4.

3 Rates Of Change

OBJECTIVES

Find related rates of change

 RATES OF CHANGE
 Many rates of change problems in variety
of fields can be solve by derivative.
dy
 is rates of change of y with respect to
dt time.
 Rate of :- ”Increase” is +ve
- “Decrease” is -ve
 Examples :
dy dA dh dV
, , ,
dt dt dt dt
Rate of Rate of
area volume
Example The water level in a tank increases by
30 cm per minute can be represented by :
dh
 30 cm/min h increases by 30 cm
for each increases in
dt minute

Example The water level in a tank decreases by

30 cm per minute can be represented by :
dh
 30 cm/min h decreases by 30 cm
for each increases in
dt minute
Rate of “Increase” is positive.

Rate of “Decrease” is negative.

Rate of change of y and rate

of change of x can be shown as:

dy dy dx
 
dt dx dt
 dy
 rate of change of y with respect to time (t).
dt
dx
 rate of change of x with respect to time (t).
dt
dV
 rate of change of volume (V) with respect
dr to radius (r)
dh rate of change of height (h) with respect

dt time (t).
Rate of change of y and rate of change of x is related
by chain rule : dy  dy  dx
dt dx dt
 EXAMPLE 1

Air is released from a spherical balloon at a

rate of p cm3s–1. If the radius of the balloon
decreases at a rate of 0.4 cms–1, find the
value of p when its radius is 6 cm.
Solution 1. Write down the expression (equation) that
relates the variables.
dV
 p cm s
3 -1 rate of change of volume (V)
dt with respect to time (t)
dr
 0.4 cms -1 rate of change of radius (r)
dt with respect to time (t)
decreases
Volume of spherical balloon,
4 3 dV
V  r ,  4 r 2
3 dr
2. Identify what the question want. Form a suitable
chain rule.
Find the value of p dV
when its radius is 6 cm? r  6, p  ?
dt
dV dV dr
 
dt dr dt
TIPS :
dV dP dA subject matter of
, and
dt dt dt the chain rule
3. Substitute all known 4. Solve for the
values in the equation required rate of
obtained. change.
Volume of balloon :
4 3 dV
V r  4 r 2 when r  6
3 dr p   1.6 r 2

dV dV dr
    1.6  6 
2
dt dr dt
p  4 r  (0.4)
2   57.6
p   1.6 r 2
 Example 2

The radius of a circular oil slick is

increasing at the rate of 2 m/s. Find the
rate at which the area of the slick is
increasing when its radius is

(a) 10 m
(b) 50 m
 Solution :
A.Information given:
dA dA dr
dr
 2ms 1  
dt dt dr dt
(a)r  10m dr
(b)r  50m   2 r 
dt
B. Asked to find :
dA  (2r )(2)
?
dt
 4 r
C. Equation that relates
the variables:

A r 2
(a) When r = 10,
dA
 4 (10)  125.7m s
2 -1

dt

(b) When r = 50,

dA
 4 (50)  628.3m s
2 -1

dt
Example 3 A cube has sides x cm. Estimate the rate of
change in the total surface area of the cube
as the sides increases at a rate of 8 cms–1,
Solution when the sides are 10cm.
dx
 8 cms -1 rate of change of side (x)
dt with respect to time (t) x cm
Let total surface area of a cube, A
A  2( x)( x)  2( x)( x)  2( x)( x) x cm

A  6x 2 x cm

dA dA dA dx
when x  10, ?  
dt dt dx dt
A  6x 2
x cm
dA
12 x
dx x cm
x cm
dA dA dx
 
dt dx dt
12 x  8
 96x
when x  10,
Rate of change in the
dA 2 1
 96(10)  960 cm s total surface area of
dt the cube
Example 4
A cylindrical tank has a base with radius,
r = 2m. The tank is filled with water at the
rate of 2m3/min. Find the rate of change of
the water level in the tank at any instant.
Water
r

h
Solution
dV
 2 m /min
3 rate of change of volume (V)
dt with respect to time (t) r
dh dV dV dh
when r  2, ?  
dt dt dh dt
h
Vcylinder   r h   (2) h
2 2

Vcylinder  4 h
dV
 4
dh
Vcylinder  4 h
dV r
 4
dh
dV dV dh
  h
dt dh dt
dh
2  4 
dt
dh 2 1
  m / min
dt 4 2
 Example 5
A cylindrical tank has a base with radius, r = 2m. The tank is
3
filled with water at the rate of 2 m / min.Find the rate of change
of the water level in the tank at any instant.

Solution:
A.Information given: B. Asked to find :
dV dh
 2m / min, r  2m
3
?
dt dt
dh dh dV
C. Equation that relates the  
variables: dt dV dt
V  r h 2
The volume of the water in the tank,

V  r h 2 r2
  (2) h 2

 4h
dV
  4
dh
dh 1
 
dV 4
 dh dh dV
 
dt dV dt
dh 1
 2
dt 4
dh 1
  m / min@0.159m / min
dt 2
Example 6
Water is poured into an inverted cone of depth 10cm
and radius 5cm at rate of 8cm3s–1. Find the rate at
which the depth of the water in the cone is
increasing when the depth is 4cm. 5cm
Solution
dV
8 rate of change of volume (V)
10cm
dt with respect to time (t)

1
Vcone   r h2

3
dh dV dV dh
when h  4, ?  
dt dt dh dt
r = radius 5 cm
A B
h = depth
SIMILAR
TRIANGLE
10 cm D E
ABC  DEC
DE DC EC
 
