2.

3 MODELLING WITH FIRST

ORDER EQUATIONS

Puan Nur Arzilah Ismail

FKAB, UKM
Modeling with First Order Equations

 Can be used to investigate a wide variety of

problems in engineering and other fields.

 The mathematical models and their solutions lead

to equations relating to variables and parameters in
the problem

 Equations – can make predictions about how the

natural process will behave in various
circumstances.
Steps in Mathematical Modeling

Construction of the Model

 translate the physical situation into mathematical terms

Analysis of the Model

 find solutions using exact or approx. methods

Comparison with Experiment or Observation

 having obtained the solution (or at least some
information about it), you must interpret this
information in the context in which the problem arose
Mixtures
dA  input rate   output rate 
     
dt  of salt   of salt 

 Rin  Rout

Rin  concentration of salt in inflow 

 input rate of brine

Rout  concentration of salt in outflaw 

 output rate of brine
Example 1

A large tank is partially filled with 100 gallons of fluid in

which 10 pounds of salt is dissolved. Brine containing ½
pound of salt per gallon is pumped into the tank at a rate
of 6 gal/min. The well-mixed solution is then pumped out
at a slower rate of 4 gal/min. Find the number of pounds
of salt in the tank after 30 min.
Solution

Let A(t) be the amount of salt in Rout   conc. of salt in outflow 

the tank at time t.
  output rate of brine 
dA
 Rin  Rout  At  
dt   lb / gal 
 100  6  4t 
Rin  conc. of salt in inflow   4 gal / min 
 input rate of brine
4 At 
1  
  lb / gal 6 gal / min  100  2 t
2 
 3 lb / min 2 At 

50  t
 dA 2A Initially, the tank contains 10
  3
dt 50  t pounds of salt, i.e.


dA  2 
 A  3 A0  10  c  100,000
dt  50  t 
 At   50  t  100,00050  t 
2

An integrating factor is
A30  50  30  10000050  30
2 2
 50t dt 2 ln 50  t 
 50  t 
2
e e
 64.38

d
dt

50  t 2 A  350  t 2 
After 30 min, there is 64.38
 50  t  A   350  t  dt pounds of salt in the tank.
2 2

 At   50  t  c 50  t 
2
Growth and Decay
dx
 kx, x t0   x0 (i)
dt
 Knowing the population at some arbitrary time t0 , we can
use (i) to predict the population in the future, that is, at
time t > t0

 In physics and chemistry, (i) is seen in the form of first-order

reaction
dx
- a reaction whose rate or velocity,  kx
dt
is directly proportional to the amount x of a substance.
Example 2

The radioactive isotope of lead, Pb-209, decays at a

rate proportional to the amount present at time t, and
has a half-life of 3.3 hours. If 1 gram of this isotope is
present initially, how long will it take for 90% of the
lead to decay?
Solution

Let A(t) be the amount of An integrating factor is

e   e k t
 k dt
lead present at time t.
dA
dA  e k t  ke k t A  0
A dt
dt
dA e A  0
d k t
dt
 kA
dt
dA  ek t A  c
  kA  0
dt  At   ce k t
 A0  1 c  1 When 90% of the lead has
decayed, 0.1 gram will remain
 At   e k t
At   0.1
The half-life is 3.3 hours ln  12  3.3  t
e  0.1
1
A3.3  ln 12
2   ln 0.1
3.3
1
e 3.3 k

2 3.3 ln 0.1
 t  10.96
1 ln 2
1

3.3 k  ln 
2
It takes about 10.96 hours for
ln 12 ln  1  3.3 t 90% of the lead to decay.
 k  At   e 2
3.3
Newton’s Law of Cooling/Warming

dT
 k T  Tm 
dt
Example 3

A thermometer is removed from a room where the

temperature is 70°C and is taken outside, where the air
temp. is 10°C. After one-half minute the thermometer
reads 50°C. What is the reading of the thermometer at t = 1
min. How long will it take for the thermometer to reach
15°C?
Solution
dT
Let T(t) represent the temp. of
  k T  10 
dt
the thermometer, and Tm is dT
  kT  10 k
the temp. of the air outside. dt
According to the Newton’s
An integrating factor is
Law of Cooling
e 
 k dt
 e k t
dT dT
 T  Tm  e k t  ke  k t T  10 ke  k t
dt dt
 e  k tT    10 ke  k t dt  10e  k t  c
dT
i.e  k T  Tm 
dt  T t   10  ce k t
 T t  1  10  60 e
2 ln 23
Since T(0) = 70, then 10 + c = 70
 c  60  10  60 e
ln 49

 T t   10  60 e k t  36.67

1 If T(t) = 15, then

T    50,
2 ln 94  t
10  60 e  15
k
10  60 e  50
2
4 1
ln   t  ln  
k 2 9  12 
e2 
3 ln 121
 t  4  3.06
2 ln 9
 k  2 ln
3
It will take 3.06 minutes for
2 ln 23  t
 T t   10  60 e the thermometer to reach 15°F.