The University of Sydney

School of Mathematics and Statistics

Solutions to Calculus Tutorial 3

MATH1062: Mathematics 1B (Calculus) Semester 1, 2024

Questions marked with * are harder questions.

Material covered
(1) Applications of separable equations

Summary of essential material

Recall that we can use the theory of separable differential equations to model growth and pollution
problems.

Questions to complete during the tutorial

1. The rate of change of 𝑁 radioactive atoms is proportional to 𝑁.
(a) Write a differential equation for the number of radioactive atoms 𝑁.
Solution:
𝑑𝑁
= −𝑘 𝑁,
𝑑𝑡
for some positive constant 𝑘.
(b) Solve this differential equation for 𝑁 in terms of 𝑁0 , where 𝑁0 is the value of 𝑁 at time
𝑡 = 0.
Solution: Separating the variables
∫ ∫
𝑑𝑁
= −𝑘 𝑑𝑡
𝑁
so
ln 𝑁 = −𝑘𝑡 + 𝐶,
and so
𝑁 = exp(−𝑘𝑡 + 𝐶) = 𝐴 exp(−𝑘𝑡).
Putting 𝑁 = 𝑁0 at 𝑡 = 0 gives 𝑁 = 𝑁0 𝑒 −𝑘𝑡 .
(c) Calculate the content of radioactive carbon 𝐶 14 (as a percentage of the living value) of a
fossilised tree that is claimed to be 3000 years old. Note that the half-life of 𝐶 14 is 5730
years.
Solution: When 𝑡 = 5730, 𝑁 = 𝑁0 /2 so we have
1
𝑁0 = 𝑁0 𝑒 −5730𝑘 .
2
ln(1/2)
Rearranging, this gives 𝑘 = − = 0.000121.
5730
When 𝑡 = 3000, 𝑁 = 𝑁0 exp(−0.000121 × 3000) = 𝑁0 𝑒 −0.363 = 0.696𝑁0 . Thus, the
amount of 𝐶 14 in the fossilised tree should be 69.6% of that for a living tree.

Copyright © 2024 The University of Sydney 1

2. An animal population has a net growth rate per unit population which varies with the seasons,
being positive in summer and negative in winter. Let 𝑥(𝑡) be the size of the population at time 𝑡,
which is measured in years. The following differential equation is suggested as a model for this
situation:
𝑑𝑥
= (𝑘 cos 2𝜋𝑡)𝑥 (𝑘 a positive constant).
𝑑𝑡
(a) What is the period of cos(2𝜋𝑡)?
Solution: The period is one (year).
(b) What time of year do you think 𝑡 = 0 represents ?
Solution: When 𝑡 = 0, cos(2𝜋𝑡) takes its maximum value of 1. Since 𝑘 is positive,
𝑘 cos(2𝜋𝑡) is a maximum at 𝑡 = 0, and so the population has its greatest rate of increase.
Usually this is late spring or early summer.
(c) Solve the equation to find 𝑥(𝑡), given that 𝑥 = 𝑥 0 at 𝑡 = 0.
Solution: Separating the equation,
∫ ∫
1
𝑑𝑥 = 𝑘 cos(2𝜋𝑡) 𝑑𝑡
𝑥
so
𝑘 sin(2𝜋𝑡)
ln 𝑥 = + 𝐶.
2𝜋
 
𝑘 sin(2𝜋𝑡)
Therefore, 𝑥 = exp + 𝐶 . Putting 𝑥 = 𝑥 0 when 𝑡 = 0 gives 𝑥 0 = 𝑒𝐶 so
2𝜋
𝑥 = 𝑥 0 𝑒 (𝑘 sin(2𝜋𝑡))/2𝜋 .
(d) Does 𝑥(𝑡) have a limiting value as 𝑡 → ∞ ?
Solution: The exponent in this solution varies sinusoidally with time and so has no
limiting value. The population size is cyclic, repeating itself each year.
(e) What are the maximum and minimum values of 𝑥 and when do they occur?
Solution: The maximum value occurs when sin(2𝜋𝑡) = 1, and the minimum when
sin(2𝜋𝑡) = −1. The values are 𝑥 = 𝑥0 𝑒 𝑘/2𝜋 and 𝑥 = 𝑥0 𝑒 −𝑘/2𝜋 respectively. They occur
when 2𝜋𝑡 = 𝜋/2 or 𝑡 = 1/4 and 2𝜋𝑡 = 3𝜋/2 or 𝑡 = 3/4, i.e. a quarter of a year and three
quarters of a year later than the maximum of the growth rate (perhaps late summer and
late winter).

