A.

Find a related rate

B. Use related rates to solve real-

life problems.
Related rate problems
involve finding the
rate at which some
________
variable changes.
For example, when a
balloon is being blown up
radius
with air, both the
volume
_____________ and the
________________ of the
balloon are changing.
In each case the rate is a
derivative that has to be
___________
computed given the rate
at which some other
variable, like time, is
known to change.
To find this derivative we write
an equation that relates the two
differentiate
variables. We then ____________
both sides of the equation with
time
respect to ________ to express the
derivative we SEEK in terms
of the derivative we KNOW.
Often the key to relating
the variables in this type of
problem is DRAWING A
PICTURE that shows the
geometric relationships
between the variables.
1. Identify and LABEL all the given info and
what you are asked to find. Draw a picture
if appropriate.
2. Write an EQUATION relating the variables.
3. Differentiate both sides of the equation
with respect to TIME.
4. Substitute and Solve. Sometimes you will
need to use the original equation or other
equations to solve for missing parts.
 Related rate problems are differentiated
with respect to time. So, every variable,
except t is differentiated implicitly.
Ex. Two rates that are related.
1. Given y = x2 + 3, find dy/dt when x = 1, given
that dx/dt = 2.
y = x2 + 3

Now, when x = 1 and dx/dt = 2, we

have
 Suppose x and y are both differentiable functions of t and are
dy
related by . 5x
Find
2 when
 y 100 x = 10, dt
if dx 15when x = 10.
dt d
dt 5x  y  dt 100
2
 d Find the
derivative by



d
dt 5x 2
 d
dt
 100
y  dtd
differentiating
both sides.

dt 100
2
5 x 
d
dt
d
dt y  d


Chain Rule 52x dx

dy
0
dt dt
 521015 
dy
0 Substitute the known
dt information
for the
Solve 1500 
dy
0
dt
unknown
 dy
1500
dt
 Suppose x and y are both differentiable functions of t and are
related by y 2 2 when
. Find x  2x = 9, if dx when x = 9
dt
anddyy>0.
dt 5

Find other important

d
dt
2
y  2 x2
d
dt   Find the
derivative by

 
differentiating
2 values:
y 2 9  2  d 2
y  2 x  2
d
 d
both sides.
dt dt dt
 y 2 4 2 d 12
y 
d
y 2 x  2 d
x2 dt dt dt
dy 1  1 2 dx

Chain Rule 2y 2 x
dt 2 dt 0
 1 2 dx
2y 5 2 9
1 Substitute the
 2 dt known
2 2 5  2  9 
1  1 2 dx information
2 dt
Solve for the
 20  
1 dx
3 dt
unknown
dt 60
dx
V a 3 V lwh
V  r h
2

V
4 r 3

3  r h
2
V
bh 
V 3
3
The Volume of a sphere is given
by:
4 3
V  r
3
As a balloon is being filled,
both the volume, V, and
radius, r, increase with time,
t.
To examine the “rates of change” we
need the derivative with respect to
time, t.
For the derivative we want:
d d  4 3
V    r 
dt dt  3 

Notice, the variables do not

agree. The derivative is with
respect to time so the Chain
Rule must be followed.
d d  4 3
V    r 
dt dt  3 
dV
On the left we get:
dt
Chain Rule
dr
On the right:4r
2

dt
This gives the “Related rate”:
dV 2 dr
4r
dt dt

Question: At a given time, what

does the rate of change of the
Volume depend upon?

Answer: The radius, r, and its rate

of change, dr/dt
Ex. A pebble is dropped into a calm pond, causing
ripples in the form of concentric circles. The radius
r of the outer ripple is increasing at a constant rate
of 1 foot per second. When this radius is 4 ft., what
rate is the total area A of the disturbed water
ncreasing.

Given: dr dA
1 when r 4 ?
dt dt
Given equation:
A r 2

Differentiate:
dA dr dA
2r 2 14 
dt dt dt
8
 Now, suppose that the radius is changing at an
instantaneous rate of 0.1 cm/sec.
(Possible if the sphere is a soap bubble or a balloon.)

4
V   r3
3
dV dr
4 r 2
dt dt
dV 2  cm 
4 10cm   0.1 
dt  sec 
dV cm3
40
dt sec
40 cm 3 / sec
The sphere is growing at a rate of .


Water is draining from a cylindrical
tank at 3 liters/second. How fast is
the surface dropping? 3
dV L cm
 3  3000
dt sec sec

Find
dh (We need a formula to relate
dt V and h. )
V  r 2 h
dV 2 dh
(r is a constant.)
 r
dt dt
cm3
3000
cm3 2 dh dh sec
 3000  r 
sec dt dt  r2

 Truck Problem:

Truck A travels east at 40 mi/hr.

Truck B travels north at 30 mi/hr.
How fast is the distance between
the trucks changing 6 minutes B
later?
r t d y 3
z 5
1 1
40  4 30  3
10 10 A
2 2 2
3  4 z x 4
2
9  16  z
2
25  z
5 z

 Truck Problem:

Truck A travels east at 40 mi/hr.

Truck B travels north at 30 mi/hr.
How fast is the distance between
the trucks changing 6 minutes B
later? 2 2 2
r t  x d y z y 3
z 5
1
dx dy 1 dz
2 x10 
40  42 y 3010
2 z 3 dy
30
dt dt dt dt A
2 2 2
3  4 z dz x 4 dx 40
4 40  3 230 5 dt
9  16  z dt
2 dz
250
25 z5 miles
dz 50
5 z dt 50  hour
dt 
 The velocity of an airplane tracked by radar

An airplane is flying at an elevation of 6 miles on a flight

path that will take it directly over a radar tracking station.
Let s represent the distance (in miles)between the radar
station and the plane. If s is decreasing at a rate of 400
miles per hour when s is 10 miles, what is the velocity of
the plane.

s
6

x
Given:

Find:

Equation:

Solve: x2 + 62 = s2

To find dx/dt, we
must first find x
when s = 10

Day 1
A fish is reeled in at a rate of 1 foot per second
from a bridge 15 ft. above the water. At what
rate is the angle between the line and the water
changing when there is 25 ft. of line out?

15 ft.
Given: x = 25 ft. h = 15 ft.

Find:

Equation:

Solve:
TRY THESE:

1. A pebble is dropped into a

calm pond, causing ripples in the
form of concentric circles. The
radius r of the outer ripple in
increasing at a constant rate of
1 foot per second. When this
radius is 4 ft., what rate is the
total area A of the disturbed
water increasing.
2. An inflating air balloon is being
pumped into a spherical balloon at
the rate of 4.5 in3 per minute.
Find the rate of change of the
radius when the radius is 2 inches.