APPLICATIONS OF

DERIVATIVES
Sample Problems
1. Find the equation of the tangent to the curve 𝑦 = 𝑥 2 − 𝑥 − 2 at
the point (1, −2).
2. Find the equation of the tangent to the curve 𝑥 3 − 3𝑥𝑦 −
2𝑦 3 = 0 at the point (2, 1).
Sample Problems
3. At what points of the curve 𝑦 = 2𝑥 − 𝑥 2 are the tangents
normal to the line 𝑥 + 4𝑦 − 5 = 0
4. At what points of the curve 𝑦 = 2𝑥 3 − 3𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 + 4 are the
1
normals of slope − .
10
Time Rates
1. Read the problem until fully understood. Make a clear
diagram, labeling all dimensions, both constants and
variables, given and unknowns.
2. Form the equation relating the constants and variables,
considering what are given and what are to be found.
Time Rates
3. Differentiate the equation, each variables with respect
to . Substitute the given quantities, and solve for the
unknown. (Do not substitute the numerical values of
such variables until after differentiation with respect to is
done).
Sample Problems
1. A ladder 25 feet long is leaning against a vertical wall. If
the bottom of the ladder is pulled horizontally away from
the base of the wall at 3 feet per second, how fast is the
tip of the ladder sliding down the wall when the bottom is
15 feet from the base of the wall?
Sample Problems
1. A ladder 25 feet long is leaning against a vertical wall. If
the bottom of the ladder is pulled horizontally away from
the base of the wall at 3 feet per second, how fast is the
tip of the ladder sliding down the wall when the bottom is
15 feet from the base of the wall?
Sample Problems
2. Water is poured into a conical tank 10ft across the top
and 20ft deep at the rate of 15ft3/min. How fast is the
water level rising when the water in the tank is 5ft deep?
Sample Problems

3. A spherical snowball is being made so that its volume is

increasing at the rate of 8 cu. ft./ min. Find the rate of
radius at which the radius is increasing when the snowball
is 4 ft in diameter.
Sample Problems

4. If two resistors with resistances R1 and R2 are connected

in parallel, as in the figure, then the total resistance R,
1 1 1
measured in ohms (Ω), is given by = + . If R1 and R2
𝑅 𝑅1 𝑅2
are increasing at rates of 0.3 Ω /s and 0.2 Ω /s, respectively,
how fast is R changing when R1 = 80 Ω and R2 = 100 Ω?
Sample Problems

5. An airplane is flying west at 500ft/sec at an altitude of

4000ft and a searchlight on the ground lies directly under
the path of the plane. If the light is to be kept on the
plane, how fast is the searchlight revolving when the
airline distance of the plane from the searchlight is 2000ft
due east.
Sample Problems

6. For an ideal gas, suppose that, at a certain instant, P =8.0

atm and is increasing at a rate of 0.10 atm/min and V =10 L
and is decreasing at a rate of 0.15 L/min. Find the rate of
change of T with respect to time at that instant if n =10
𝐿 𝑎𝑡𝑚
mol.R =0.0821 .
𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝐾
Sample Problems

7. A water trough is 10 m long and a cross-section has the

shape of an isosceles trapezoid that is 30 cm wide at the
bottom, 80 cm wide at the top, and has height 50 cm. If the
trough is being filled with water at the rate of 0.2 m3/min,
how fast is the water level rising when the water is 30 cm
deep?
Sample Problems

8. Water is leaking out of an inverted conical tank at a rate of

10,000 cm3/min at the same time that water is being pumped
into the tank at a constant rate. The tank has height 6 m and
the diameter at the top is 4 m. If the water level is rising at a
rate of 20 cm/min when the height of the water is 2 m, find the
rate at which water is being pumped into the tank.
CURVE TRACING
 Determine whether the function is increasing or decreasing
in the given interval.
1. 𝑓 𝑥 = 𝑥 8 − 4𝑥 3 + 2𝑥; (0,2)
3 1
2. 𝑓 𝑥 = 3𝑥 − 2𝑥 ; ( , 2)
2
Sample Problems
1. Find the intervals on which the following function is
3 3 2
increasing or decreasing: 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 − 𝑥 .
2

2. Find the intervals on which the following function is

increasing or decreasing: 𝑓(𝑥) = (𝑥 2 − 4)2/3
Sample Problem:

1. The sum of two numbers is 21. What are the

numbers if the product of one of the numbers by
the square of the other is to be maximum?
Sample Problem:

2. An open rectangular box is to be made of a

piece of cardboard of dimensions 15cm and 24 cm
by cutting small squares out of the corners and
turning up the sides. Find the dimensions of the
largest box that can be made in this way.
Sample Problem:

3. Find the largest area of a rectangle that could be

inscribed in the ellipse

4𝑥 2 + 9𝑦 2 = 36
Sample Problem:

4. A poster is to contain 300 cm2 of printed matter

with margins 10cm at the top and the bottom and
5cm each side. Find the over-all dimensions, if the
total area of the poster is a minimum.
Sample Problem:

5. A closed box with a square base is to have a

volume of 2000 cubic centimeters. The material
for the top and bottom of the box costs 30
centavos per centimeter and for the sides, the cost
is 15 centavos per square centimeter. Find the
dimension of the box with least cost.
Sample Problem:

6. Find a point on the curve 𝒙𝟐 = 𝟐𝒚which is

nearest to a point((4,1).
Sample Problem:

7. One side of the triangle is 10m long and the

opposite angle is 40 degrees. Find the other angles
so that the area will be a maximum. What is this
area?