the table above.

(a) Use the data in the table to estimate H ¢(6). Using correct units, interpret the meaning of H ¢(6) in the
context of the problem.

(b) Explain why there must be at least one time t, for 2 < t < 10, such that H ¢(t ) = 2.

(c) Use a trapezoidal sum with the four subintervals indicated by the data in the table to approximate the
average height of the tree over the time interval 2 £ t £ 10.

100x
(d) The height of the tree, in meters, can also be modeled by the function G, given by G(x ) = , where
1+x
x is the diameter of the base of the tree, in meters. When the tree is 50 meters tall, the diameter of the

base of the tree is increasing at a rate of 0.03 meter per year. According to this model, what is the rate of

change of the height of the tree with respect to time, in meters per year, at the time when the tree is

50 meters tall?

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 2018 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

5. The graphs of the polar curves r = 4 and r = 3 + 2 cos q are shown in the figure above. The curves intersect
p 5p
at q = and q = .
3 3

(a) Let R be the shaded region that is inside the graph of r = 4 and also outside the graph of r = 3 + 2 cos q ,
as shown in the figure above. Write an expression involving an integral for the area of R.

p
(b) Find the slope of the line tangent to the graph of r = 3 + 2 cos q at q = .
2
p
(c) A particle moves along the portion of the curve r = 3 + 2 cos q for 0 < q < . The particle moves in
2
such a way that the distance between the particle and the origin increases at a constant rate of 3 units per

second. Find the rate at which the angle q changes with respect to time at the instant when the position
p
of the particle corresponds to q = . Indicate units of measure.
3

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 2018 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

6. The Maclaurin series for ln (1 + x ) is given by

x2 x3 x4 xn
x− + − +  + (− 1)n +1 + .
2 3 4 n

On its interval of convergence, this series converges to ln (1 + x). Let f be the function defined by

(
f (x ) = x ln 1 +
x
3).

(a) Write the first four nonzero terms and the general term of the Maclaurin series for f.

(b) Determine the interval of convergence of the Maclaurin series for f. Show the work that leads to your
answer.

(c) Let P4(x ) be the fourth-degree Taylor polynomial for f about x = 0. Use the alternating series error
bound to find an upper bound for P4(2) − f (2) .

STOP
END OF EXAM

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 2017

AP Calculus BC
Free-Response Questions

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 2017 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

CALCULUS BC
SECTION II, Part A
Time—30 minutes
Number of questions—2

A GRAPHING CALCULATOR IS REQUIRED FOR THESE QUESTIONS.

1. A tank has a height of 10 feet. The area of the horizontal cross section of the tank at height h feet is given by
the function A, where A(h) is measured in square feet. The function A is continuous and decreases as h
increases. Selected values for A(h) are given in the table above.

(a) Use a left Riemann sum with the three subintervals indicated by the data in the table to approximate the
volume of the tank. Indicate units of measure.

(b) Does the approximation in part (a) overestimate or underestimate the volume of the tank? Explain your
reasoning.

(c) The area, in square feet, of the horizontal cross section at height h feet is modeled by the function f given
50.3
by f (h) = 0.2h . Based on this model, find the volume of the tank. Indicate units of measure.
e +h

(d) Water is pumped into the tank. When the height of the water is 5 feet, the height is increasing at the rate
of 0.26 foot per minute. Using the model from part (c), find the rate at which the volume of water is
changing with respect to time when the height of the water is 5 feet. Indicate units of measure.

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 2017 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

2. The figure above shows the polar curves r = f (q ) = 1 + sin q cos (2 q ) and r = g(q ) = 2 cos q for
p
0£q£ . Let R be the region in the first quadrant bounded by the curve r = f (q ) and the x-axis. Let S be
2
the region in the first quadrant bounded by the curve r = f (q ), the curve r = g(q ), and the x-axis.

(a) Find the area of R.

p
(b) The ray q = k , where 0 < k < , divides S into two regions of equal area. Write, but do not solve, an
2
equation involving one or more integrals whose solution gives the value of k.

p
(c) For each q , 0 £ q £ , let w(q) be the distance between the points with polar coordinates ( f (q ), q) and
2
p
( g(q ), q ). Write an expression for w(q). Find wA, the average value of w(q) over the interval 0 £ q £ .
2

(d) Using the information from part (c), find the value of q for which w(q ) = wA. Is the function w(q )
increasing or decreasing at that value of q ? Give a reason for your answer.