AB AC BC
r h h C
 r
5 10 2
r = radius dV 1 2
h = depth  h
dh 4
r h h
 r dV dV dh
5 10 2  
1 dt dh dt
Vcone   r h2

3 h 2
dh
2 8 
1 h 4 dt
    h dh 32
3 2 
dt  h 2
1 h 2
    h when h  4
3  4
dh 32 2
1
 h 3  2  cms 1

12 dt  (4) 
 Example 7

Salt water is poured into a right inverted

cone with a semi-vertical angle of 450 at a
rate of 3πcm3s-1 .
Find
a)The depth of the salt water after 45
seconds. (givenV =135πcm3 )
b) The rate of change of its depth at that
instant
Solution:

h denotes the
depth of the salt
r water after time, t

h r 
 tan 45
450 h

 r  h tan 45
Volume of the water in the cone
is 1
V  r h 2  r  h tan 45
3
1
   h tan 45  h
2

3
1
   h h
2

3
h 3
V 
3
a) After 45 seconds:
V =135πcm 3
Thus,
h 3
h 3
 135 V 
3 3
h  405
3

 h  7.3986cm
b) It is given
h 3
dV
V =π  = πh2
that 3 dh
dV dV dV dh
= 3π = ×
dt dt dh dt
dh
3π = πh ×
2

dt
dh 3
 = 2
dt h
3
= = 0.0548cms -1

 7.3986
2
Example 8 At time t, the volume Vcm³ of water in a
leaking tank is V, where V = 100 – 3t – t ² .
Find the rate of water flow from the tank at
t = 6 second
Solution
Given V = 100 – 3t – t²
dV
rate of water flow from the tank ?
dt
dV
 3  2t
dt (–) shows that the water
dV
When t = 6,  3  2t volume is decreasing
dt
 3  2(6)  15cm s 3 1
Example 9
The radius of a circle is increasing at the rate of
5cm per minute. Find
a) The rate of change of the area of the circle when
its radius is 12 cm.

b) The radius of the circle when it is increasing

at a rate of 50  cm min
2 1
Solution
dr
5 rate of change of radius (r) with respect
dt to time (t)
dA dA dA dr
a) when r  12, ?  
dt dt dr dt
A r 2

dA
 2 r
dr
When r = 12,
dA dA dr
   2 (12)  5  120 cm min
2 1

dt dr dt
b) The radius of the circle dAdr
when its area is increasing 5
 2 r ,
1 dr
dt
at a rate of 50  cm min
2
dA dA dr
 dA   
 when  50 , r  ?  dt dr dt
 dt 
50  2 r  5
50  10 r
50
r
10
 5 cm
 Example 10

A spherical balloon is blown up so

that its volume increases at a constant
rate of 10 cm3/s.
Find the rate of increase of the radius when
the volume of the balloon is 1000 cm3.
 Solution
A.Information
: given:
dV
 10 V  1000cm3
dt
B. Asked to find :
dr dr dr dV
?  
dt dt dV dt
C. Equation that relates the
variables:
4 3  dV  4 r 2
V r  dr
3
dr 1
 
dV 4 r 2
dr 1
 10
dt 4 r 2

r ?
1000   r3

1000
r 
3


r  6.828cm

dr 10
   0.0171cm / s
dt 4 (6.828)2
Example 11
The volume of a constant height cone is
decreasing at a rate of 4 cm³s-1. Find the rate of
change of the radius when the radius is 5 cm and
height is 8 cm.
h = 8cm

5cm
Solution
dV
 4 rate of change of volume (V) with respect
dt to time (t)
dr dV dV dr
when r  5, h  8, ?  
dt dt dr dt
1 2 1 2
V   r h   r (8)
3 3 8cm
8 2
V  r
3
dV 16 5cm
 r
dr 3
 dr
when r  5, h  8, ?
dt
dV dV dr
  h = 8cm
dt dr dt
5cm
16 dr
4   r 
3 dt dr 3
dr when r  5, 
12  16 r  dt 4  5
dt
dr 12 3
  cms 1
dt 16 r 20
3 dr
 or  0.048 cms 1

4 r dt
1.Water is poured into an inverted cone of depth
20 cm and radius 10cm at a rate of 10cm³s-1. Find
the rate at which the radius of the water in the
cone is increasing when the depth is 4 cm.
2. If the radius of a circle is decreasing at the rate of
0.3cms-1,find the rate of decrease of the area of
the circle when its radius is 4cm.
3. The radius of a sphere is increasing at the rate of
0.5cms-1. When its radius is 5 cm, find the rate of
increase of its
a) Volume b) Surface area
 Answers
5 1
1) cms
4
2)  2.4 cm s2 1

3a) 50 cm s
3 1
b) 20 cm s
2 1
Solution no.1 10cm
dV
 10 rate of change of volume (V)
dt with respect to time (t)
20cm
dr dV dV dr
when h  4, ?  
dt dt dr dt
1
Vcone   r h 2
r

h
h  2r
3 10 20
1 2
  r (2r )
3
2 3
Vcone   r dV
 2 r 2
3 dr
dV dr
 2 r 2
when h  4, ?
dr dt
dV dV dr
 
h  2r 4  2r
dt dr dt r  2
dr
10  2 r 
2 dr 5
 2
dt dt  r
dr 10 5 dr 5
  2 
dt 2 r  r
2
dt  (2) 2

dr 5 1
 cms
dt 4