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DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

SESSION TOPIC 6: Applications of First -Order DEs: Cooling & Heating Problems

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

At the end of the session you will:

1. understand Newton’s Law of Cooling
2. solve cooling and heating problems

KEY TERMS

Newton’s Law of ambient temperature

Cooling

CORE CONTENT

Cooling and Heating Problems

Newton’s Law of Cooling

Newton’s Law of Cooling, which is equally applicable to heating, states that:

The temperature of an object changes at a rate that is proportional to the difference

between its temperature and the temperature of the surrounding medium.
𝑑𝑇
= 𝑘 (𝑇 − 𝑇𝑚 )
𝑑𝑡
where 𝑇= temperature of object at time 𝑡
𝑇𝑚 = temperature of surrounding medium (ambient temperature)
𝑇0 = temperature of object at time 0 (initial temperature)
𝑘 = constant of proportionality

𝑑𝑇
Let us solve = 𝑘 (𝑇 − 𝑇𝑚 ), that is, we find 𝑇(𝑡).
𝑑𝑡
Let 𝑦 = 𝑇 − 𝑇𝑚 . Since 𝑇𝑚 is constant , then 𝑑𝑦 = 𝑑𝑇. So we have
𝑑𝑇
= 𝑘(𝑇 − 𝑇𝑚 )
𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑦
= 𝑘𝑦 (separable DE)
𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑦
= 𝑘 𝑑𝑡 (integrate both sides)
𝑦
𝑙𝑛 𝑦 = 𝑘𝑡 + 𝑐1
𝑦 = 𝑒 𝑘𝑡+𝑐1 (taking natural exponential of both sides)
𝑦 = 𝑒 𝑘𝑡 ∙ 𝑒 𝑐1
𝑦 = 𝑐𝑒 𝑘𝑡 (let 𝑐 = 𝑒 𝑐1 )
 𝑇 − 𝑇𝑚 = 𝑐𝑒 𝑘𝑡
Find 𝑐. When 𝑡 = 0, 𝑇 = 𝑇0 ,
𝑇0 − 𝑇𝑚 = 𝑐𝑒 𝑘(0)
𝑐 = 𝑇0 − 𝑇𝑚
Thus,
𝑇 − 𝑇𝑚 = 𝑐𝑒 𝑘𝑡
𝑇 − 𝑇𝑚 = (𝑇0 − 𝑇𝑚 )𝑒 𝑘𝑡
𝑇 = (𝑇0 − 𝑇𝑚 )𝑒 𝑘𝑡 + 𝑇𝑚
𝑇(𝑡) = 𝑇𝑚 + (𝑇0 − 𝑇𝑚 )𝑒 𝑘𝑡

Example 1: If an object is in air of temperature 35℉ and the object cools from 120℉ to 60℉ in
40 min, determine the temperature of the object as a function of time, and in particular, find the
temperature of the object after 100 minutes.
Solution:
Let 𝑇(𝑡) = temperature of the object at time 𝑡

We wish to find (a) 𝑇(𝑡) , (b) 𝑇(100).

𝑡 (min) 0 40 100
We are given 𝑇𝑚 = 35℉, 𝑇(0) = 𝑇0 = 120℉, 𝑇(40) = 60℉. 𝑇 (℉) 120 60 ?

(a) Using Newton’s Law of Cooling, we have

𝑇(𝑡) = 𝑇𝑚 + (𝑇0 − 𝑇𝑚 )𝑒 𝑘𝑡
𝑇 = 35 + (120 − 35)𝑒 𝑘𝑡
𝑇 = 35 + 85 𝑒 𝑘𝑡
We need to find 𝑘. When 𝑡 = 40, 𝑇 = 60,
60 = 35 + 85 𝑒 𝑘(40)
85 𝑒 40𝑘 = 25
5
𝑒 40𝑘 = 17
5
40𝑘 = 𝑙𝑛 (17)
5
𝑙𝑛( )
17
𝑘= 40
5
𝑙𝑛( )
17 𝑡
Thus, the temperature of the object at time t is 𝑇(𝑡) = 35 + 85 𝑒 40 .

(b) The temperature of the object at 𝑡 = 100 is

5 5
𝑙𝑛( ) 5 𝑙𝑛( )
17 (100) 17
𝑇(100) = 35 + 85 𝑒 40 = 35 + 85 𝑒 2 ≈ 38.99℉
Example 2: When a cake is removed from an oven, the temperature of the cake is 210℉. The cake
is left to cool at room temperature which is 70℉. After 30 minutes, the temperature of the cake is
140℉. When will it be 100℉?
Solution:
We are given 𝑇𝑚 = 70℉, 𝑇(0) = 𝑇0 = 210℉. 𝑡 (min) 0 30 ?
We are asked to find 𝑡 when 𝑇 = 100℉ . 𝑇 (℉) 210 140 100

Let 𝑇(𝑡) = temperature of the cake at time 𝑡.

