Chapter 14 • Applications of Differentiation

Example 7
The area of a circle is increasing at a rate of 6 cm2 s–1. Find the rate of
increase of the radius when the radius is 1.5 cm.
SOLUTION
Let A be the area of a circle.
A = r2
___ dA
​​   ​​ = 2 r
dr
dA dr
Given ___
​​   ​​ = 6π, we need to find __ ​​    ​​.
dt dt
dA dA __ dr
Using chain rule, ___ ​​   ​​ = ___
​​   ​​ × ​​    ​​
dt dr dt
dr
6π = 2πr × __ ​​    ​​
dt
dr ___
__ 6π
​​    ​​ = ​​  2πr   ​​
dt
3
= __ ​​  r ​​
When the radius is 1.5 cm, the rate of increase of the radius of the circle
3
= ​​ ___
1.5   ​​ = 2 cm s .
–1

Alternative method:
We can differentiate A = r2 implicitly with respect to t.
___dA dr
​​   ​​ = 2πr ​__​    ​​
dt dt
dA dr 6π
Substituting ​​ ___ ​​ = 6π, we have __ ​​    ​​ = ​​ ___  ​​ .
dt dt 2πr
dr 3
When r = 1.5 cm, __ ​​    ​​ = ​​ ___
   ​​ = 2 cm s–1.
dt 1.5

Example 8
Water is poured into an inverted cone of depth 10 cm and radius 5 cm
at a rate of 8 cm3 s–1. Find the rate at which the depth of the water in the
cone is increasing when the depth is 4 cm.

SOLUTION 5 cm
Let r = radius of the base of the cone
h = depth of the cone
r​​   ​​ = ___
__ 5
​​    ​​ 
h 10 10 cm
h
r = ​​ __ 2 ​​ 
Volume of the cone, V = ​​ __ 1 2
3 ​​ πr h

3 ( 2 ) ​​h
2
1 ​​ π​​​  __ h
= ​​ __ ​   
 ​ ​​​​ 
π 3
= ​​ ___
12  ​​ h
dV π 2
​​ ___  ​​ = ​​ __  ​ h ​
dh 4
435

Pre-Calculus and Calculus.indb 435 13/7/2017 5:57:36 PM

 Chapter 14 • Applications of Differentiation

dV dV ___ dh
Using chain rule, ___
​​   ​​ = ___
​​    ​​ × ​​   ​​ 
dt dh dt
π dh
8 = __ ​​  4 ​ h2​ × ___​​   ​​ 
dt
dh ___
___ 32
​​   ​​ = ​​  2  ​​ 
dt πh
dh 32
When the depth is 4 cm, ___ ​​   ​​ = ___​​  ​​  2  ​​ cm s–1.
  ​​ = __
dt π(42) π
Hence, the rate at which the depth of the water in the cone is increasing
2
is ​​ __
π  ​​ cm s .
–1

Example 9
A particle moves along the curve y = x2 + 2x. Find a point on the curve
where both x and y coordinates of the particle change at the same rate.

SOLUTION
y = x2 + 2x
___dy dx dx dx
​​   ​​ = 2x ​​ ___ ​​ + 2​​ ___ ​​ = (2x + 2) ​​ ___ ​​ 
dx dt dt dt
dy dx
When ___​​   ​​ = ___​​   ​​ ,
dt dt
dx dx
​​ ___ ​​ = (2x + 2) ​​ ___ ​​ 
dt dt
2x + 2 = 1
2x + 1 = 0
x = –​​ __ 1  ​​
2
1 3
When x = –​​  2 ​​ , y = –​​ __
__
4  ​​  .

2 ​ , –​  4  ​)​​. 

Hence, the point on the curve is (​​  –​ __
1 __ 3

Example 10
The rate of bacteria growth in a medium is exponential. The bacteria
count in the medium is given by the function, y = 1000ekt where the
value k is a numerical constant and t is the time in minutes.
(a) What is the initial count of bacteria?
(b) Given that there was a bacteria count of 5000 after 20 min, find k.
(c) What is the rate of bacteria growth after 25 min? Correct to the
nearest whole number.

SOLUTION
(a) For t = 0, y =
 1000e0
= 1000
Initial bacteria count = 1000
(b) Since y = 5000 when t = 20, 5000 = 1000ek(20)
e20k = 5
ln e20k = ln 5
20k = ln 5
____
ln 5
436 k = ​   ​ 
20

Pre-Calculus and Calculus.indb 436 13/7/2017 5:57:36 PM

 Chapter 14 • Applications of Differentiation

dy
___
(c) ​   ​ = 1000ke kt
dt
____
( )
ln 5 ____
= 1000 ​  ​  20 ​  ​ ​e​(​ ​  20 ​  )​t​
ln 5

= 50 ln 5 e​ ​(​ ​  20 ​  )​t​
____
ln 5

When t = 25 min,
dy
___ ___
ln 5
​   ​ = 50 ln 5 ​e​ ​20 ​(25)
 
​
dt _____
5 ln 5
= 50 ln 5​ e​ ​
​  4 ​  
 

≈ 602
Hence, the rate of bacteria growth is 602 per minute.

Exercise 14.2
1. The sides of a cube is increasing at a rate of 6 cm s–1. Find the rate of increase of the volume when
the length of its side is 9 cm.

​​ 12 ​​ cm s–1. Find the rate of increase of the area when the
2. The radius of a circle is increasing at a rate of __
radius is 4 cm.
3. The area of a square is increasing at a rate of 8 cm2 s–1. Find the rate of increase of the length of its
side when the area is 64 cm2.
4. The volume of a sphere is increasing at a rate of 16π cm3 s–1. Find the rate of increase of the radius
when the radius is 8 cm.

5. The surface area of a sphere is increasing at a rate of 4 cm2 s–1. Find the rate of increase of the radius
when the surface area is 64π cm2.
6. A hollow right circular cone of height 18 cm and radius 12 cm is held vertex downwards beneath a
tap which is leaking at a rate of 2 cm3 s–1. Find the rate of the rise of water level when the depth is
6 cm.
7. A water tank in the shape of an inverted circular cone has a radius of 20 m and a height of 12 m. Water
is pumped into the tank at a rate of 40 m3 per minute. Calculate the rate of change of the height of
water in the tank when the depth of water is 4 m.

8. A tank of water has 300 grams of salt dissolved in it. Pure water starts flowing into it while the salt
solution is drained away from the tank. The mass of salt, M in the tank after t seconds from the start
of the process is given by the formula M = M0e–0.02t.
(a) What is the value of M0?
(b) What is the rate of change of the mass of salt in the tank at time t seconds?
(c) What is the rate of change of the mass of salt in the tank after 25 seconds?
(d) When the mass of salt in the tank is 100 grams, what is the rate of change of the mass?

437

Pre-Calculus and Calculus.indb 437 13/7/2017 5:57:36 PM