END OF PART A OF SECTION II

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 2017 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

CALCULUS BC
SECTION II, Part B
Time—1 hour
Number of questions—4

NO CALCULATOR IS ALLOWED FOR THESE QUESTIONS.

3. The function f is differentiable on the closed interval [−6, 5] and satisfies f (− 2) = 7. The graph of f ¢ , the
derivative of f, consists of a semicircle and three line segments, as shown in the figure above.

(a) Find the values of f (− 6) and f (5).

(b) On what intervals is f increasing? Justify your answer.

(c) Find the absolute minimum value of f on the closed interval [−6, 5] . Justify your answer.

(d) For each of f ≤(− 5) and f ≤(3), find the value or explain why it does not exist.

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 2017 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

4. At time t = 0, a boiled potato is taken from a pot on a stove and left to cool in a kitchen. The internal

temperature of the potato is 91 degrees Celsius (°C) at time t = 0, and the internal temperature of the potato

is greater than 27 °C for all times t > 0. The internal temperature of the potato at time t minutes can be
dH 1
modeled by the function H that satisfies the differential equation = − (H − 27), where H (t) is
dt 4
measured in degrees Celsius and H(0) = 91.

(a) Write an equation for the line tangent to the graph of H at t = 0. Use this equation to approximate the
internal temperature of the potato at time t = 3.

d 2H
(b) Use to determine whether your answer in part (a) is an underestimate or an overestimate of the
dt 2

internal temperature of the potato at time t = 3.

(c) For t < 10, an alternate model for the internal temperature of the potato at time t minutes is the function
dG
G that satisfies the differential equation = −(G − 27)2 / 3, where G(t) is measured in degrees Celsius
dt
and G(0) = 91. Find an expression for G(t ). Based on this model, what is the internal temperature of the

potato at time t = 3 ?

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 2017 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

3
5. Let f be the function defined by f (x) = 2
.
2x − 7x + 5

(a) Find the slope of the line tangent to the graph of f at x = 3.

(b) Find the x-coordinate of each critical point of f in the interval 1 < x < 2.5. Classify each critical point as
the location of a relative minimum, a relative maximum, or neither. Justify your answers.

3 2 1 ∞
(c) Using the identity that 2
2x − 7x + 5
=
2x − 5
−
x−1
, evaluate ∫5 f (x) dx or show that the integral

diverges.
∞
3
(d) Determine whether the series ∑ 2
converges or diverges. State the conditions of the test
n=5 2n − 7n + 5

used for determining convergence or divergence.

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 2017 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

f (0) = 0
f ¢ (0 ) = 1
◊
f (n + 1) (0) = − n f (n) (0) for all n ≥ 1

6. A function f has derivatives of all orders for −1 < x < 1. The derivatives of f satisfy the conditions above.
The Maclaurin series for f converges to f (x) for x < 1.

x 2 x3 x4
(a) Show that the first four nonzero terms of the Maclaurin series for f are x − + − , and write the
2 3 4

general term of the Maclaurin series for f.

(b) Determine whether the Maclaurin series described in part (a) converges absolutely, converges
conditionally, or diverges at x = 1. Explain your reasoning.

x
(c) Write the first four nonzero terms and the general term of the Maclaurin series for g(x) = ∫0 f (t) dt.
⎛1⎞ 1
(d) Let Pn⎜⎜ ⎟⎟⎟ represent the nth-degree Taylor polynomial for g about x = 0 evaluated at x = , where g is
⎝⎜ 2 ⎠ 2

the function defined in part (c). Use the alternating series error bound to show that

⎛1⎞ ⎛1⎞ 1
P4⎜⎜ ⎟⎟⎟ − g⎜⎜ ⎟⎟⎟ < .
⎜⎝ 2 ⎠ ⎜⎝ 2 ⎠ 500

STOP
END OF EXAM

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AP Calculus BC
®

2016 Free-Response Questions

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CALCULUS BC
SECTION II, Part A
Time—30 minutes
Number of problems—2

A graphing calculator is required for these problems.

t
0 1 3 6 8
(hours)
Rt
1340 1190 950 740 700
(liters / hour)