2
*3. A trout farmer believes that, if she doesn’t remove any fish from a certain tank, the population of
fish is modelled by the differential equation
𝑑𝑃
= 2𝑃 − 0.01𝑃2 ,
𝑑𝑡
where 𝑃 is the number of fish after 𝑡 years.
(a) Suppose the farmer initially stocks the tank with 50 fish.
(i) What is the maximum number of fish the tank can support long-term and according
to this model?
𝑑𝑃
Solution: Note that 𝑃 = 200 is an equilibrium solution, since = 0 if 𝑃 = 200.
𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑃
If 𝑃 > 200, < 0, and 𝑃 decreases to 200. Hence the maximum number of
𝑑𝑡
fish that the tank can support is 200.
(ii) Find 𝑃 for which the population is increasing most rapidly.
𝑑𝑃
Solution: We have to maximise = 0.01𝑃(200 − 𝑃). This is a quadratic
𝑑𝑡
function, whose graph is a concave down parabola passing through the 𝑃 axis at 0
and 200. For such a parabola, the maximum occurs half way between the two 𝑃
1
intercepts. So the population increases most rapidly when 𝑃 = (0 + 200) = 100.
2
(iii) Find an explicit formula for 𝑃 in terms of 𝑡.
Solution: Separating the variables, the equation can be written as
∫ ∫
𝑑𝑃
= 0.01 𝑑𝑡 .
𝑃(200 − 𝑃)
Partial fractions gives
1 1 1
= + ,
𝑃(200 − 𝑃) 200𝑃 200(200 − 𝑃)
and so the above equation becomes
∫   ∫
1 1 1
+ 𝑑𝑃 = 0.01 𝑑𝑡.
200 𝑃 200 − 𝑃
Therefore
1 𝑃
ln = 0.01𝑡 + 𝐶,
200 200 − 𝑃
or
𝑃
= 𝐴𝑒 2𝑡 ( 𝐴 = ±𝑒 200𝐶 ).
200 − 𝑃
50 1 𝑃 𝑒 2𝑡
Since 𝑃(0) = 50, 𝐴 = = . Hence = , and
150 3 200 − 𝑃 3
200
𝑃(𝑡) = .
1 + 3𝑒 −2𝑡
(iv) How long will it be before there are 199 fish in the tank?
𝑃 𝑒 2𝑡
Solution: Use the equation = to find 𝑡 at which 𝑃 = 199. With
200 − 𝑃 3
199 𝑒 2𝑡 1
𝑃 = 199, we have = . So 𝑒 2𝑡 = 3 × 199, and 𝑡 = ln(597) ≈ 3.196.
200 − 199 3 2
That is, it takes just over 3 years.

3
 (v) Sketch a graph of 𝑦 = 𝑃(𝑡).
Solution: The graph is as follows
𝑃
250

200

50

3 𝑡

(b) Now suppose that the farmer initially stocks the tank with 250 fish. Find the solution
𝑃(𝑡), and sketch its graph.
𝑃
Solution: We use the general solution = 𝐴𝑒 2𝑡 , as in (a)(iii), and the initial
200 − 𝑃
condition 𝑃(0) = 250. This gives 𝐴 = −5, and
200
𝑃= ·
1 − 15 𝑒 −2𝑡
The graph is the dotted curve in the above diagram.
(c) If the trout farmer were to remove 75 fish from the tank each year, then the differential
equation modelling population size would be
𝑑𝑃
= 2𝑃 − 0.01𝑃2 − 75.
𝑑𝑡

