Questions
EXTENSION 1
  Calculus (Ext1), C1 Rates of Change (Y11), Exponential Growth and 1.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2015 HSC 2 MC
Decay (Ext1)
   Modified Growth and Decay
Teacher: Bader Zo'Rob
Exam Equivalent Time: 79.5 minutes (based on allocation of 1.5 minutes per mark)
2.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2013 HSC 12c
HISTORICAL CONTRIBUTION
C1 Rates of Change has contributed below expectations with an average of 4.8% per new syllabus
Ext1 exam since its introduction in 2020.
This topic has been split into three sub-categories for analysis purposes which are: 1-Growth and
Decay (3.8%), 2-Motion and Time (0%), and 3-Related Rates of Change (1.4%).
3.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2005 HSC 2d
This analysis looks at Growth and Decay.
HSC ANALYSIS - What to expect and common pitfalls
Exponential Growth and Decay (3.8%) has appeared in substantial 4-mark questions in both the 2022
and 2021 new syllabus Ext1 exams after not appearing in 2020.
This topic area covers both "standard" Growth and Decay found in the old Mathematics course and
the more challenging "modified" Growth and Decay found in the old Ext1 course that models systems
with natural carrying capacities.
"Standard" Growth and Decay is key gateway knowledge for this topic area and deserves careful
revision. Note the simultaneous growth and decay of fish populations in 2013 Adv 16b that caused
major problems and deserves particular attention.
"Modified" Growth and Decay (examined 2021-22) is the most likely question-style and any revision 4.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2014 HSC 12f
plan should reflect this. 2017 Ext1 14c applies a blow torch to students' ability to work with log laws
and represents the highest difficulty level of this topic - a must review question.
Given that  , which expression is equal to 
(A)   
(B)   
(C)   
(D)   
A cup of coffee with an initial temperature of 80°C is placed in a room with a constant temperature of
22°C.
The temperature,   °C,  of the coffee after minutes is given by
,
where   ,    and    are positive constants. The temperature of the coffee drops to 60°C after 10
minutes.
How long does it take for the temperature of the coffee to drop to 40°C?  Give your answer to the
nearest minute.    (3 marks)
A salad, which is initially at a temperature of 25°C, is placed in a refrigerator that has a constant
temperature of 3°C. The cooling rate of the salad is proportional to the difference between the
temperature of the refrigerator and the temperature, , of the salad. That is, satisfies the equation
 
where    is the number of minutes after the salad is placed in the refrigerator.
i. Show that    satisfies this equation.  (1 mark)
ii. The temperature of the salad is 11°C after 10 minutes. Find the temperature of the salad after 15
minutes.  (3 marks)
Milk taken out of a refrigerator has a temperature of 2° C. It is placed in a room of constant
temperature 23°C. After minutes the temperature, °C, of the milk is given by
,
where and are positive constants.
How long does it take for the milk to reach a temperature of 10°C?   (3 marks) 
5.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2011 HSC 5b
To test some forensic science students, an object has been left in the park. At 10am the temperature
of the object is measured to be 30°C. The temperature in the park is a constant 22°C. The object is
moved immediately to a room where the temperature is a constant 5°C.
The temperature of the object in the room can be modelled by the equation
, is a constant.
where    is the temperature of the object in degrees Celcius, is the time in hours since the object
was placed in the room and is a constant.
After one hour in the room the temperature of the object is 20°C.
i. Show that      (2 marks)
ii. In a similar manner, the temperature of the object in the park before it was discovered can be
modelled by an equation in the form   ,  with the same constant   .
Find the time of day when the object had a temperature of 37°C.    (3 marks)
6.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2010 HSC 2b
The mass of a whale is modelled by
 
where    is measured in tonnes,    is the age of the whale in years and    is a positive constant.
i. Show that the rate of growth of the mass of the whale is given by the differential equation
 
