2.

5 Topics: Related Rates Solutions

1. y x =
A. Given 3
dx
dt
= Find
dy
dt
When x = 4 B. Given 2
dy
dt
= Find
dx
dt
When x = 25







2. A point is moving along the graph of
2
2 1 y x = + such that 2
dx cm
dt s
= . Find
dy
dt
for each of the following values of x.
A. 1 x = B. 0 x = C. 1 x =





Answers: A.


B.



C.



3. The included angle of the two sides of constant equal length s of an isosceles triangle is u .
A. Show that the area of the triangle is given by
2
1
sin
2
A s u =
Consider the following diagram.

u If we draw a perpendicular line from the angle u to the base of the triangle it will bisect the angle u
s s and it will also bisect the base.

h s
b


From my second diagram we can see that







( )
1
2
1 1
2 2
1 3
3
4 2 4
y x
dy dx dx
x
dt dt dt x
dy
dt

=
= =
= =
1
2
2
2 25 2 20
dy dx dx dy
x
dt dt dt dt x
dx
dt
= =
= =
2
2 1
4
y x
dy dx
x
dt dt
= +
=
( ) 4 1 2 8
dy cm cm
dt s s
| |
= =
|
\ .
( ) 4 0 2 0
dy cm cm
dt s s
| |
= =
|
\ .
( ) 4 1 2 8
dy cm cm
dt s s
| |
= =
|
\ .
2
u
1
2
b
2 2
1
2
sin 2 sin
2 2
cos cos
2 2
1 1 1 1
2 sin cos 2sin cos sin
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
b
b s
s
h
h s
s
A bh s s s s
u u
u u
u u u u
u
= =
= =
| || | | |
= = = =
| | |
\ .\ . \ .
B. If u is increasing at the rate of
1
2
radian per minute, find the rates of change of the area when
6 3
and
t t
u u = =
Given:
1
2 sec
d rad
dt
u
= Find:
dA
dt
When:
6 3
and
t t
u u = = Equation:
2
1
sin
2
A s u =

Solution:
( )
2 2
2 2 2
2
1 1
sin cos NOTE: since is constant we treat it as a constant
2 2
1
multiple (just like we do the )
2
1 1 1 3 1 3
cos
6 2 6 2 2 2 2 8
1
co
3 2
dA d
A s s s
dt dt
dA
For s s s
dt
dA
For s
dt
u
u u
t t
u
t
u
= =
| |
| | | | | |
= = = =
|
| | |
|
\ . \ . \ .
\ .
= =
2 2
1 1 1 1 1
s
3 2 2 2 2 8
s s
t | | | | | | | |
= =
| | | |
\ . \ . \ . \ .

C. Explain why the rate of change of the area of the triangle is NOT constant even though
d
dt
u
is constant.
Because
( )
2
1
cos
2
dA d
s
dt dt
u
u = even though s is constant and
d
dt
u
is constant we can see that
dA
dt
still depends on cosu .
cosu is NOT constant because u is changing (at the given rate of
1
2
radian per minute).



4. A hemispherical water tank with radius 6 meters is filled to a depth of h meters. The volume of water in the tank is given by
( )
2
1
108 0 6
3
V h h h t = < < . If water is being pumped into the tank at the rate of 3 cubic meters per minute, find the rate of
change of the depth of water when 2 h = meters.

Given:
3
3
min
dV m
dt
= Find:
dh
dt
When: 2 h meters = Equation:
( )
2
1
108
3
V h h t =





















( )
( ) ( )
( )
( ) ( )
( )
( )
( )
2
2
2 2
3 3
2 2 2
2
3
2
1
108
3
1
2 108 1
3
3
2 108
3 3 3
3 3
min min 108 3
108 3 2 108 3 2
3 3
3 .0298
min 32 min 96
V h h
dV dh dh
h h h
dt dt dt
dV dh
h h
dt dt
dh dV m m
dt dt h
m m m
dh m m m
dt m
t
t
t
t
t t
t t
=
| |
= +
|
\ .
= +
| | | |
| | | |
| |
= = =
| |
| |

| | \ . \ .
\ . \ .
| |
| |
= = ~
| |
\ .
\ .
min
5. At a sand and gravel plant, sand is falling off a conveyor and onto a conical pile at a rate of 10 cubic feet per minute. The diameter
of the base of the cone is approximately three times the altitude. At what rate is the height of the pile changing when the pile is 15 feet
high?
Given: Find: When: h=15 feet Eqn:





h


3h









































3
10
min
dV ft
dt
=
dh
dt
2
1
3
V r h t =
( )
2
2
3
3
2
2 2
3
2
1 1 3
3 3 2
3
4
3 4 4
3 10
4 min 9
9 15
4 8
10 .0063
min 405 min min 9 225
h
V r h h
V h
dV dh dh dV dh ft
h
dt dt dt dt dt h
ft
dh ft ft ft
dt ft
t t
t
t
t
t
t t
| |
= =
|
\ .
=
= = =
= = ~

6. A ladder 25 feet long is leaning against the wall of a house (see figure). The base of the ladder is pulled away from the wall at a
rate of 2 feet per second.
A. How fast is the top of the ladder moving down the wall when its base is 7 feet, 15 feet and 24 feet from the wall?

