The Perfect Related Rates Lesson: A lesson study in calculus

Part I: Background Lesson Topic: Related Rates Discipline or Field: Mathematics (Calculus) Authors: Joy Becker, Christopher Bendel, Petre Ghenciu, Laura Schmidt, Radi Teleb Note: Anne Antonippillai and Haiyan Tian were also part of the original lesson study team but were only able to participate in the first presentation of the lesson during the fall semester of 2005. Lesson Site: UW-Stout, Menomonie, WI Course Name: Calculus I (MATH 153) and Calculus & Analytic Geometry I (MATH 156) Course Description: Calculus I (MATH 153) or Calculus & Analytic Geometry I (MATH 156) is the first course in a sequence of calculus courses required for students in various majors including Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Science, and Technology. The main objective of the course is building the essential skills, mastery, and understanding of the applications of several topics including analytic geometry of plane functions, limits, continuity, derivatives of functions and applications; exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric and inverse functions; indefinite and definite integrals; and the fundamental theorem of calculus. The prerequisite of this course is the completion of MATH 121, a trigonometric functions course, or an appropriate placement test score. The class size has increased over the last few semesters and averages about 40-45 students per class during the fall semester for MATH 153 and about 30-35 students for MATH 156. During the spring semester when Calculus I is off sequence, the class size decreases. The students are split depending on their major into the two versions of the course. MATH 156 contains mainly students majoring in Computer Science and Mathematics, and MATH 153 contains all other majors. The two versions are almost identical with the version for the Computer Science and Mathematics majors requiring more proofs and theory. All the students in either course have laptops and graphing calculators, although these technologies are not crucial to this lesson. The classroom setting varies among the sections of the course from long tables to individual desks, making it difficult to generalize student interactions in the lesson plan. The lesson follows content on general derivative rules and implicit differentiation. It is the first major application section using derivatives and usually takes 2-3 days to complete.

Summary: Two immediate learning goals for this lesson are 1) Students will understand that related rates problems are applications of implicit differentiation and 2) Students will be able to translate, compile, model, and solve a related rates problem and interpret the meaning of the answer. A longer-term goal is that students problem-solving and critical thinking skills will be improved. The lesson was designed to span two class days, using various examples to demonstrate a variety of different types of problems. From the data collected, the first two goals were achieved. In particular, the lesson visibly increased student engagement during class.

Part II: The Lesson Learning Goals: 1. Students will understand that related rates problems are applications of implicit differentiation. 2. Students will be able to translate, compile, model, and solve a related rates problem and interpret the meaning of the answer. 3. Students problem-solving and critical thinking skills will be improved. Lesson Outline: Note that in the fall of 2005, this lesson spanned one class period (55 minutes). One of the revisions for the spring of 2006 was to extend it over two classes. We also observed the same lesson in the fall of 2006. What follows is the revised lesson outline. Parts that were done differently in the fall of 2005 are marked in italics. The examples, homework and worksheet problems are provided in the appendix. Day 1 Allow time for questions from previous class. I. Basketball Example (20 minutes) (See Basketball Example in the appendix.) The instructor gives students a worksheet to work through individually or in small groups. The first two questions on the worksheet are review problems, with the last three introducing the idea of related rates. Little, if any, instruction is given ahead of time. The instructor may tell students that they should be able to do the first two problems already and that the last three are related to the new material. While students are working, the instructor monitors their progress and is available to answer questions. However, students should be encouraged to discover the new material on their own. The worksheet is discussed with the whole class, including a model solution by the instructor. In the fall of 2005, this worksheet was distributed during the previous class session, and students were asked to complete or at least attempt the problems before the next class.

