Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

1
2.1 Separable Variables.
Definition 1
A differential equation (DE) is one which relates an independent or
dependent variables with one or more derivatives.
Examples of differential equations:
a) ( )dx x dy sin =
b) 5 2
3
+ = t
dt
ds

c) x y
dx
dy
sin
2
2
= +
|
.
|

\
|

d) 0 7 4 3
2
2
= +
dx
dy
dx
y d


e) 4 5 ' 2 " = + y y y


Definition 2
Order is the highest derivative in a differential equation.
Degree is the highest power of the highest derivative which occurs in a
differential equation.



Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

2
Example 1
Determine the order and degree of differential equations below.
Differential Equations Order Degree
1. 5
2 5
+ = x
dx
dy
y
2. 3 7
2
2
=
dx
dy
dx
y d

3. 1
4
3
3 6
+
|
|
.
|

\
|
=
|
.
|

\
|
dx
y d
dx
dy


4. x x
dx
dy
ln 3
3
=
|
.
|

\
|


5. ( ) ( ) 3 5 ' 2 "
7 4
= + y y y

6. y x x
dx
dy
sin sin 3 2
5
=
|
.
|

\
|



In this chapter we only deal with first order, first degree differential
equations.
A differential equation has general solution and particular solution.




Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

3
Definition 3
General solution The general solution of a differential equation
contains an arbitrary constant c.
Particular solution - The particular solution of a differential equation
contains a specified initial value and containing no constant.

2.2 Differential Equations with Separable Variables
Definition

Differential equations with separable variables Differential
equations in which the variables can be algebraically separated.

A differential equation is separable if it can be written in the form :

( ) ( ) y Q x P
dx
dy
= or
( )
( ) y Q
x P
dx
dy
= or
( )
( ) x P
y Q
dx
dy
=
To solve the equations:
(i) Separate the variables x and y
( x by the side of dx and y by the side of dy )
(ii) Integrate both sides independently.
(iii) 2 types of solution general solution
particular solution

Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

4
Example 2
Solve (i) 0
3 2
= + dx x dy y .
(ii) x
dx
dy
y
x
cos
1
sin
=

.
(iii) ( )
2
1 y
dx
dy
e
x
=

.

















Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

5
Example 3
Solve the differential equation 0 1
2
= +
dx
dy
ye x x
y
.




















Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

6
Example 4
Solve the differential equation ( ) 2 = y x
dx
dy
when ( ) 5 0 = y .




















Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

7
Example 5
Find the particular solution of differential equation
( ) x e
dx
dy
x
y
2 sin sin 1
2 2
= + , ( ) 1 0 = y .



















Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

8
Example 6
Find y in terms of x given that 4 2
2
= + y
dx
dy
, hence find the particular
solution if given ( ) 0 2 ln = y .



















Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

9
Exercise
Find the solutions of the following differential equations:
1.
( )
( ) y x
x y
dx
dy
3 1
3 2
+

= 2.
x
y
dx
dy
+
=
1
sec
2

3.
y
e y
t t
dt
dy
+
+
=
cos
1 2 6
5
( ) 2 3 , . 4 = + = y y xy
dx
dy
x
( ) ( ) 2 1 , 0 1 . 5
2
= = + + y dy x xydx

( ) ( ) ( ) 1 0 , 4 1 2 . 6
2 2
= = + y y x
dx
dy
x
Answers
1. c x x y y + = + 3 ln 2 3 ln
2. A x y y + + = + 1 ln 4 2 2 sin
3. c t t t e y
y
+ + = +
2 6
sin
4.
x
xe e y
3
3
2

=
5.
2
2
1
8
x
y
+
=
6.
4 3
4 6
2
2
+
+
=
x
x
y





Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

10
2.2 First Order Linear Differential Equation
Linear First-Order Differential Equations
1. A linear first-order differential equation is one of the form
( ) ( ) x Q y x P
dx
dy
= + .
The solution must be on an interval where both ( ) x P and ( ) x Q are
continuous.
2. The usual solution to the differential equation is to change it to an
exact equation by means of an integrating factor. This integrating
factor is ( ). x V

}
=
dx x p
e x V
) (
) (
3. Multiply both side

) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( x Q x V y x P x V
dx
dy
x V = +
4.

( ) ) ( ) ( ) ( x Q x V y x V
dx
d
=
5.
}
= dx x Q x V y x V ) ( ) ( ) (






Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

11
Example 7
Solve
(i)
( )
x
x
y
dx
dy
=
+

1

(ii) 0 2 = + r t
dr
dt
r .
(iii)
2
cos
2
t
t
ty
dt
dy
= + , ( ) 0 = t y
(iv) 3 2 = + r e
dt
dr
e
t t
, ( ) 2 0 = r














Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

12























Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

13
Example 8
Solve ( ) 1 2 1 = + + y x
dy
dx
y ,given that 1 , 1 = = y x




















Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

14
Exercises

1. Solve :
a)
( )
( ) y x
x y
dx
dy
3 1
3 2
+

= ( c x x y y + = + 3 ln 2 3 ln )
b)
x
y
dx
dy
+
=
1
sec
2
( c x y y + + = + 1 ln 4 2 2 sin )
c)
y
e y
t t
dt
dy
+
+
=
cos
1 2 6
5
( c t t t e y
y
+ + = +
2 6
sin )

2. Find the particular solutions of the following differential equations:
a) ( ) 2 3 , = + = y y xy
dx
dy
x (
x
xe e y
3
3
2

