A Level Mathematics Year 13

Pure Mathematics 3: Differential Equations Worksheet 2019-2020

1. June 2012 (Paper 33) In a certain chemical process a substance A reacts with another subs-
tance B. The masses in grams of A and B present at time t seconds after the start of the process
dy
are x and y respectively. It is given that dx = −0,6xy and x = 5e−3t . When t = 0, y = 70.
(a) Form a differential equation in y and t. Solve this differential equation and obtain an ex-
pression for y in terms of t.
(b) The percentage of the initial mass of B remaining at time t is denoted by p. Find the exact
value approached by p as t becomes large.

2. November 2010 (Paper 33) A biologist is investigating the spread of a weed in a particular
region. At time t weeks after the start of the investigation, the area covered
√ by the weed is A
2
m . The biologist claims that the rate of increase of A is proportional to 2A − 5.
(a) Write down a differential equation representing the biologist’s claim.
(b) ) At the start of the investigation, the area covered by the weed was 7 m2 and, 10 weeks
later, the area covered was 27 m2 . Assuming that the biologist’s claim is correct, find the
area covered 20 weeks after the start of the investigation.

3. March 2017 (Paper 32) A water tank has vertical sides and a horizontal rectangular base, as
shown in the diagram. The area of the base is 2 m2 . At time t = 0 the tank is empty and water
begins to flow into it at a√rate of 1 m3 per hour. At the same time water begins to flow out from
the base at a rate of 0,2 hm3 per hour, where h m is the depth of water in the tank at time t
hours.
(a) Form a differential equation satisfied by h and t, Rand show that the time T hours taken for
4
the depth of water to reach 4 m is given by T = 0 5−10√h dh.
√
(b) Using the substitution u = 5 − h, find the value of T.

4. June 2011 (paper 31) The number of birds of a certain species in a forested region is recorded
over several years. At time t years, the numbe of birds is N, where N is treated as a continuous
variable. The variation in the number of birds is modelled by dN
dt
= N (1800−N
3600
)
.
It is given that N = 300 when t = 0.
(a) Find an expression for N in terms of t.
(b) According to the model, how many birds will there be after a long time?

5. Noviembre 2009 (paper 31) In a model of the expansion of a sphere of radius r cm, it is
assumed that, at time t seconds after the start, the rate of increase of the surface area of the
sphere is proportional to its volume. When t = 0, r = and dr
dt
= 2.
(a) Show that r satisfies the differential equation dr
dt
= 0,08r2 . (The surface area A and volume
V of a sphere of radius r are given by the formulae A = 4πr2 , V = 43 πr3 .)
(b) Solve this differential equation, obtaining an expression for r in terms of t.
6. November 2016 (paper 32) A large field of area 4 km2 is becoming infected with a soil disease.
At time t years the area infected is x km2 2 and the rate of growth of the infected area is given
by the differential equation dx
dt
= kx(4 − x), where k is a positive constant. It is given that when
t = 0 x = 0,4 and that when t = 2, x = 2.
(a) Solve the differential equation and show that k = 14 ln 3.
(b) Find the value of t when 90 % of the area of the field is infected.

7. June 2015 (paper 32) The number of organisms in a population at time t is denoted by x.
xe−t
Treating x as a continuous variable, the differential equation satisfied by x and t is dx
dt
= k+e −t

where k is a positive constant.

(a) It is given that x = 10 when t = 0, solve the differential equation, obtaining a relaion
between x, k and t.
(b) Given also that x = 20 when t = 1, show that k = 1 − 2e .
(c) Show that the number of organisms never reaches 48, however large t becomes.

8. Noviembre 2013 (paper 31) A tank containing water is in the form of a cone with vertex C.
The axis is vertical and the semivertical angle is 60◦ , as shown in the diagram. At time t = 0, the
tank is full and the depth of water is H. At this instant, a tap at C is opened and √ water begins
to flow out. The volume of water in the tank decreases at a rate proportional to h, where h is
the depth of water at time t. The tank becomes empty when t = 60.
−3
dh
(a) Show that h and t satisfy a differential equation of the form dt
= −Ah 2 , where A is a
positive constant.
(b) Solve the differential equation given in part a) and obtain an expression for t in terms of h
and H.
(c) Find the time at which the depth reaches 21 H.
The volume V of a cone of vertical height h and base radius r is given by V = 31 πr2 h.

(a) Problem 3 (b) Problem 8

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