II. Main Ideas and Theory (10 minutes) The instructor discusses the general framework and outline of the problem-solving process for related rates problems in more detail. Students should be asked to think about the process that is followed and add their ideas. Highlights include the following: 1. Understand the problem a. Read the problem carefully b. Draw a picture when appropriate c. Identify known and unknown quantities and rates d. Represent quantities and rates with variables and derivatives 2. Write an equation relating the quantities and rates 3. Differentiate the equation with respect to time using implicit differentiation and the chain rule 4. Solve the problem a. Substitute known values to solve for unknown b. Check your answer in the context of the problemDoes it make sense? c. Include units with your answer d. Be able to explain the physical meaning of your answer III. Warm-Up to Related Rates Worksheet (remaining time) (See Warm-Up to Related Rates Worksheet in the appendix.) This worksheet includes three implicit differentiation problems in which students need to differentiate with respect to t. There are also three problems in which they are asked to set up an equation relating the variables. The equation set-up problems were chosen to fit problems that will be covered as in-class examples or worksheet problems. The instructor distributes the worksheet to individuals or small groups. Again, the instructor is available to answer questions without leading students directly to the answers. If there is not time to finish the worksheet in class, students are asked to complete it before the next class. This worksheet was added for the spring 2006 lesson. Day 2 Allow time for questions and/or review from previous day. IV. Go over Warm-Up to Related Rates Worksheet (10 minutes) The worksheet from Day 1 is discussed as a class, with students explaining answers when possible. The instructor might ask students to put answers on the board and explain them to the rest of the class. V. Examples (20 minutes) (See Related Rates Examples in the appendix.) Two examples are discussed as a class. One uses the Pythagorean Theorem, and the other uses the volume of a cylinder. The purpose of this part of the lesson is to model the problem-solving process with the entire class. The

instructor goes through each problem with input from students, following the framework from Day 1. In the fall of 2005, we used a typical ladder problem for the in-class example. We changed this to a different Pythagorean Theorem problem and added another example. VI. Related Rates Worksheet (remaining time) (See Related Rates Worksheet in the appendix.) The instructor distributes a worksheet with three related rates problems to students to complete individually or in groups. The instructor monitors progress and is available to answer questions. This worksheet could be assigned as homework. The problems were chosen to vary the type of equation. One of the worksheet problems uses area, the second uses trigonometry, and the third uses similar triangles. Note that students set up equations for the first and third problems on the previous worksheet. The third problem was added for spring 2006.

Rationale: Related rates problems tend to be difficult for students since they are generally word problems that require setting up before solving. This topic is important as one common example of the applications of derivatives. We wanted to design a lesson that would not only help them learn how to set up and solve such problems but also help them become more comfortable with the problem-solving process in general. We felt the initial example would get them thinking about the new concepts and how they are different from the previous rates of change calculations. We chose a basketball problem so that most students would easily be able to visualize the situation. Going through that example as a class and discussing the general process together gives the students a model of the process and some general guidelines to follow. We then gave the students the Warm-Up to Related Rates Worksheet. Since the general process involves implicit differentiation, we began with some questions to remind students how to take the derivative implicitly. These questions will help students achieve the first learning goal: Students will understand that related rates problems are applications of implicit differentiation. The remaining questions on the worksheet are designed to help students practice setting up the related rates problems, which is one of the most difficult steps. The equation set-up problems were chosen to fit problems that will be covered as in-class examples or worksheet problems during the following class period in order to save time. At the beginning of the following class period the worksheets were collected and analyzed to determine if students had understood the equation set-up portion of the process. The instructor reviews the answers by asking questions of the students and soliciting suggestions for each problem, so that student learning and thinking could be observed. The in-class examples were chosen to help model the problem-solving process with the entire class. We chose one problem involving the Pythagorean Theorem and one using the volume of a cylinder. The Pythagorean Theorem question is one of the warmup worksheet problems, so the equation has already been discussed.

The worksheet problems were designed to give the students practice setting up and solving problems individually or in small groups. The problems were chosen to vary the type of equation. The worksheet starts with a basic geometry problem to help students become more confident with the problem-solving process. The second problem on the worksheet is more difficult and involves knowledge from trigonometry which will be useful in other problems. The third problem is usually the most difficult for students since it uses similar triangles, and students have difficulty recognizing this and setting up the corresponding equation. Equations for the first and third problems have already been discussed since they were on the warm-up worksheet. These worksheets were collected during the following class period, and the students thinking processes were analyzed to determine if they achieved the second learning goal: Students will be able to translate, compile, model, and solve a related rates problem and interpret the meaning of the answer.

Part III: The Study Introduction: From past teaching experiences, instructors have generally found that the topic of related rates is one of the most challenging topics for students to master in a first semester calculus course. Instructors conjecture two reasons for this. First, the primary mathematical concept involved (implicit differentiation) is itself subtle and found to be challenging by students. Second, while a related rates problem can be stated in a purely mathematical format (a format in which many students do typically master the techniques), the problems are well-suited to model a real-world situation. As such, a typical problem is stated in the form of a word problem. This adds an additional layer of complexity to the problem since students in almost any mathematical context struggle to deal with word problems and have a difficult time translating from a real-world situation into a concrete mathematical problem. Approach: Our study of the lesson involved four basic tools: observation of student engagement and learning during class, both as a large group and as part of small groups; samples of student work via worksheets done in class, homework, and an exam; a brief student survey; and video taping of the class and small groups. Since the structure of the lesson was changed after our first presentation of the lesson, we will focus here on our approach for the second and third presentations. Classroom observation: The lesson was designed to alternate between entire class lecture/discussion time and small group or individual work time. During lecture time, observers were asked to answer the following questions: Do students seem engaged? How many students are engaged? Who is engaged? Who is actively participating? During small group time, observers were asked to answer the following questions:

