DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION EXERCISE 3

Wardaya College

June 2022

1. The number of micro-organisms at time t in a population is denoted by M , where is taken to

be a continuous variable. The differential equation satisfied by M and t is assumed to be

dM √
= k M cos(0.02t)
dt

where k is a constant. It is given that M = 100 when t = 0.

(a) Solve the differential equation, obtaining an expression relating M, k, and t.

(b) It is given that when t = 50, M = 196. Determine the value of k.
(c) Express M in terms of t and deduce the least possible number of micro-organisms.

2. In a certain country the tax on each litre of petrol sold to motorists is x dollars per litre and
the revenue per year is R million dollars. The relationship between R and x is modelled by
the differential equation.

dR 1
= R( − 0.57).
dx x

It is given that R = 16.8 when x = 0.5, and that R and x may be treated as continuous
variables.

(a) Solve the differential equation, expressing R in terms of x.

(b) With this model, R cannot exceed a certain value. Deduce this maximum value of R.
Z
1
3. Find the integral dv
100 − v 2
(a) A stone is dropped from a stationary balloon and leaves the balloon with zero speed. Its
speed v metres per second at time t seconds later are related by the differential equation
dv
= 10 − 0.1v 2
dt
 i. Find an expression for t in terms of v. Hence determine the exact time the stone
takes to reach a speed of 5 metres per second.
ii. Determine the speed of the stone after 1 second.
iii. Deduce the speed of the stone for large values of t.

4. A water tank has vertical sides of height h and is initially full of water. Through a small hole
in the base of the tank, water leaks out at a rate, which, at any time t, is proportional to the
depth x of the remaining water in the tank at that instant.
dx
(a) Show that the quantities x and t are related by the equation = −kx, where k is a
dt
positive constant.
(b) Given that the tank is exactly half empty in 2 hours, determine the depth of the water
in 1/2 hour, giving your answer in terms of h.

5. The current I in an electric circuit at time t is modelled by the differential equation

dI
4 = 2 − 3I
dt

Given that I = 2 when t = 0, find I in terms of t. Write down what happens to the current
in the circuit for large values of t.

6. The number of organisms at time t in a population is denoted by x, where x may be taken as

a continuous variable. The variation of x with t is assume to satisfy the differential equation

dx xe−t
=
dt k + e−t

where k is a positive constant.

(a) It is given that when t = 0, x = 10. Solve the differential equation, obtaining an expres-
sion relation x, k, and t.
2
(b) It is also given that when t = 1, x = 20. Prove that k = 1 − .
e
(c) Verify that the number of organisms never reaches 48, regardless of how large t becomes.