Using Newton’s Law of Cooling, we have
𝑇(𝑡) = 𝑇𝑚 + (𝑇0 − 𝑇𝑚 )𝑒 𝑘𝑡
𝑇(𝑡) = 70 + (210 − 70)𝑒 𝑘𝑡
𝑇(𝑡) = 70 + 140𝑒 𝑘𝑡
We find 𝑘.
When 𝑡 = 30, 𝑇 = 140.
140 = 70 + 140𝑒 30𝑘
70
𝑒 30𝑘 = 140
1
𝑒 30𝑘 = 2
1
30𝑘 = 𝑙𝑛 (2)
1
𝑙𝑛( )
2
𝑘= 30
1
𝑙𝑛( )
2 𝑡
The temperature of the cake at time t is 𝑇(𝑡) = 70 + 140𝑒 30 .
Thus, when 𝑇 = 100℉,
1
𝑙𝑛( )
2 𝑡
100 = 70 + 140𝑒 30
1
𝑙𝑛( )
2 𝑡
140𝑒 30 = 30
1
𝑙𝑛( )
2 𝑡 3
𝑒 30 = 14
1
𝑙𝑛( ) 3
2
𝑡 = 𝑙𝑛 (14)
30
3
30 𝑙𝑛( )
14
𝑡= 1
𝑙𝑛( )
2
𝑡 ≈ 67 𝑚𝑖𝑛
After 67 minutes, the temperature of the cake will be100℉ .
Example 3: A 4-lb roast, initially at 50℉, is placed in a 375℉ oven at 5:00PM. At 6:15PM, the
temperature of the roast is 125℉. When will it be ready to serve medium rare (at 150℉)?
Solution:
We are given 𝑇𝑚 = 375℉, 𝑇(0) = 𝑇0 = 50℉. 𝑡 (min) 0 75 ?
We are asked to find 𝑡 when 𝑇 = 150℉ . 𝑇 (℉) 50 125 150

Let 𝑇(𝑡) = temperature of the roast at time 𝑡.

Using Newton’s Law of Cooling, we have
𝑇(𝑡) = 𝑇𝑚 + (𝑇0 − 𝑇𝑚 )𝑒 𝑘𝑡
𝑇(𝑡) = 375 + (50 − 375)𝑒 𝑘𝑡
𝑇(𝑡) = 375 − 325𝑒 𝑘𝑡
Find 𝑘.
When 𝑡 = 75, 𝑇 = 125 ,
125 = 375 − 325𝑒 75𝑘
−325𝑒 75𝑘 = −250
10
𝑒 75𝑘 = 13
10
75𝑘 = 𝑙𝑛 (13)
10
𝑙𝑛( )
13
𝑘= 75
10
𝑙𝑛( )
13 𝑡
The temperature of the roast at time 𝑡 is 𝑇(𝑡) = 375 − 325𝑒 75 .
Thus, when 𝑇 = 150℉,
10
𝑙𝑛( )
13
𝑡
150 = 375 − 325𝑒 75
10
𝑙𝑛( )
13 𝑡
−325𝑒 75 = −225
10
𝑙𝑛( )
13 𝑡 9
𝑒 75 = 13
10
𝑙𝑛( ) 9
13
= 𝑙𝑛 (13)
75
9
75 𝑙𝑛( )
13
𝑡= 10
𝑙𝑛( )
13
𝑡 ≈ 105.12 𝑚𝑖𝑛 (1hr and 45 min)
It should be removed from the oven at about 6:45PM.

IN-TEXT ACTIVITY
1. Additional Lecture (pdf)

REFERENCES

Rainville & Bedient, Elementary Differential Equations, 8th Edition, Pearson Educ., 2014
Zill & Wright, Succeeding with Differential Equations, 8th Edition, Cengage Learning, 2013
 SELF ASSESSMENT

Problem Set 6
Cooling and Heating Problems

Name: ________________ Score: ______________

Section: ________________ Date: ________________

Solve the following problems. Show complete solutions and box your final answers. (10 pts each)

1. A hard-boiled egg at 98℃ is put in a sink of 18℃ water to cool. After 5 minutes, the egg’s
temperature is found to be 38℃ . Assuming that the water has not warmed appreciably,
how much longer will it take the egg to reach 20℃?

2. A thermometer reading 18℉ is brought into a room where the temperature is 70℉; 1 min later
the thermometer reading is 31℉. Determine the temperature reading as a function of time,
and in particular, find the temperature reading 5 min after the thermometer is first brought into
the room.

3. Suppose you cool a pot of soup in a 35℉ room. Right when you take the soup off the stove,
you measure its temperature to be 220℉. Suppose after 20 minutes, the soup has cooled to 170℉.
(a) What will be the temperature of the soup in 30 minutes.
(b) Suppose you can eat the soup when it is 130℉. How long will it take to cool to this temperature?