(i) Find a solution to this differential equation, supposing that the farmer initially
stocks the tank with 60 fish.
Solution: Separating variables, the equation can be written as:
∫ ∫
𝑑𝑃
= −0.01 𝑑𝑡.
(𝑃 − 150)(𝑃 − 50)
Using partial fractions, we have
1 1 1
= − .
(𝑃 − 150)(𝑃 − 50) 100(𝑃 − 150) 100(𝑃 − 50)
So the above equation becomes
∫   ∫
1 1 1
− 𝑑𝑃 = −0.01 𝑑𝑡.
100 𝑃 − 150 𝑃 − 50
Hence
1 𝑃 − 150
ln = −0.01𝑡 + 𝐶,
100 𝑃 − 50

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 or
𝑃 − 150
= 𝐴𝑒 −𝑡 .
𝑃 − 50
Since 𝑃 = 60 when 𝑡 = 0, we have
60 − 150
𝐴= = −9,
60 − 50
and so
𝑃 − 150
= −9𝑒 −𝑡 .
𝑃 − 50
On rearranging this we obtain

150(1 + 3𝑒 −𝑡 )
𝑃= ·
1 + 9𝑒 −𝑡
(ii) According to this model, what is the size of the fish population in the long-term?
Solution: For the long term behaviour, we let 𝑡 → ∞. Since 𝑒 −𝑡 → 0 as 𝑡 → ∞,
150(1 + 0)
we have 𝑃 → = 150.
1+0
(iii) What should the farmer expect to happen if she initially stocks the tank with 40
fish?
𝑑𝑃 𝑑𝑃
Solution: Note that = −0.01(𝑃 − 150)(𝑃 − 50) = 0 and thus < 0 for all
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
𝑃 < 50. So if the farmer initially stocks 40 fish, the population will decay to zero
and be extinct.

4. When people smoke, carbon monoxide is released into the air. In a room of volume 50 m3 ,
smokers introduce air containing 0.05 mg/m3 of carbon monoxide at the rate of 0.002 m3 /min.
Assume that the smoky air mixes immediately with the rest of the air, and that the mixture is
pumped through an air purifier at a rate of 0.002 m3 /min. The purifier removes all the carbon
monoxide from the air passing through it.
(a) Write a differential equation for 𝑚(𝑡), the mass of carbon monoxide in the room at time 𝑡,
where 𝑡 is measured in minutes.
𝑑𝑚
Hint: = mass rate in − mass rate out, see lecture notes.
𝑑𝑡
Solution: If 𝑚(𝑡) is the mass of carbon monoxide in the room at time 𝑡, then
𝑑𝑚
= mass rate in − mass rate out.
𝑑𝑡
The smoky air is entering at the rate of 0.002 m3 /min and contains 0.05 mg/m3 of CO.
So the rate at which CO is introduced is 0.05 × 0.002 mg/min. At time 𝑡, the 50 m3 room
𝑚
contains 𝑚 mg of CO, and so the concentration of CO is mg/m3 and the rate at which
50
𝑚
it is removed is 0.002 × mg/min. Therefore
50
𝑑𝑚 𝑚
= 0.05 × 0.002 − 0.002 × = 0.00002(5 − 2𝑚).
𝑑𝑡 50
(b) Solve the differential equation, assuming that there was no carbon monoxide in the room
initially.

5
 Solution: This is a separable equation:
∫ ∫
𝑑𝑚
= 0.00002 𝑑𝑡
5 − 2𝑚
1
− ln |5 − 2𝑚| = 0.00002𝑡 + 𝐶
2
5 − 2𝑚 = 𝐴𝑒 −0.00004𝑡 ( 𝐴 = ±𝑒 2𝐶 ) .

Since there is no carbon monoxide in the room initially, 𝑚 = 0 when 𝑡 = 0, and so 𝐴 = 5.

We therefore have
5 −0.00004𝑡

𝑚 = 1−𝑒 .
2
(c) What happens to the value of 𝑚(𝑡) in the long run?
5
Solution: In the long run 𝑚 → . That is, in the 50 m3 room, the concentration of CO
2
is eventually 2.5/50 or 0.05 mg/m3 .
(d) It is dangerous for people to be in the room if the mass of carbon monoxide per unit
volume reaches 0.001 mg/m3 . How long does it take for this to happen?
Solution: We want to find the time at which the mass of carbon monoxide is 0.001 × 50 =
0.05 mg. So we have
5 
0.05 = 1 − 𝑒 −0.00004𝑡 ,
2
ln(0.98)
and hence 𝑡 = − ≈ 500 min.
0.00004