= )
b) ( ) ( ) 2 1 , 0 1
2
= = + + y dy x xydx (
2
1
8
x
y
+
= )
c) ( ) ( ) ( ) 1 0 , 4 1 2
2 2
= = + y y x
dx
dy
x (
4 3
4 6
2
2
+
+
=
x
x
y )






Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

15
2.3 Applications of Differential Equations
Applications of Differential Equations
Now we will apply the methods in this section to the solution of some
practical situations.
A) Population growth model
The simplest growth model has a constant relative growth rate. If we
denote the population we are considering by ) (t y , then the rate of
change of the population is
dt
dy
. To say that the rate of change is
proportional to the population is just saying that there is a constant of
proportionality k such that
ky
dt
dy
=
Since k is constant, this can be immediately separated and integrated to
yield
dt k
y
dy
=

} }
= dt k
y
dy

c kt y + = ln
c kt
e y
+
=
kt
Ae y = where
c
e A =


Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

16
Example 9
In a particular bacteria culture, the rate of increase of bacteria is
proportional to the number of bacteria, N, present at time t hours after
the experiment.
Given that the number of bacteria at the beginning is
6
10 , and after 1
hour is
9
10 . Find
a) The number of bacteria after 5 hours
b) The time taken for the number of bacteria to be 3 times the original.















Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

17
B) Radioactive decay models
Radioactive decay models, on the other hand, are very accurate over
long periods of time. They are the primary method for determining age
of prehistoric fossils and ancient artifacts. If we denote the decay we are
considering by ) (t C , then the decreasing rate of the decay is
dt
dC
. To
say that the decreasing rate is proportional to the decay is just saying
that there is a constant of proportionality k such that
kc
dt
dC
=
Since k is constant, this can be immediately separated and integrated to
yield
kdt
c
dC
=
} }
= dt k
c
dC

c kt C + = ln
c kt
e C
+
=
kt
Ae C

= where
c
e A =



Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

18
Example 10
Radium decomposes at a rate which is proportional to the amount
present at any time. If 10% decomposes in 200 years, what percentage of
the original amount of radium will remain after 1000 years?



















Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

19
C) Newton's Law of Cooling
When an object has a temperature greater than the ambient temperature,
it cools according to Newton's Law of cooling which states that the rate
of cooling is proportional to the difference in the temperatures, that is:
( ) a k
dt
d
= u
u
, where ( ) t u is the temperature of the object at any time t
and a is the ambient temperature. The solution to this separable
differential equation is:
kdt
a
d
=
u
u


} }
=

dt k
a
d
u
u

( ) c kt a + = u ln

c kt
e a
+
= u
a Ae
kt
+ =

u


Example 11
A body temperature is C

180 is cooled by immersing in a liquid at

C

60 . In one minute, the temperature of the body has fallen to C

120 .
How long will it take for the temperature of the body to fall to C

90

Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

20























Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

21
D) Electric Circuits
An RL circuit is one with a constant resistant, R, and a constant
inductance, L. The electromotive force (EMF), a resistor and an inductor
connected in series.
The EMF source which is usually a battery or generator supplies voltage
that causes a current flow in the circuit.
According to Kirchhoffs second law, if the circuit is closed t time t = 0,
then the applied electromotive force is equal to the sum of the voltage
drops in the rest of the circuit. It can be shown that this implies that the
current I(t) that flows in the circuit at time t must satisfy the first-order
linear differential equation
E RI
dt
dI
L = +

L
E
I
L
R
dt
dI
= +
P(t) =
L
R
(a constant) and Q(t) =
L
E
(a constant)
The simplest model of the amount of current I in a simple electrical RL
circuit is given by a linear first-order differential equation,
( ) ( ) t Q I t P
dt
dI
= +
Where I = amount of current and t = time.
Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

22
The usual solution to the differential equation is to change it to an exact
equation by means of an integrating factor. This integrating factor is
( ). t V
Example 12
The basic equation governing the amount of current I in a simple RL
circuit is given by 5 50 = + I
dt
dI
. When t = 0, I = 0, find the current at
any time t.















Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

23
Exercises
1. If P is the number of cells in a certain bacteria population, then it is
reasonable to expect that the rate of growth of the bacteria
population
dt
dp
varies directly with P. A bacteria culture is started
with 1000 bacteria, and after 2 hours it is estimated that there are
now 8000 bacteria. Find the bacteria population to become 15000.
(Ans: 2.6 hours).
2. The rate of decay of a radioactive substance varies with the mass
of the substance remaining. Write a differential equation that
represents this relationship. If the mass of the substance remaining
after 12 years is half of the original mass, what is the percentage of
the substance remaining after 6 years?
(Ans: 70.7%)
3. Under certain conditions, the rate of cooling of an abject varies
with the difference between the temperature of the object and the
room temperature. Given that the temperature of object at any time
t is u and the constant room temperature is
0
u , write down a
differential equation to describe the rate of cooling of the object.
Given that the room temperature is C

20 .
a) Find a general solution of this differential equation
b) If it takes 12 minutes for the object to cool from C

100 to C

50 ,
find the time taken for the object to cool from C

50 to C

25
Topic 2: First Order Differential Equations

24
(Ans: 21.92 minutes)
4. The basic equation governing the amount of current I in a simple
RL circuit is given by 2 10 = + I
dt
dI
. When t = 0, I = 0, find the
current at t = 5 second ( Ans: | |
t
e I
10
1
5
1

= ,
5
1
= I