Do students understand the method for solving the problems? If students are getting stuck, at which step are they getting stuck? Did the students feel they got the right answers at the end? Student work: For small group activities, students submitted the work they did in class as well as a copy of any work they did on their own outside of class. Student scores on homework and exam questions on the topic were also recorded. Student survey: A few days after the lesson, students were given a brief survey to gauge their perception of the effectiveness of the lesson. Specifically, the students were asked: What was the most confusing concept in the section on related rates? What did you understand the best in the section on related rates? What did you find challenging about the homework for the section on related rates? Video taping: The lesson was video taped with an attempt to focus on a small group of students to hear their interactions. Findings: As above, we will focus on the second and third presentations of the lesson since the lesson was substantially changed after the first presentation. Second presentation findings: This presentation was made to a very small class eight students attended the first day and seven of those students attended the second day (with no one else attending). In addition, our plan was altered due to a sizable amount of time spent at the beginning of the first day on previous material. The result of this was that there was very little opportunity to observe small group or individual work during the class period. The only such activity was the first activity, which focused primarily on prior student knowledge and led into the new topic. Students were reasonably successful doing the early parts of this worksheet (which were not the objective of the lesson) and generally got stuck when they came to the new ideas. During the large group lecture/discussion times, the observers found that students were generally engaged and responsive. An interesting observation was that when a general outline of the problem solving technique was presented, some students became less engaged (e.g., no longer were taking notes). Students were asked to work on the planned in-class worksheets outside of class. However, no students did any such work. Homework results: Students in the class were assigned to do 10 problems from the topic using an on-line homework system. (See Related Rates Homework Spring 2006 in the appendix.) Of the students who were present on one or both of the days the lesson was presented, seven of the students submitted an answer to at least one problem. With the on-line grading system, it is possible that a student worked on a problem but simply did not submit an answer. This cannot be differentiated from someone who never thought about the problem at all. The results on these 10 problems for the seven people who attempted the assignment are summarized below.

Problem 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Correct Answer 7 7 6 5 4 2 2 1 1 1

Incorrect Answer 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 1 1 1

No Answer Submitted 0 0 0 0 3 5 4 5 5 5

The problems were ordered in a generally less to more difficult order. Some of these problems were also discussed in class by the instructor after the lesson days. Exam results: One related rates question was asked on a subsequent exam. This was a traditional hand-written exam where students are expected to show all of their work in solving the problem. Of the eight students who attended one or both days of the lesson, seven took the exam. In addition, two students who did not attend either lesson also took the exam. Results are summarized in the following table. Exam Question: A dump truck is dumping sand into a pile at a rate of 2 cubic feet per second. The pile forms the shape of a cone. Assume that the cone always grows such that the height is twice the radius. Find the rate of change of the radius of the pile of sand at the point when the radius is 10 feet. (Students were given the formula for the volume of a cone.) Essentially Correct 4 57.14% 1 Some Work 0 0% 0 Minimal Work 0 0% 0 Essentially No Work 3 42.86% 1

Attended Lessons Percent/attended Did Not Attend

Notation: 1) Essentially Correct: This means that the students set up the problem correctly, used the proper procedures for solving the problems, and carried this out with only no or minor arithmetical mistakes. 2) Some Work: This means that students set up the problem correctly but could not correctly carry out the implicit differentiation procedure to solve the problem. 3) Minimal Work: This means that the students recognized some relevant aspects of the problem such as identifying/labeling variables but did not make substantial progress towards setting up the proper equation to work with. 4) Essentially No work: This means that students either did no work at all or only did work that was not helpful for solving the problem.

