TUTORIAL 4.

0 APPLICATIONS OF DIFFERENTATION

TOPIC 4.0 APPLICATIONS OF DIFFERENTIATION

4.1 Gradient, Tangent and Normal to a Curve

1. Find the gradient for each of the following curves at the given points or given
values of .
(a) at point (2,4)

(b) at point ( 4, 50)

(c) ,

(d) at point (1,0)

(e) ,

2. Find the gradient of curve at the point where its - coordinate

is .

3. Find the gradient of the curve at the point where it cuts the y-axis.

4. Find the -coordinates of two points on the curve at which the

gradient of the tangent is 6.

5. Find the coordinates of the point on the curve at which the

tangent is perpendicular to the straight line .

6. Find the - coordinates of the two points on the curve at which the

tangent is parallel to the straight line .

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7. Find the coordinates of the point on the curve at which the tangent is

parallel to the - axis.

8. Find the equation of the tangent to the curve at the points where
its coordinate is -1.

9. Find the equation of the tangent to the curve at the point .

10. Find the equation of the normal to the curve at the point where its
coordinate is 2.

11. Find the equation of the normal to the curve at the point (1,4).

12. The tangent to the curve at the point (2,1) intersects the y-axis
at
the point P. Find the coordinates of the point P.

13. Given that the tangent to the curve at the point is parallel
to
the line . Find the values of p and q.

14. Find the gradient of the curve when x = -1 and the equation of the

tangent to the curve when x = -1.

15. Find the equation of the tangent and normal to the curve at the
point (2,3).
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16. The gradient of the normal to the curve at the point (1,10) is

Find the values of a and b.

4.2 Extremum Problems
1. Find the coordinates of stationary (critical) points for each of the following curves
and determine their nature.
(a) (b)

(c) (d)

2. Find the coordinates of the stationary point on the curve .

3. Given that (-1,5) is a stationary point on the curve . Find the

values a and b.

4. Find the coordinate of the stationary point of the curve . Hence,

determine whether the stationary point is a maximum or minimum point.

5. Given , find the critical values and critical points of the

function.

6. Find the critical points on the curve .

7. Find the critical points of the function, .

8. Find the nature of the critical point on the curve using the first
derivative test.

9. Find the critical points on the curve and identify

TUTORIAL 4.0 APPLICATIONS OF DIFFERENTATION

between maximum and minimum points using the first derivative test.

10. A curve has the equation . Find and hence find the

coordinates of the critical point on the curve. Determine whether the critical point
is a maximum or a minimum point using the second derivative test.

11. Find all the relative maximum points and minimum points of the curve
by using the second derivative test.

12. Find the critical points of the function and

determine their nature.

13. Given that , find the positive value of that makes a maximum.

14. Find the minimum value of if .

15. Two quantities, and in such a way that . Another quantity P is

defined by . Find the positive value of which makes P a minimum.

16. Find the minimum value of if and are related by the equation
if and .

17. Variable and are related by the equation . A third variable is

defined by . Find the values of and such that is maximum.

18. Find the length and width of rectangles that has the given perimeter and a
maximum area
(a) Perimeter = 100 meters (b) Perimeter = P units
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19. Find the length and width of a rectangles that has the given area and a minimum
perimeter
(a) Area = 64 square feet (b) Area = A square centimeter

20. If , find the minimum value of S and the value of r which gives
the minimum value.

21. If and , find the maximum value of A and the values of

and .
22. Determine the turning points of and state the nature of
these points.

23. If x + y = 8, find the maximum value of P = xy

24. The function has a minimum value of 6. Find the value of a.

25. The function y = ax2 + bx has a maximum value at (2,3). What are the values of
a and b ?

26. The total length of wire used in making a cuboid framework as shown below is
96cm.

3x

x
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Find the maximum volume of the outline of the framework.

27. A stone is thrown up. Its height h meter from the ground after t seconds is given
by h = 96t – 16t2 . Determine the maximum height the stone reaches.