2
1. Water is pumped into a tank at a rate modeled by W t 2000e  t 20 liters per hour for 0 t 8, where t
is measured in hours. Water is removed from the tank at a rate modeled by R t liters per hour, where R is
differentiable and decreasing on 0 t 8. Selected values of R t are shown in the table above. At time
t 0, there are 50,000 liters of water in the tank.
(a) Estimate R„ 2 . Show the work that leads to your answer. Indicate units of measure.
(b) Use a left Riemann sum with the four subintervals indicated by the table to estimate the total amount of
water removed from the tank during the 8 hours. Is this an overestimate or an underestimate of the total
amount of water removed? Give a reason for your answer.
(c) Use your answer from part (b) to find an estimate of the total amount of water in the tank, to the nearest
liter, at the end of 8 hours.
(d) For 0 t 8, is there a time t when the rate at which water is pumped into the tank is the same as the rate
at which water is removed from the tank? Explain why or why not.

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2. At time t, the position of a particle moving in the xy-plane is given by the parametric functions x t , y t ,
dx
where t 2  sin 3t 2 . The graph of y, consisting of three line segments, is shown in the figure above.
dt
At t 0, the particle is at position 5, 1 .
(a) Find the position of the particle at t 3.
(b) Find the slope of the line tangent to the path of the particle at t 3.
(c) Find the speed of the particle at t 3.
(d) Find the total distance traveled by the particle from t 0 to t 2.

END OF PART A OF SECTION II

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CALCULUS BC
SECTION II, Part B
Time—60 minutes
Number of problems—4

No calculator is allowed for these problems.

3. The figure above shows the graph of the piecewise-linear function f. For  4 x 12, the function g is defined
x
by g x Ô2 f t dt.

(a) Does g have a relative minimum, a relative maximum, or neither at x 10 ? Justify your answer.
(b) Does the graph of g have a point of inflection at x 4 ? Justify your answer.
(c) Find the absolute minimum value and the absolute maximum value of g on the interval  4 x 12.
Justify your answers.
(d) For  4 x 12, find all intervals for which g x 0.

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dy 1
4. Consider the differential equation x2  y.
dx 2

d2y
(a) Find in terms of x and y.
dx 2
(b) Let y f x be the particular solution to the given differential equation whose graph passes through the
point 2, 8 . Does the graph of f have a relative minimum, a relative maximum, or neither at the
point 2, 8 ? Justify your answer.

(c) Let y g x be the particular solution to the given differential equation with g 1 2. Find
È g x 2Ø
lim É . Show the work that leads to your answer.
x 1 Ê 3 x  1 2 Ù
Ú

(d) Let y h x be the particular solution to the given differential equation with h 0 2. Use Euler’s
method, starting at x 0 with two steps of equal size, to approximate h 1 .

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5. The inside of a funnel of height 10 inches has circular cross sections, as shown in the figure above. At height h,
1
the radius of the funnel is given by r 3  h 2 , where 0 h 10. The units of r and h are inches.
20
(a) Find the average value of the radius of the funnel.
(b) Find the volume of the funnel.
(c) The funnel contains liquid that is draining from the bottom. At the instant when the height of the liquid is
1
h 3 inches, the radius of the surface of the liquid is decreasing at a rate of inch per second. At this
5
instant, what is the rate of change of the height of the liquid with respect to time?

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6. The function f has a Taylor series about x 1 that converges to f x for all x in the interval of convergence.
1 n n 1 !
It is known that f 1 1, f „ 1  , and the nth derivative of f at x 1 is given by f n 1 1
2 2n
for n • 2.
(a) Write the first four nonzero terms and the general term of the Taylor series for f about x 1.
(b) The Taylor series for f about x 1 has a radius of convergence of 2. Find the interval of convergence.
Show the work that leads to your answer.
(c) The Taylor series for f about x 1 can be used to represent f 1.2 as an alternating series. Use the first
three nonzero terms of the alternating series to approximate f 1.2 .

(d) Show that the approximation found in part (c) is within 0.001 of the exact value of f 1.2 .

STOP

END OF EXAM

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AP Calculus BC
®

2015 Free-Response Questions

© 2015 The College Board. College Board, Advanced Placement Program, AP, AP Central, and the acorn logo
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 2015 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

CALCULUS BC
SECTION II, Part A
Time— 30 minutes
Number of problems— 2

A graphing calculator is required for these problems.