Survey Results: Only four students returned surveys. Two students specifically wrote that setting up the equation was the most challenging part of the problem-solving process. Video taping: Based on observations from the first presentation, we found that the video tape was not of sufficient quality to make good observations about the entire class. However, if the video tape focused on a small group of students, we might be able to record their discussions and be able to follow their strategies for solving a problem and identify their stumbling blocks. During the second presentation, we intended to focus in on a smaller group of people, but as mentioned above, there was little small group activity to record. Third presentation findings: This presentation was made to a very large class (48 students total) 47 students attended the first day and 46 of those students attended the second day. In addition, the lesson plan was altered due to a sizable amount of time spent going over the examples in class during the first day. The result was that the students did not have enough time to finish all the problems on the warm-up worksheet. The observers had the opportunity to observe small group and/or individual work during the class period. During the lesson, students were reasonably successful and seemed to enjoy working on the assignments during class. There werent formal groups during this lesson, but many worked with their neighbors and discussed solutions. The observers noted that students were particularly engaged during the discussion of examples and while working on the worksheets. If a student did get stuck, he or she was able to get help from another student or the instructor. During the large group lecture/discussion times, the observers found that students were engaged and responsive. Many were participating actively by answering questions and/or taking notes. Homework results: One hand-written homework assignment was given to students. (See Related Rates Homework Fall 2006 in the appendix.) All students attempted the first problem with most of them getting the right equation. However, many students forgot to assign a negative value to a decreasing rate and thus had the wrong sign in their answer. There were also students with the wrong units on their answer, using cm2/min instead of cm/min. A few students got confused with the question since it asked for dr/dt not dSA/dt which is what they were used to from previous examples. On the second problem part a, only a few did not attempt the problem. Many began with the wrong formula; they werent sure how the tip of the shadow changed the question from previous examples the class had seen. For part b, we did a similar problem in class. However, some students still began with the wrong equation. Similar errors on signs occurred for the decreasing rate for both parts of the second question. The results on the two problems for the students who attempted the assignment are summarized below.

No attempt #1-surface area question #2a-similar triangle #2b-similar triangle 0 2 1

Wrong formula 6 13 6

Algebra error 6 1 0

Sign error 14 13 16

Wrong units 24 1 2

Correct answer 13 17 23

Exam Results: One related rates question was asked on the final exam. This was a traditional hand-written exam where students are expected to show all of their work solving the problem. From the 47 students who took the final exam only one student was not present during the lessons. Results are summarized in the following table (using the same categories as the previous exam table). Exam Question: Air is being pumped into a spherical balloon at a rate of 6 cubic feet per minute. Find the rate of change of the radius when the radius is 3 feet. [Provide the exact solution.] Essentially Correct 15 32.61 % 0 Some Work 14 30.44 % 0 Minimal Work 16 34.78 % 1 Essentially No Work 1 2.17 % 0

Attended Lessons Percent/attended Did Not Attend

Survey Results: Of the 47 students who attended class on at least one of the lesson days, all 47 students responded to the survey. Nineteen students (about 40%) found setting-up the problem to be the most challenging part. Twenty-three students (about 50%) found that they understand the best how to take derivatives and solve the problem once it was set up. Video taping: The video tape focused on a small group of students and the investigators were, in most of the cases, able to follow their strategies for solving a problem and identify their stumbling blocks. During the second class day, only the first 20 minutes were recorded because of a battery problem.

Discussion: In terms of our specific lesson goals, by looking at the data we collected, the first two were achieved by most students: 1) Students will understand that related rates problems are applications of implicit differentiation and 2) Students will be able to translate, compile, model, and solve a related rates problem and interpret the meaning of the answer. In regard to the first goal, observers noted that students knew they had to use implicit differentiation after the equation was set up, even if they werent sure exactly how to do it. As noted above, student survey responses indicated that the majority of students found the differentiation process to be the easiest part of the problem-solving process. Adding the Warm-Up to Related Rates Worksheet to the lesson helped students

