REL ATED RATES

PROBLEM
A P P L I C AT I O N P R O B L E M S
RELATED RATE PROBLEMS
problem 9:

A child is flying a kite at a height of 40ft that is

moving horizontally at a rate of 3ft/sec. If the
string is taut at what rate is the string being paid
out when the length of the string released is 50ft?
STEP 1:

t: the number of seconds in the time elapsed when the kite started
to move horizontally
x: the number of feet in the distance from the ground where the
kite is located to the kite in t seconds.
y: the number of feet in the distance from the ground where the
kite is located to the child in t seconds.
STEP 2:
GIVEN

The rate of the kite moving horizontally

= ft/sec
The height of the kite = 40ft
The length of the string released = 50ft
STEP 3:
WHAT IS ASKED?

We wish to find when z = 50.

STEP 4:
SOLVE FOR .

Using the Pythagorean Theorem we have:

+ =
=
=
=
= =
STEP 5:

To relate z and x:
= + (Eq. 1)
STEP 6:

Differentiate both sides of (Eq. 1) with

respect to t:

=


= ( . )

STEP 7:
Substitute the known values of x and z and

in the equation of Step 6 ( = ( . ) and


solve for :


= . = =

STEP 8:
CONCLUSION

If the string is taut at a length of 50ft

therefore the rate of the string being paid

out is /.

RELATED RATE PROBLEMS
problem 25: Ripples in a pond
A stone is dropped into a still pond. Concentric
circular ripples spread out, and the radius of the
disturbed region increases at the rate of 16cm/sec.
At what rate does the area of the disturbed
region increase when its radius is 4cm?
RELATED RATE PROBLEMS
Ripples in a pond
Important terms to consider
concentric circular ripples

having a To form
common small
center waves
RELATED RATE PROBLEMS
Ripples in a pond
A stone is dropped into a still pond. Concentric
circular ripples spread out, and the radius of the
disturbed region increases at the rate of 16cm/sec.
At what rate does the area of the disturbed
region increase when its radius is 4cm?
RELATED RATE PROBLEMS
Ripples in a pond
STEP 1 Lets begin defining the variables starting with t:
t: the number of seconds in the time elapsed
when the stone is dropped
r: the number of centimeters in the radius of the
ripples as it increases
A: the number of centimeters in the area of the
circle as the radius increases
RELATED RATE PROBLEMS
Ripples in a pond
STEP 2 Given:
rate of the increasing
radius is 16cm/sec
radius: 4cm
RELATED RATE PROBLEMS
Ripples in a pond
STEP 3:What is asked?
at what rate does the
area of the disturbed
region increases when
its radius is 4cm
RELATED RATE PROBLEMS
Ripples in a pond
STEP 4:
= 4
16
=


what we need to find is .

 RIPPLES IN A
STEP
POND5: = 2 AREA OF THE CIRCLE

= . 2 BY APPLYING THE CHAIN RULE

16
= . 2 4

642
= 2

642
= 2

1282
=

= 402.12385972 /
. /
ripples in a pond
at what rate does the area of the disturbed region
increases when its radius is 4cm

Therefore, the rate that the area of the

disturbed region increases when its
radius is 4cm is approximately
. /.
PROBLEM 41
An airplane is flying at a constant speed at an altitude of
10, 000 ft. on a line that will take it directly over an
observer on the ground. At given instant the observer
notes that the angle of elevation of the airplane is
1
and is increasing at the rate of
3
1
. Find the speed of the airplane.
60
Given:
altitude 10000 ft.
1
angle of elevation = 3
1
rate of the airplane = 60 airplane

We need to find:

Solution:
= 60

10000
= 180 /; x = 3 10000 ft.

10000
tan =

tan = 10000 1 1

3
2 = 1000 2

10000 2 Angle of elevation
2 60( ) = 1000( )
180 3
3
(2)2 60( ) = 1000( )
180 100002

4 (10000)
= = 232.71/
(180)(3)