Given: Find: When: x = 7ft, 15 ft and 24 ft. Equation:


Note: When x = 7ft, y = 24 ft and when x = 15 ft, y = 20 ft and when x = 24 ft, y = 7ft
these values were obtained using the Pythagorean theorem (i.e the equation)
So, when x = 7ft


when x = 15 ft



when x = 24 ft


B. Consider the triangle formed by the side of the house, the ladder and the ground. Find the rate at which the area of the triangle is
changing when the base of the ladder is 7 feet from the wall.
Given: Find: When: x = 7 ft Equation:





C. Find the rate at which the angle between the ladder and the wall of the house is changing when the base of the ladder is 7 feet from
the wall.
Given: Find: When: x = 7 ft. Equation:















u


y 25 ft



2 ft/sec
2
sec
dx ft
dt
=
dy
dt
2 2 2
25 x y + =
2 2
625
2 2 0
x y
dx dy
x y
dt dt
dy x dx
dt y dt
+ =
+ =
=
7 7
2 .583
24 sec 12 sec sec
dy x dx ft ft ft ft
dt y dt ft
| |
= = = =
|
\ .
15 3
2 1.5
20 sec 2 sec sec
dy x dx ft ft ft ft
dt y dt ft
| |
= = = =
|
\ .
24 48
2 6.857
7 sec 7 sec sec
dy x dx ft ft ft ft
dt y dt ft
| |
= = = ~
|
\ .
2
sec
dx ft
dt
=
dA
dt
1
2
A xy =
2 2 2
1 1 1 7 1 49 527
7 24 2 48
2 2 2 12 sec sec 2 12 sec sec 24 sec
dA dy dx ft ft ft ft ft
A xy x y ft ft
dt dt dt
| | | | | | | |
= = + = + = + =
| | | |
\ . \ . \ . \ .
2
sec
dx ft
dt
=
d
dt
u x
Tan
y
u =
2 2 2 2
2
1 1
tan
1
dx dy
y x
x x d
dt dt
Tan arc
y y dt y y x
x
y y
u
u u

| |
= = = =
|
+
\ . | |
+
|
\ .
2
dx dy
y x
dt dt
y
| |

|
\ .

( ) ( )
( )
2 2
1 7
24 2 7
12
24 7
1 49 1 576 49 1 625 1 deg
48 .083 4.77
625 12 625 12 625 12 12 sec sec sec
d radians radians
dt
u
| | | |
=
| |
\ . + \ .
+ | | | | | |
= + = = = = ~
| | |
\ . \ . \ .
x
7. An air traffic controller spots two planes at the same altitude converging on a point as they fly at right angles to each other (see
diagram below). One plane is 225 miles from the point moving at 450 miles per hour. The other plane is 300 miles from the point
moving at 600 miles per hour.

A. At what rate is the distance between the planes decreasing?

Given: 450 600
dx mi dy mi
dt hr dt hr
= = Find:
ds
dt
When: x = 225 miles, y = 300 miles Equation:
2 2 2
x y s + =

2 2 2
2 2 2
225 450 300 600
750
375
x y s
dx dy ds
x y s
dt dt dt
mi mi
dx dy
mi mi
x y
ds mi hr hr
dt dt
dt s mi hr
+ =
+ =
| | | |
+
+ | |
\ . \ .
= = =


Note: s = 375 was obtained by plugging in the values of x and y into the equation.

B) How much time does the air traffic controller have to get one of the planes on a different path?

distance 375miles 1
time 30 minutes
miles
rate 2
750
hr
hr
= = = =

















300


y



x
225



s

8. A man 6 feet tall walks at a rate of 5 feet per second away from a light that is 15 feet above the ground (see the diagram below).
When he is 10 feet from the base of the light

A) at what rate is the tip of his shadow moving?
Note: I have labeled the given diagram in such a way that the man is x feet away from the light pole and the tip of the mans
shadow is y feet away from the light pole and the length of his shadow is y x feet.

Given: 5
dx ft
dt s
= Find:
dy
dt
When x = 10 feet Equation:
15 6
y y x
=

(using similar triangles)

( )
15 6 5
15 6 15 15 6 9 15
3
5
3
5 5 25
5 8.3
3 3 3
y x y y x y y x y x
y y x
y x
dy dx ft ft ft
dt dt s s s
= = = = =

=
| |
= = = =
|
\ .






B) at what rate is the length of his shadow changing?

Given: 5
dx ft
dt s
= Find:
( ) d y x
dt

When x = 10 feet.

NOTE:
( ) 25 25 15 10
5 3.3
3 3 3 3
d y x dy dx ft ft ft ft ft ft
dt dt dt s s s s s s

= = = = =


OR this could be solved utilizing the equation from part A.
( ) ( )
( ) ( ) 15 6 6 2 2 2 2 25 10
15 5 5 5 5 3 3
d y x d y x
y y d y dy ft ft
y x y x
y y x dt dt dt dt s s

| | | |
= = = = = = =
| |

\ . \ .







15

6


x
y