Title: Application of Derivative

Chapter: Application of Derivative

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Worksheet Compiled By: Prashant Jain (PJ Sir)

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Tangent and Normal from an external point

Given a point P(a, b) which does not lie on the curve y = f(x), then the equation of possible tangents to
the curve y = f(x), passing through (a, b) can be found by solving for the point of contact Q.
f(h) − b
f(h) =
h−a

f(h) − b
And equation of tangent is y – b = (x – a)
h−a

Example # 5 Tangent at P(2, 8) on the curve y = x3 meets the curve again at Q.

Find coordinates of Q.
Solution : Equation of tangent at (2, 8) is y = 12x – 16

Solving this with y = x3

x3 – 12x + 16 = 0
This cubic will give all points of intersection of line and
curve y = x3 i.e., point P and Q. (see figure)
But, since line is tangent at P so x = 2 will be a repeated root of equation x3 – 12x + 16 = 0 and
another root will be x = h. Using theory of equations :
sum of roots  2+2+h=0  h=–4
Hence coordinates of Q are (– 4, – 64)

Self Practice Problems :

(5) How many tangents are possible from (1, 1) to the curve y – 1 = x3. Also find the equation of
these tangents.
x+9
(6) Find the equation of tangent to the hyperbola y = which passes through (0, 0) origin
x+5
 Ans. (5) y = 1, 4y = 27x – 23 (6) x + y = 0; 25y + x = 0

Derivative as rate of change

In various fields of applied mathematics one has the quest to know the rate at which one variable is
changing, with respect to other. The rate of change naturally refers to time. But we can have rate of
change with respect to other variables also.
An economist may want to study how the investment changes with respect to variations in interest rates.
A physician may want to know, how small changes in dosage can affect the body's response to a drug.
A physicist may want to know the rate of charge of distance with respect to time.
All questions of the above type can be interpreted and represented using derivatives.
Definition : The average rate of change of a function f(x) with respect to x over an interval [a, a + h] is defined
f(a + h) − f(a)
as
h

f(a + h) − f(a)
Definition : The instantaneous rate of change of f(x) with respect to x is defined as f(x) = lim
h→0
,
h
provided the limit exists.

Note : To use the word 'instantaneous', x may not be representing time. We usually use the word 'rate
of change' to mean 'instantaneous rate of change'.

Example # 6 How fast the area of a circle increases when its radius is 5cm;
(i) with respect to radius (ii) with respect to diameter
dA
Solution : (i) A = r2 , = 2r
dr
dA 
 = 10 cm2/cm.
dr r = 5

 dA 
(ii) A= D2 , = D
4 dD 2
dA  
  = . 10 = 5 cm2/cm.
dD D = 10 2

Example # 7 If area of circle increases at a rate of 2cm2/sec, then find the rate at which area of the inscribed
square increases.
Solution : Area of circle, A1 = r2. Area of square, A2 = 2r2 (see figure)

dA 1 dr dA 2 dr
= 2r , = 4r .
dt dt dt dt
dr dr 1
 2 = 2r .  r =
dt dt 
dA 2 1 4
 =4. = cm2/sec
dt  
4
 Area of square increases at the rate cm2/sec.

Example # 8 The volume of a cube is increasing at a rate of 7 cm3/sec. How fast is the surface area increasing
when the length of an edge is 4 cm?
Solution. Let at some time t, the length of edge is x cm.
dv dx dv
v = x3  = 3x2 (but = 7)
dt dt dt
 dx 7
 = cm/sec.
dt 3x 2
Now S = 6x2
dS dx dS 7 28
= 12x  = 12x. =
dt dt dt 3x 2 x
dS
when x = 4 cm, = 7 cm2/sec.
dt

Example # 9 Sand is pouring from pipe at the rate of 12 cm3/s. The falling sand forms a cone on the ground
in such a way that the height of the cone is always one - sixth of radius of base. How fast is the
height of the sand cone increasing when height is 4 cm?
1 2
Solution. V= r h
3

r
but h=
6
1
 V=  (6h)2 h
3
 V = 12 h3
dV dh
= 36 h2.
dt dt
dV
when, = 12 cm3/s and h = 4 cm
dt
dh 12 1
= = cm/sec.
dt 36 .(4) 2
48

