Math 120R-009

Trigonometric functions - applications

October 27, 2022

1. During the summer months, a reservoir supplies water to an outer suburb based on the water demand
 
π
D(t) = 120 + 60 sin t , 0 ≤ t ≤ 90
90
where t measures the number of days from the start of Summer (which lasts for 90 days)
(a) Sketch the graph of D(t)
(b) What are the maximum and minimum demands made by the community over this period ?
2. When a person it at rest, the blood pressure, P millimetres of mercury at any time t seconds can be approximately
modelled by the equation
 
5π
P (t) = −20 cos t + 100, t ≥ 0
3
(a) Determine the amplitude and period of P .
(b) What is the maximum blood pressure reading that can be recorded for this person ?
(c) Sketch the graph of P (t), showing one full cycle
3. The table shows the depth of water at the end of a pier at various times (measured in hours after midnight on the rst
day of the month).
t 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33
d 16.20 17.49 16.51 14.98 15.60 17.27 17.06 15.34 15.13 16.80 17.42 15.89

(a) Plot the data as a graph.

(b) Find a rule that models the depth data.
(c) Use your model to predict the next high tide.
4. A hill has its cross-section modelled by the function

h(x) = a + b cos(kx), 0 ≤ x ≤ 2,
where h(x) measures the height of the hill relative to the horizontal distance x from O
(a) Determine the values of k, a and b.
(b) How far, horizontally from O, would a cyclist (!) climbing this hill from O be, when he rst reaches a height of 1
metre ?
(c) How much further, horizontally, will the cyclist have travelled when he reaches the same height of 1 metre once
over the hill and on its way down ?