28. 80 m of wire is used to form a rectangle. Find the largest area enclosed by the
wire.

29.

r cm r cm

The above diagram shows a plot of land having the shape of a sector of a circle of

r m and the angle subtended at the center of the circle is  radians. The sector is
enclosed by 100 m of fence.

a) Show that the area of the sector, A m2 is given by .

(b) Find the value of  such that the area of the sector is a maximum.

30. Given u and v are two variables where u + 2v = 5. Find the maximum value of
u2 -9v2.

31. A 34 m length of wire is used to form the shape as shown in the diagram below.
TUTORIAL 4.0 APPLICATIONS OF DIFFERENTATION

ym
4m

xm
xm

2y m

State the relation between x and y. Then, calculate the maximum area enclosed

4.3 Rates of Change

1. The length of a rectangle is three times its breadth. If its area is increasing at a rate
of , find the rate of change of its perimeter at the instant when its
breadth is .

2. A cylindrical tank has a base with radius, . The tank is filled with water at
the rate of . Find the rate of change of the water level in the tank at any
instant.

3. Hydrogen is being inflated into a spherical balloon at a constant rate at

. Find the rate of increase of the radius when the volume of the balloon is .

4. Water is poured into an inverted cone at height and base radius at a

rate . Find the rate of increase in the depth of the water when the depth is
. Give your answer correct to 3 decimal places.

5. The figure below shows a solid which consists of a hemisphere and fixed to one
end of a cylinder. Given that the hemisphere and the cylinder have the same
TUTORIAL 4.0 APPLICATIONS OF DIFFERENTATION

radius, r cm. the total surface area of the solid is . If the radius

increases at a rate of 1.2 , find the rate of change of the surface area of the
solid when its radius is 6 cm.

6. The height of a closed cylinder is 5 times its base radius. If the radius increases at
a constant rate of 0.8 , find the rate of change of its volume when its radius
is 5 cm.

7. Water is poured into a cylindrical container at a constant rate of p . The

height of the water level in the container is increasing at a rate of 4 given
that the radius of the cylinder is 5 cm. find
(a) the value of p
(b) the rate of change of the curved surface area of the container filled with
water.

8. The area of a circle increases at a constant rate of 20 . Find the rate of

change of the perimeter of the circle when the radius is 4 cm.

9. Water is poured into a inverted cone of depth 10 cm and radius 6 cm at the rate of
10 . Find the rate of change of the depth of the water when the depth is
h = 2.

ANSWERS
4.1 Gradient, Tangent and Normal to a curve
1. (a) 4 (b) 24 (c) -1
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(d) 2 (e) -8
2. -1

3.

4.
5. (1,6)
6.

7.

8.
9.
10.
11.
12. P = (0,-27)
13. p = 2, q = 0
14. m = -13 ;

15. ;

16. a = 3, b =

4.2 Extremum Problems

1. (a) (3,-1) Min (b) max (c) (2,-16) min (-2,16) max

(d) (0,0) min (-1,1) max

2. (0,-1) and (2,-5)

3.

4. (-3,27) min
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5. ; (1, 5) , (3, 1)

6. ,

7. ( 2.4-8, 2.728 ) , ( 1.592, 3.272 )

8. is a minimum point

9. , ;

is a minimum point ; is a maximum point

10. ; ( 3, –1 ) ; minimum point

11. is a maximum point ; is a minimum point

12. , ;

is a minimum point ; is a maximum point

13. 2
14. 50
15.
16. 10

17.

18. (a) 25m,25m (b) ,

19. (a) 8 feet,8 feet (b) ,

20.

21.
22. (2, 24) - maximum point. (3,23) - minimum point.
23. 16.
24. a=7
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25. a= ,b = 3

26. 384 cm3

27. 144 m.
28. 400 m2.
29. (b)  = 2 rad
30. 45
31. 64.5 m2
4.4 Rates of Change

1.

2.

3.

4.
5. 37.8
6.
7. (a) p = 100 (b) 40
8.
9. 2.21