Related Rates

These problems find the rates of

change of two or more related variables
that are changing with respect to time,
t.
To begin, lets examine the Volume of
a balloon as it is filled with air.

The Volume of a sphere is given by:

4 3
V r
3
As a balloon is being filled, both
the volume, V, and radius, r,
increase with time, t.
To examine the rates of change we need
the derivative with respect to time, t.

For the derivative we want:

d
d 4 3
V r
dt
dt 3

Notice, the variables do not agree.

The derivative is with respect to
time so the Chain Rule must be
followed.

d
d 4 3
V r
dt
dt 3

dV
On the left we get:
dt
Chain Rule

dr
On the right: 4r
dt
2

This gives the Related rate:

dV
2 dr
4r
dt
dt
Question: At a given time, what does
the rate of change of the Volume
depend upon?
Answer: The radius, r, and its rate of
change, dr/dt

Find how fast the volume of a balloon

is changing when the radius is 6
inches and the diameter of the
balloon is increasing at a rate of 3
inches per second.

dV
2 dr
4r
dt
dt
From the problem: r = 6 in and dr/dt = 1.5 in/sec

dV
2
4 (6) (1.5)
dt

dV
2
4 (6) (1.5)
dt
= 678.6

What are the units?

Look at the units in the equation:

(inches)2(inches/sec) = in3/sec
Which gives Volume/time