È t2 Ø
1. The rate at which rainwater flows into a drainpipe is modeled by the function R, where R t 20sin É Ù
Ê 35 Ú
cubic feet per hour, t is measured in hours, and 0 t 8. The pipe is partially blocked, allowing water to drain
out the other end of the pipe at a rate modeled by D t  0.04t 3  0.4t 2  0.96t cubic feet per hour, for
0 t 8. There are 30 cubic feet of water in the pipe at time t 0.
(a) How many cubic feet of rainwater flow into the pipe during the 8-hour time interval 0 t 8?
(b) Is the amount of water in the pipe increasing or decreasing at time t 3 hours? Give a reason for your
answer.
(c) At what time t, 0 t 8, is the amount of water in the pipe at a minimum? Justify your answer.
(d) The pipe can hold 50 cubic feet of water before overflowing. For t ! 8, water continues to flow into and out
of the pipe at the given rates until the pipe begins to overflow. Write, but do not solve, an equation involving
one or more integrals that gives the time w when the pipe will begin to overflow.

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 2015 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

2. At time t • 0, a particle moving along a curve in the xy-plane has position x t , y t with velocity vector
vt cos t 2 , e 0.5t . At t 1, the particle is at the point 3, 5 .

(a) Find the x-coordinate of the position of the particle at time t 2.

(b) For 0  t  1, there is a point on the curve at which the line tangent to the curve has a slope of 2.
At what time is the object at that point?
(c) Find the time at which the speed of the particle is 3.
(d) Find the total distance traveled by the particle from time t 0 to time t 1.

END OF PART A OF SECTION II

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 2015 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

CALCULUS BC
SECTION II, Part B
Time— 60 minutes
Number of problems—4

No calculator is allowed for these problems.

t
0 12 20 24 40
(minutes)
vt
0 200 240 –220 150
(meters per minute)

3. Johanna jogs along a straight path. For 0 t 40, Johanna’s velocity is given by a differentiable function v.
Selected values of v t , where t is measured in minutes and v t is measured in meters per minute, are given in
the table above.
(a) Use the data in the table to estimate the value of v„ 16 .
40
(b) Using correct units, explain the meaning of the definite integral Ô0 v t dt in the context of the problem.
40
Approximate the value of Ô0 v t dt using a right Riemann sum with the four subintervals indicated in the
table.
(c) Bob is riding his bicycle along the same path. For 0 t 10, Bob’s velocity is modeled by
3 2
Bt t  6t  300, where t is measured in minutes and B t is measured in meters per minute.
Find Bob’s acceleration at time t 5.
(d) Based on the model B from part (c), find Bob’s average velocity during the interval 0 t 10.

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 2015 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

dy
4. Consider the differential equation 2 x  y.
dx
(a) On the axes provided, sketch a slope field for the given differential equation at the six points indicated.

d2y
(b) Find in terms of x and y. Determine the concavity of all solution curves for the given differential
dx 2
equation in Quadrant II. Give a reason for your answer.
(c) Let y f x be the particular solution to the differential equation with the initial condition f 2 3.
Does f have a relative minimum, a relative maximum, or neither at x 2 ? Justify your answer.
(d) Find the values of the constants m and b for which y mx  b is a solution to the differential equation.

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 2015 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

1
5. Consider the function f x 2
, where k is a nonzero constant. The derivative of f is given by
x  kx
k  2x
f„ x 2
.
x 2  kx

1
(a) Let k 3, so that f x 2
. Write an equation for the line tangent to the graph of f at the point
x  3x
whose x-coordinate is 4.
1
(b) Let k 4, so that f x 2
. Determine whether f has a relative minimum, a relative maximum, or
x  4x
neither at x 2. Justify your answer.

(c) Find the value of k for which f has a critical point at x 5.
1
(d) Let k 6, so that f x 2
. Find the partial fraction decomposition for the function f.
x  6x
Find Ôf x dx .

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 2015 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

‡ n 1 n 1
3 3 2 3
6. The Maclaurin series for a function f is given by Ç xn x x  3x 3    x n   and
n 1
n 2 n
converges to f x for x  R, where R is the radius of convergence of the Maclaurin series.
(a) Use the ratio test to find R.
(b) Write the first four nonzero terms of the Maclaurin series for f „, the derivative of f. Express f „ as a
rational function for x  R.

(c) Write the first four nonzero terms of the Maclaurin series for e x . Use the Maclaurin series for e x to write
the third-degree Taylor polynomial for g x e x f x about x 0.