Self Practice Problems :

(7) Radius of a circle is increasing at rate of 3 cm/sec. Find the rate at which the area of circle is
increasing at the instant when radius is 10 cm.
(8) A ladder of length 5 m is leaning against a wall. The bottom of ladder is being pulled along the
ground away from wall at rate of 2cm/sec. How fast is the top part of ladder sliding on the wall
when foot of ladder is 4 m away from wall.

(9) Water is dripping out of a conical funnel of semi-vertical angle 45° at rate of 2cm3/s. Find the rate
at which slant height of water is decreasing when the height of water is 2 cm.

(10) A hot air balloon rising straight up from a level field is tracked by a range finder 500 ft from the
lift-off point. At the moment the range finder's elevation angle is /4, the angle is increasing at
the rate of 0.14 rad/min. How fast is the balloon rising at that moment.
8 1
Ans. (7) 60 cm2/sec (8) cm/sec (9) cm/sec. (10) 140 ft/min.
3 2
 Exercise – I
Section (A) : Angle between curves, Orthogonal curves, Shortest/Maximum distance
between two curves
1. Find the cosine of angle of intersection of curves y = 2x nx and y = x2x–1 at (1, 0).

2. Find the angle between the curves y = lnx and y = (lnx)2 at their point of intersections.
3. Find the angle between the curves y2 = 4x + 4 and y2 = 36 (9 – x).
4. Show that if the curves ax2 + by2 = 1 and Ax2 + By2 = 1 are orthogonal then ab(A – B) = AB(a – b).
5. Find the shortest distance between line y = x – 2 and y = x2 + 3x + 2
6. Find shortest distance between y2 = 4x and (x – 6)2 + y2 = 1

Section (B) : Angle between curves, Orthogonal curves, Shortest/Maximum distance

between two curves
1. The angle of intersection of y = ax and y = bx is given by
log(ab) log(a / b) log(a / b)
(A) tan = (B) (C) (D) None
1 − log(ab) 1 + logalogb 1 − log(a / b)
2. The angle between curves x2 + 4y2 = 32 and x2 – y2 = 12 is
   
(A) (B) (C) (D)
3 4 6 2
3. Find the angle at which two curves x3 – 3xy2 + 2 = 0 and 3x2y – y3 – 2 = 0 intersect
  
(A) 0 (B) (C) (D)
6 3 2
x2
y2
4. The value of a2 if the curves +
= 1 and y3 = 16x cut orthogonally is
a2 4
(A) 3/4 (B) 1 (C) 4/3 (D) 4
5. The shortest distance between curves y2 = 8x and y2 = 4 (x–3) is
(A) 2 (B) 2 2 (C) 3 2 (D) 4 2
2
 7
2 2
x y
6. The shortest distance between curves + = 1 and x − 4  + y =1
2
32 18  
11 15 11
(A) 15 (B) (C) (D)
2 4 4
 Answer Key
Section (A) : Angle between curves, Orthogonal curves, Shortest/Maximum distance
between two curves
 e 
1. 1 2. 45° at (1, 0) and tan–1  2  at (e, 1) 3. 90°
e +2

3
5. 6. 20 − 1
2

Section (B) : Angle between curves, Orthogonal curves, Shortest/Maximum distance

between two curves
1. (B) 2. (D) 3. (D) 4. (C) 5. (B)

6. (D)

Solution
Section (A) : Angle between curves, Orthogonal curves, Shortest/Maximum distance
between two curves
dy  2x 
1. For C1 , = + nx.2x. n2  =2
dx (1,0)  x 
(1,0)

