Time Rates

If a quantity x is a function of time t, the time rate of change of x is given by . When two or more quantities, all
functions of t, are related by an equation, the relation between their rates of change may be obtained by
differentiating both sides of the equation with respect to t.

Basic Time Rates

 Velocity, , where s is the distance.

 Acceleration, , where v is velocity and s is the distance.
 Discharge, , where V is the volume at any time.
 Angular Speed, ω= , where θ is the angle at any time.
Problem no. 1: Water is flowing into a vertical cylindrical tank at the rate of 24 ft3/min. If the radius of the tank is 4
ft, how fast is the surface rising?

Identify what is unknown and the given facts

Given:
Unkonown:
Radius, r= 4ft
𝑑ℎ
The rate the height changes ( 𝑑𝑡 )
𝑑𝑉
Flow rate Q= 𝑑𝑡 24𝑓𝑡 3 /𝑚𝑖𝑛

Create an equation based on relating all variables.

Note:
𝑉 𝜋𝑟 2 ℎ
Formula for volume of Cylinder
Substitute constants (from the given)

𝑉 𝜋(4)2 ℎ
𝑉 𝜋16ℎ
𝑉 16𝜋ℎ
Differentiate with respect to time ( )
Note:
𝑑
(𝑉 16𝜋ℎ) Apply differentiation rules, but except of
𝑑𝑡 𝑑
using d use 𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑉 𝑑ℎ
16𝜋
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 Example

Substitute the constant (from given) 𝑑(𝑉) 𝑑𝑉

𝑑 𝑑𝑉
𝑑ℎ (𝑉)
24 16𝜋 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑡

𝑑(𝑥 2 ) 2𝑥𝑑𝑥
Solve for the Unknown
𝑑 2 𝑑𝑥
(𝑥 ) 2𝑥
𝑑ℎ 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
24 16𝜋
𝑑𝑡
16𝜋 16𝜋

24 𝑑ℎ
16𝜋 𝑑𝑡
𝑑ℎ
0.4774 ≈
𝑑𝑡

Final Answer

𝑑ℎ
0.4774 𝑓𝑡/𝑚𝑖𝑛
𝑑𝑡
Problem no. 2: A boy on a bike rides north 5 mi, and then turns east. If he rides 10 mi/hr, at what rate does his
distance to the starting point S changing 2 hour after he left that point?

Identify what is unknown and the given facts

Unkonown: Given:

The rate the the distance from Distance traveled to the north, y= 5mi
𝑑𝑆
starting point changes ( 𝑑𝑡 ) 𝑑𝑥
The speed of the boy riding east 10𝑚𝑖/ℎ𝑟
𝑑𝑡

Create an equation based on relating all variables.

𝑆2 𝑦2 + 𝑥2

Substitute constants (from the given)

𝑆2 (5)2 + 𝑥 2 Note:
𝑆2 25 + 𝑥2
Apply differentiation rules, but except of
𝑑
using d use 𝑑𝑡
Differentiate with respect to time ( )
𝑑 2 Example
(𝑆 25 + 𝑥 2 )
𝑑𝑡
𝑑(𝑉) 𝑑𝑉
𝑑𝑆 𝑑𝑥
2𝑆 0 + 2𝑥 𝑑 𝑑𝑉
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 (𝑉)
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑆 𝑑𝑥
2𝑆 2𝑥
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
𝑑(𝑥 2 ) 2𝑥𝑑𝑥
Simplify and substitute the constants (from given) 𝑑 2 𝑑𝑥
(𝑥 ) 2𝑥
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑆 2𝑥
𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑡 2𝑆
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑆 𝑥
𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑡 𝑆

𝑑𝑆 𝑥10
𝑑𝑡 𝑆
Solve for remaining variables using the condition (after 2 hours)

Note:
𝑑𝑆 𝑥10
𝑑𝑡 𝑆 Find the time the boy spent biking north
𝑑𝑆 (15)10 5 Distance traveled north
𝑑𝑡 𝑡𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑡ℎ
5 10 10
Rate the boy is biking
𝑑𝑆
3 10 ≈ 9.49 𝑡𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑡ℎ 0.5
𝑑𝑡

Find the time spent biking east

𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑡 2 − 𝑡𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑡ℎ
Final Answer
𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑡 2 − 0.5
𝑑𝑆
9.49 𝑚𝑖/ℎ𝑟 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑡 1.5
𝑑𝑡
Find the distance traveled east

𝑥 1.5(10) Rate the boy is biking

Time spent traveling

east

𝑥 15

Find the Distance from the starting point

Distance traveled east
𝑆2 52 + 152
Distance traveled north

𝑆2 250

𝑆 250

𝑆 5 10