review how to use implicit differentiation and stressed the importance of implicit differentiation in related rates problems. It was also noted by the observers that several students referred to the warm-up worksheet while they were completing other problems. During the in-class examples, students were participating and helped the instructor work through the differentiation process. The second goal of completely solving a related rates problem and interpreting the answer was achieved by most students. As evidenced by the homework and exam scores, the majority of students were able to completely solve a problem. During the in-class examples, instructors asked students about units on answers and what they mean. Many students were able to correctly determine the units and interpret the meaning of the solutions. The most common place where students got stuck was on setting up the initial equations. The warm-up worksheet helped isolate that skill, but students appear to need more practice with that part of the problem-solving process. Although most students seemed to follow and understand the examples done in class, they still lacked confidence when they were working on their own. We found that they could complete basic related rates problems and problems similar to the examples. However, students still had trouble solving new types of problems. As mentioned above, the biggest struggle appears to be in setting up the initial equations. Once the equation was set up, most students could complete the differentiation to find the solution. We included the third goal, Students problem-solving and critical thinking skills will be improved, since it is a goal of the course as the whole. We anticipated that we could not really assess the achievement of this goal in one lesson but may be able to do so if we do further studies in this course. Helping students understand the problem-solving process and work through more applications should theoretically improve their skills, but the improvement is difficult to measure. Even after extending the lesson to two days, there were time constraints. Students often have homework or concept questions from previous material. The initial lesson plan did not account for that time, although we did add question and review time into the revised lesson. Going through the basketball example and the warm-up worksheet also took much more time than was scheduled, especially since most students did not complete anything outside of class. Several possible revisions were discussed, but they have not yet been tested. One is to shorten the basketball example to ensure that it serves as an introduction and does not take away from the other parts of the lesson. Another is to combine the first two problems on the warm-up worksheet, asking students to differentiate the equation in number two with respect to x in addition to t. It was noted that on number five on the warm-up worksheet (the car problem) and the corresponding in-class example, it would be helpful to change the rates and/or the distances of the cars. In both presentations of the lesson, at least one student was able to get a reasonably close answer using incorrect methods, and this created a difficulty in explaining why the method used was indeed incorrect. Another possible revision to help with the time constraint would be to combine the theory discussion with one of the in-class examples. For motivational purposes, especially if the worksheets are finished outside of class, it is recommended that the worksheets be graded. Based on the revisions we made to the lesson and the potential revisions mentioned above, we realize that it is impossible to create the perfect lesson. On the

other hand, we have developed a set of instructions on how to assemble an excellent lesson depending on the classroom settings and other institutional factors. With regard to teaching, all of the participants have concluded that our teaching has improved by participating in this project. Getting together on a weekly basis and talking about the subject and pedagogy has helped us find ways to improve our instructional techniques and, in the end, become better teachers in all of our classes. Indeed, the positive experience in this project has led several of the participants to begin another lesson study project with other colleagues in the department. These projects will involve a number of other faculty members, and we will work to continue encouraging others to participate in lesson study projects as a tremendous opportunity to reflect on their teaching. One of our current departmental goals is to evaluate our assessment strategies for both our general education courses and our courses in the Applied Mathematics and Computer Science program. Lesson studies may be an additional tool to be used in this process, particularly if multiple lessons are done for a certain course. Overall, the lesson study was a great experience for the faculty involved. During our weekly meetings we went beyond discussing our specific lesson goals. The discussion turned into an analysis of the course and a way to share ideas about different teaching techniques in general. We enjoyed the opportunity to watch our colleagues in action and see this being a starting point for an in-depth assessment strategy that will have as a final goal the improvement of the whole mathematics curriculum.

Appendix Basketball Example Warm-Up to Related Rates Worksheet Related Rates Examples Related Rates Worksheet Related Rates Homework Spring 2006 Related Rates Homework Fall 2006

Basketball Example One day after Calculus class, Jane and Bob decide to play some basketball. After they find Bobs ball, they notice that it is a little flat. The circumference should be 30 inches, said Bob. But this looks like about 26 inches. We better pump it up. So they go and look for Bobs pump. While they are looking, Jane says, Hey, maybe we can think about this stuff weve been doing in Calc class. I will go get my book. She started to think about the following questions: 1. If the circumference of the ball is currently 26 inches, what is the radius?

2. Once we start pumping air in, at this radius, at what rate will the volume be changing with respect to the radius?

While Jane was figuring those out, Bob finally found his electric pump. Bob noticed that the pump puts out air at the constant rate of 4 cubic inches per second. They start to pump up the ball and make an observation. 3. Does the radius increase at a constant rate? If not, does it increase faster when the radius is smaller or larger?

They decide to figure this out a bit more precisely. 4. At the initial point (circumference of 26 inches), at what rate is the radius increasing with respect to time?

5. When the basketball is full (circumference of 30 inches), at what rate is the radius increasing with respect to time?

Warm-Up to Related Rates Worksheet 1. Use implicit differentiation to find

dy if cos( x) x 2 y 4 y3 10. dx

2. Suppose x and y are functions of t. a. Differentiate each side of the following equation with respect to t: x2 y 2 4

b. If

dx dy when x 1 and y 3. 2, find dt dt

1 dr 3. Given that the volume of a cone is V r 2 h, find when r 2 in., h 3 in., 3 dt dV 1 3 dh 3 V 4 in.3 , in. / sec, and in./sec. dt 2 dt 4

4. Sheila walks to Lake Menomin and throws a rock into the lake. Since the lake is calm, ripples in the shape of concentric circles are formed on the water. a. Assign variables to the area and radius of one of these circles.

b. Set up an equation relating the variables.