For C2 ,
dy
dx (1,0)
(
= x 2x . nx  2 + 2x(x)2x −1 )
(1,0)
= 2   = 0  cos = 1

dy  1
2. For C1, =   =1
dx x =1  x x =1

dy  1 1
For C1, =  =
dx x =e  x  x =e e

dy  2ln x 
For C2, =  =0
dx x =1  x x =1

dy  2ln x  2
For C2, =  =
dx x =e  x  x =e e

angle between curves at (1,0) is /4 and

 e 
angle between curves at (e,1) is tan–1  2 
e +2

3. Given curves are y2 = 4x + 4 and y2 = 36(9 – x) ......(i)

On solving, we get the point (8,6) and (8,–6)
On differentiating equation (i) , we get
dy dy
2y = 4 and 2y = – 36
dx dx
dy 2 dy –18
 = and =
dx y dx y
dy 1 dy
At point (8,6) , m1 = = and m2 = =–3
dx 3 dx
 m1m2 = – 1

dy −ax
4. ax2 + by2 = 1  =
dx by
dy − Ax
Ax2 + By2 = 1  =
dx By
Product of slopes = – 1
 aAx2 + bBy2 = 0
a b 1
Eliminating x , y
2 2.
 A B 1 =0
aA bB 0
 (AbB – aAB) – (abB – abA) = 0
AB(b – a) – ab (B – A) = 0
 ab(A – B) = AB(a – b)

5. Let C1 is y = x – 2 and C2 is y = x2 + 3x + 2

Slope of common normal is – 1 (if possible)

dy
Now, for C2, = 2x + 3 = 1 x=–1
dx

 Point on C2 where normal has slope equal to –1 is (–1, 0)

3
 Shortest distance between C1 and C2 is distance of (–1, 0) from y = x – 2 which is
2

6. Equation of normal to y2 = 4x is y = –tx + 2t + t3 at point (t2, 2t). If it is common normal to

(x – 6)2 + y2 = 1 then (6,0) satisfies the above equation of normal

 t3 – 4t = 0  t = 0, 2, –2

 feet of these common normal are (0,0), (4,4), (4,–4)

 Distance of these feet from (6, 0) are 6, 20, 20 respectively

 shortest distance between y2 = 4x and (x – 6)2 + y2 = 1 is 20 − 1

Section (B) : Angle between curves, Orthogonal curves, Shortest/Maximum distance

between two curves
dy
1. For C1, = ax na = na
dx (0,1) (0,1)

dy
For C2, = bx nb = nb
dx (0,1) (0,1)

loga − logb log(a / b)

 angle between curve is =
1 + logalogb 1 + logalogb

2. Both curves are confocal, where focus of both curves is ( 24,0) and (− 24,0)


 angle between curves x2 + 4y2 = 32 and x2 – y2 = 12 is
2
 dy  x 2 − y 2 dy  −2xy
3.  = , =
dx  C1 2xy dx C2 x2 − y2

dy  dy 
 × =–1
dx  C1 dx C2


dy −4x dy 16
4. For C1, = 2 and For C2, = 2
dx a y dx 3y

−4x 16  4   16x 
  = −1   2    3  = −1  a2 = 4/3
2
a y 3y 2
 3a   y 

5. Equation of normal to the curve y2 = 8x and y2 = 4 (x–3) are y = mx –4m – 2m3 and

y = m(x–3) – 2m – m3 respectively.

 – 4m – 2m3 = –3m – 2m – m3  m3 – m = 0  m = 0, 1,–1

 feet of common normal with slope equal to –1 on the curves y2 = 8x and y2 = 4 (x–3) are (4,2) and
(2,4) respectively

Now, distance between points (4,2) and (2,4) is 2 2

x2 y2 2x 18y 7 
6. Equation of normal at + = 1 at (h, k) is − =14 which passes through  ,0 
32 18 h k 4 

56
 − 0 = 14 h=4 k=3
h

2
7  9 15
Now, distance between (4,3) and  ,0  is 4 +9 = 4
4   

2
x2 y2  7 11
 shortest distance between curves + = 1 and  x − 4  + y = 1 is
2
32 18   4