STOP

END OF EXAM

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AP Calculus BC
®

2014 Free-Response Questions

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 2014 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

CALCULUS BC
SECTION II, Part A
Time— 30 minutes
Number of problems— 2

A graphing calculator is required for these problems.

1. Grass clippings are placed in a bin, where they decompose. For 0 t 30, the amount of grass clippings
t
remaining in the bin is modeled by A t 6.687 0.931 , where A(t ) is measured in pounds and t is measured
in days.
(a) Find the average rate of change of A t over the interval 0 t 30. Indicate units of measure.
(b) Find the value of A„ 15 . Using correct units, interpret the meaning of the value in the context of the
problem.
(c) Find the time t for which the amount of grass clippings in the bin is equal to the average amount of grass
clippings in the bin over the interval 0 t 30.
(d) For t ! 30, L t , the linear approximation to A at t 30, is a better model for the amount of grass
clippings remaining in the bin. Use L t to predict the time at which there will be 0.5 pound of grass
clippings remaining in the bin. Show the work that leads to your answer.

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 2014 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

2. The graphs of the polar curves r 3 and r 3  2sin 2q are shown in the figure above for 0 q p.
(a) Let R be the shaded region that is inside the graph of r 3 and inside the graph of r 3  2sin 2q . Find
the area of R.
dx p
(b) For the curve r 3  2sin 2q , find the value of at q .
dq 6
p
(c) The distance between the two curves changes for 0  q  . Find the rate at which the distance between
2
p
the two curves is changing with respect to q when q .
3
dq
(d) A particle is moving along the curve r 3  2sin 2q so that 3 for all times t • 0. Find the value
dt
dr p
of at q .
dt 6

END OF PART A OF SECTION II

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 2014 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

CALCULUS BC
SECTION II, Part B
Time— 60 minutes
Number of problems—4

No calculator is allowed for these problems.

3. The function f is defined on the closed interval > 5, 4@. The graph of f consists of three line segments and is
x
shown in the figure above. Let g be the function defined by g x Ô3 f t dt .

(a) Find g 3 .
(b) On what open intervals contained in 5  x  4 is the graph of g both increasing and concave down?
Give a reason for your answer.
g x
(c) The function h is defined by h x . Find h„ 3 .
5x

(d) The function p is defined by p x f x 2  x . Find the slope of the line tangent to the graph of p at the
point where x 1.

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 2014 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

t
0 2 5 8 12
minutes

vA t
0 100 40 –120 –150
meters minute

4. Train A runs back and forth on an east-west section of railroad track. Train A’s velocity, measured in meters
per minute, is given by a differentiable function v A t , where time t is measured in minutes. Selected values for
v A t are given in the table above.
(a) Find the average acceleration of train A over the interval 2 t 8.
(b) Do the data in the table support the conclusion that train A’s velocity is 100 meters per minute at some
time t with 5  t  8 ? Give a reason for your answer.
(c) At time t 2, train A’s position is 300 meters east of the Origin Station, and the train is moving to the east.
Write an expression involving an integral that gives the position of train A, in meters from the Origin
Station, at time t 12. Use a trapezoidal sum with three subintervals indicated by the table to approximate
the position of the train at time t 12.
(d) A second train, train B, travels north from the Origin Station. At time t the velocity of train B is given by
vB t 5t 2  60t  25, and at time t 2 the train is 400 meters north of the station. Find the rate, in
meters per minute, at which the distance between train A and train B is changing at time t 2.

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 2014 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

2
5. Let R be the shaded region bounded by the graph of y xe x , the line y 2 x, and the vertical line x 1, as
shown in the figure above.
(a) Find the area of R.
(b) Write, but do not evaluate, an integral expression that gives the volume of the solid generated when R is
rotated about the horizontal line y 2.
(c) Write, but do not evaluate, an expression involving one or more integrals that gives the perimeter of R.

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 2014 AP® CALCULUS BC FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

‡
n 1 2n n
6. The Taylor series for a function f about x = 1 is given by Ç 1 x 1 and converges to f x for
n 1
n
x − 1 < R, where R is the radius of convergence of the Taylor series.
(a) Find the value of R.
(b) Find the first three nonzero terms and the general term of the Taylor series for f „, the derivative of f,
about x 1.
(c) The Taylor series for f „ about x 1, found in part (b), is a geometric series. Find the function f „ to which
the series converges for x − 1 < R. Use this function to determine f for x − 1 < R.

STOP

END OF EXAM

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