5. Car A is going west at 50 mi/h and car B is going north at 60 mi/h. Both are headed for the intersection of the two roads. Set up an equation relating x, y, and s.
x Car A

y s

Car B

6. A person 6 feet tall walks away from a streetlight 18 feet above ground level at the rate of 5 ft/s. Set up an equation relating x and y.

18 ft. x

6 ft. y

Related Rates Examples 1. Car A is going west at 50 mi/h and car B is going north at 60 mi/h. Both are headed for the intersection of the two roads. At what rate are the cars approaching each other when car A is 0.3 mile and car B is 0.4 mile from the intersection?

2. Recall that the volume V of a cylinder with radius r and height h is V r 2 h. Sally places a marshmallow in the microwave to make a Smore. Assume that the marshmallow has the shape of a cylinder with a radius of 1 cm and a height of 3 cm. When she turns on the microwave, the marshmallow starts to expand at the rate of 2 cm3 per second. Assume also that as it grows, the height is always three times the radius. Find the rate at which the radius is increasing when the radius is 4 cm.

Related Rates Worksheet 1. Sheila walks to Lake Menomin and throws a rock into the lake. Since the lake is calm, ripples in the shape of concentric circles are formed on the water. If the radius of the outer ripple is increasing at a rate of 2 feet per second, at what rate is the total area of disturbed water changing when the radius is 5 feet?

2. A television camera at ground level is filming the lift-off of a space shuttle. The shuttle is rising vertically according to the position equation s 50t 2 , where s is measured in feet and t is measured in seconds. The camera is 2000 feet from the launch pad. Find the rate of change in the angle of elevation of the camera at 10 seconds after lift-off.

3. A person 6 feet tall walks away from a streetlight at the rate of 5 ft/s. If the light is 18 feet above ground level, how fast is the persons shadow lengthening?

Related Rates Homework Exercises Spring 2006 1. a) If A is the area of a circle with radius r and the circle expands as time passes, find dA/dt in terms of dr/dt. b) Suppose oil spills from a ruptured tanker and spreads in a circular pattern. If the radius of the oil spill increases at a constant rate of 2 m/s, how fast is the area of the spill increasing when the radius is 41 m? 2. If y 3x 3 5x and dx/dt = 4, find dy/dt when x = 4. 3. If x 2 y 2 400 and dy/dt = 6, find dx/dt when y = 16. 4. A particle moves along the curve y 17 x 3 . As it reaches the point (4, 9), the ycoordinate is increasing at a rate of 6 cm/s. How fast is the x-coordinate of the point changing at that instant? 5. A plane flying horizontally at an altitude of 4 mi and a speed of 560 mi/h passes directly over a radar station. Find the rate at which the distance from the plane to the station is increasing when it is 10 mi away from the station. 6. A spotlight on the ground shines on a wall 12 m away. If a man 2 m tall walks away from the spotlight toward the building at a speed of 1.2 m/s, how fast is the length of his shadow on the building decreasing when he is 4 m from the building? 7. A man starts walking north at 4 ft/s from a point P. Five minutes later, a woman starts walking south at 5 ft/s from a point 300 ft. due east of P. At what rate are the people moving apart 25 min after the woman starts walking? 8. The altitude of a triangle is increasing at a rate of 2 cm/min while the area of the triangle is increasing at a rate of 1 cm2/min. At what rate is the base of the triangle changing when the altitude is 5 cm and the area is 65 cm2? 9. A trough is 8 ft long and its ends have the shape of isosceles triangles that are 5 ft across at the top and have a height of 1 ft. If the trough is filled with water at a rate of 14 ft3/min, how fast is the water level rising when the water is 6 inches deep? 10. A kite 86 ft above the ground moves horizontally at a speed of 8 ft/s. At what rate is the angle between the string and the horizontal decreasing when 172 ft of string have been let out?

MATH 153 Fall 2006 Show all work.

Related Rates Homework

Name:

1. (4 pts.) If a snowball melts so that its surface area decreases at the rate of 1 cm2/min, find the rate at which the radius decreases when the radius is 5 cm.

2. (6 pts.) A person 6 feet tall walks at a speed of 5 feet per second toward a light that is 20 feet above the ground. When he is 10 feet from the base of the light post, (a) at what rate is the tip of his shadow moving?

(b) at what rate is the length of his shadow changing?