RELATED RATES

related rates problems

involve finding a rate at which a
quantity changes by relating that
quantity to other quantities whose
rates of change are known. The rate
of change is usually with respect to
time.

WHAT IS MEANT BY RELATED RATES?

Related rates problems involve two

(or more) variables that change at the
same time, possibly at different
rates. If we know how the variables
are related, and how fast one of them
is changing, then we can figure out
how fast the other one is changing.

EXAMPLE OF A RELATED RATE?

SUBMITTED BY:
ROSALYN DEOZO
If two related quantities are
changing over time, the rates at SUMITTED TO:
which the quantities change are
related. For example, if a balloon is MATTHEW CAÑEDA
being filled with air, both the radius
of the balloon and the volume of the
balloon are increasing.
` WHAT IS THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE
IN RELATED RATES PROBLEMS?
Note: It's okay to get a
The key phrases that
negative answer in
indicate time to be the
independent variable these problems. A
are "how fast," "how negative answer tells
often," "at what speed," us that that the
"at what rate is this or quantity is decreasing
that changing," and so and positive tells us
on. In rare cases a it's increasing.
WHY ARE RELATED RATES related rate problem
CALLED RELATED RATES? might have something
Related rates problems other than time as its
analyze the rate at which independent variable.
functions change for certain
instances in time. These
problems generally involve
two or more functions where
you relate the functions
themselves and their
derivatives, hence the name
"related rates." A "related
rates'' problem is a problem in
which we know one of the
rates of change at a given
instant—say, ˙x=dx/dt—and
we want to find the other rate
˙y=dy/dt at that instant.