Polyana Lavaki3

Math-1210-501
Summer 2023

s ( t ) =t 4−6 t 3 +4 t 2 +3 (Position equation)

a) Find the velocity of the particle at time t. What is the velocity at t = 0?

 Velocity is the derivative of Position equation.
v ( t )=4 t 3 −18t 2 +8 t (Velocity equation)
3 2
v ( 0 )=4 ( 0 ) −18 ( 0 ) +8 ( 0 )
v( 0) = 8 m/s

b) Determine, using algebraic analysis, when the particle is moving in a positive direction, a
negative direction, and when it is at rest.
 First find the critical numbers of the velocity function which is the first derivative provided in
(a).
 Set the first derivation function to zero.

3 2
0=4 t −18 t + 8 t
2
0=2t (2 t −9 t + 4)

−b ± √ b −4 ac
2
t=
2a

−(−9 ) ± √(−9 ) −4 ( 2 )( 8 )
2
t=
2 (2 )

9 ± √ 81−32
t=
4

t=0.5∧4
¿ Particle is at rest whent =0 ,t=0.5∧t=4 seconds

 Intervals are broken into the time when particle is at rest and then direction of movement
will be determined using the first derivative test. If movement is positive that means the
particle moved forward or is moving to the right, if it’s negative that means the particle is
moving backwards or moving to the left.

+ve +ve
0 0.5 -ve 4
 v ( 0.2 )=4 t 3−18 t 2+ 8t=+ ve
3 2
v ( 1 )=4 t −18 t +8 t=−ve
3 2
v ( 5 ) =4 t −18 t + 8t=+ ve

(0, 0.5) U (4, oo) intervals t = 0 to t = 0.5 and t = 4 to positive infinity, particle is moving in
the positive direction, that is forward or right.
(0.5, 4) t = 0.5 to t = 4, particle was moving in the negative direction, either left or backward.
c) Find the total distance traveled by the particle in the first 6 seconds.
 Plug in the critical numbers into the original function (position equation) and then take the
total distance travelled per intervals. Add them all together to get the total distance
travelled.

4 3 2
s ( t ) =t −6 t +4 t +3
4 3 2
s ( 0 )=0 −6 ( 0 ) +4 ( 0 ) + 3=3
4 3 2
s ( 0.5 )=0.5 −6 ( 0.5 ) +4 ( 0.5 ) +3=3.3125
4 3 2
s ( 4 )=4 −6 ( 4 ) +4 ( 4 ) +3=−61
4 3 2
s ( 6 )=6 −6 ( 6 ) + 4 ( 6 ) +3=147

Distances between the intervals.

s ( 0.5 )−s ( 0 )=3.3125−3=.3125
s ( 4 )−s ( 0.5 )=−61−3.3125=−64.3125 (absolute value of this since we are talking about
distance travelled)
s ( 6 )−s ( 4 ) =147−−61=208
Total distances
.3125+64.3125+208=272.63 meters

d) Find the acceleration of the particle at time t. What is the acceleration at t = 0?

 Acceleration is the derivative of velocity. This is the second derivative of the position
equation provided.
a ( t )=12 t 2−36 t+8
2
a ( 0 )=12 ( 0 ) −36 ( 0 ) +8=8m/s^2
e) When is the particle speeding up and slowing down? Explain how you found your answers.
 When velocity and acceleration goes in the same direction that means that the particle is
speeding up. If the velocity and acceleration are going in different direction then particle is
slowing down. We find this by setting the second derivative (acceleration
function/equation) to zero and solve. Just like how we were able to figure out the direction
of speed from the first derivative, we will then use the critical numbers to find where the
function is increasing and decreasing.

a ( t )=12 t 2−36 t+8

2
0=12t −36 t +8
 −b ± √ b 2−4 ac
t=
2a

−(−36)± √(−36) −4(12)(8)

2
t=
2(12)

36 ± √1296−384
t=
24

36 ± √912
t=
24

t=0.24169∧2.7538

Find out if increasing or decreasing (±)

a ( t )=12 t 2−36 t+8

2
a ( 0 )=12 ( 0 ) −36 ( 0 ) +8=+ ve
2
a ( 1 )=12 ( 1 ) −36 ( 1 ) +8=−ve
2
a ( 3 ) =12 ( 3 ) −36 ( 3 ) +8=+ ve

Acceleration function :
+ve +ve
0.24 -ve 2.75
Velocity function:
+ve +ve
0 0.5 -ve 4
Intervals breakdown:
(0 , 0.24) both velocity and acceleration are positive so it is speeding up.
(0.24 , 0.5) Velocity is positive while acceleration is negative, thus, they are going different direction so it
is slowing down.
(0.5, 2.75) both velocity and acceleration are negative so its speeding up.
(2.75,4) one is negative while the other is positive so it is slowing down.
(4, oo) both positive so it’s speeding up.

Graph of :
Position( red)
Velocity (blue)
Acceleration (green)
The graphs above reflects the solution to the problems in this assignment from the original function
(position to first derivative (velocity) and then to the second derivative (acceleration function) I ran into
some problems while working on this project. Tring to understand what the question is actually asking
for and just processing the information vs key words in order to make it more sensible to myself. When
I was adding up the total distance travelled, I assumed that it doesn’t matter the direction it’s going as
long as I add the numbers together to get the total distance. I came to find out that when it’s distance
travelled no matter the direction (-/+) it is travelling, it’s still considered a distance travelled so every
distance that’s travelled left or backward (negative distance) the absolute value of that is added in order
to account for the total distance travelled.
This project has helped me to understand derivative in real life better. Derivative is any rate of change
whether it’s rate of growth of bacteria or rate of change of a reaction, we will be able to dictate that by
using derivative. This class is familiar to me but I still struggle with bits here and there algebraically, I
feel that by connecting this class to real life problems makes more sense in connecting the dots of how
and why things happen the way they are and how do we calculate the numbers of something or what to
expect like this project. It is expected to increase or decrease because of positive and negative of
specific derivatives. This class has helped me to understand more about first and second derivative.
What they are and how I can differentiate the two. Second derivative is acceleration whereas first
derivative is rates of change or slopes.