   (1 mark)
ii. When the whale is 10 years old its mass is 20 tonnes.
Find the value of   ,  correct to three decimal places.    (2 marks)
iii. According to this model, what is the limiting mass of the whale?    (1 mark)
7.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2022 HSC 12d
In a room with temperature 12°C, coffee is poured into a cup. The temperature of the coffee when it is
poured into the cup is 92°C, and it is far too hot to drink.
The temperature, , in degrees Celsius, of the coffee, minutes after it is made, can be modelled
using the differential equation  , where is the constant of proportionality and
i. It takes 5 minutes for the coffee to cool to a temperature of 76°C.
Using separation of variables, solve the given differential equation to show that 
.  (3 marks)
ii. The optimal drinking temperature for a hot beverage is 57°C.
Find the value of when the coffee reaches this temperature, giving your answer to the nearest
minute.  (1 mark)
8.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2008 HSC 4a
A turkey is taken from the refrigerator. Its temperature is  5°C when it is placed in an oven preheated
to  190°C.
Its temperature,   ° C, after    hours in the oven satisfies the equation
.
i. Show that    satisfies both this equation and the initial condition.  (2 marks)
ii. The turkey is placed into the oven at 9 am. At 10 am the turkey reaches a temperature of  29°C. The
turkey will be cooked when it reaches a temperature of 80°C.
At what time (to the nearest minute) will it be cooked?  (3 marks)
9.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2019 HSC 12d
A refrigerator has a constant temperature of 3°C. A can of drink with temperature 30°C is placed in
the refrigerator.
After being in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, the temperature of the can of drink is 28°C.
The change in the temperature of the can of drink can be modelled by  ,  where is
the temperature of the can of drink, is the time in minutes after the can is placed in the refrigerator
and is a constant.
a. Show that  , where is a constant, satisfies
.  (1 mark)
b. After 60 minutes, at what rate is the temperature of the can of drink changing?   (3 marks)
10.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2013 VCE 5 13.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2017 HSC 14c
A container of water is heated to boiling point (100°C) and then placed in a room that has a constant The concentration of a drug in a body is   , where is the time in hours after the drug is taken.
temperature of 20°C. After five minutes the temperature of the water is 80°C.
Initially the concentration of the drug is zero. The rate of change of concentration of the drug is given
by   
a. Use Newton’s law of cooling  , where is the temperature of the water at
.
the time minutes after the water is placed in the room, to show that    (2 marks)
i. By differentiating the product   show that
b. Find the temperature of the water 10 minutes after it is placed in the room.  (3 marks)  

.  (2 marks)

11.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2021 HSC 12b ii. Hence, or otherwise, show that   .  (2 marks)
iii. The concentration of the drug increases to a maximum.
A bottle of water, with temperature 5°C, is placed on a table in a room. The temperature of the room  
remains constant at 25°C. After minutes, the temperature of the water, in degrees Celsius, is . For what value of does this maximum occur?  (2 marks)

The temperature of the water can be modelled using the differential equation
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where is the growth constant
After 8 minutes, the temperature of the water is 10°C.
i. By solving the differential equation, find the value of when the temperature of the water reaches
20°C. Give your answer to the nearest minute.  (3 marks)
ii. Sketch the graph of as a function of .  (1 mark)

12.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2016 HSC 12b

In a chemical reaction, a compound is formed from a compound . The mass in grams of and
are and respectively, where is the time in seconds after the start of the chemical
reaction.
Throughout the reaction the sum of the two masses is 500 g. At any time , the rate at which the
mass of compound is increasing is proportional to the mass of compound .

At the start of the chemical reaction,  and   .

i.  Show that   .  (3 marks)

ii.  Show that    satisfies the equation in part (i), and find the value of .  (2 marks)
Worked Solutions 2.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2013 HSC 12c

1.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2015 HSC 2 MC

 
 
IMPORTANT: Students should
  either keep   in exact form (using
their calculator’s memory button),
or ensure they take  to a
sufficient number of decimal
places to reach an accurate
answer.

ALGEBRA TIP: Keep  in the

equation right until the last
calculation and then substitute in
(see Worked Solution).

 
 
 
3.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2005 HSC 2d 4.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2014 HSC 12f

i. 

     
   
 

 
ii.     

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
5.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2011 HSC 5b   ….
 
i.   
 

6.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2010 HSC 2b

i. 

IMPORTANT: Know this standard

proof well and be able to produce
it quickly.

 
 
 
 
ii.  

ii.  

 
 
 
 

iii. 
MARKER’S COMMENT: Many
students failed to recognise that a
negative value for was not invalid
but represented the time before
10am.

 
7.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2022 HSC 12d  

i.   
   
 
   

 
 
 

  

 
ii.   

 
8.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2008 HSC 4a 9.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2019 HSC 12d

i.    a.   

   

     

     
   
b.   
 

 
 
 

 
ii.   

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
10.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2013 VCE 5 11.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2021 HSC 12b

a.    i.   

   

   

   
      

COMMENT: Recognise that

exponential G+D models are
simply differential equations with
known solutions (syllabus p.58)!
 
 
 
 

   

(b)  

 
 
 
ii.
T
♦ Mean mark part (ii) 37%.
25
 
20 (39, 20)
 
15
(8, 10)
10

t
8 16 24 32 40
  
12.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2016 HSC 12b 13.  Calculus, EXT1 C1 2017 HSC 14c
i.  
i. 
♦ Mean mark (part i) 43%.

 
 
 

 
 
 
 
  ii.   

ii.    ♦♦ Mean mark 37%.

 
   

 
 
 
 

 
 

iii.   

 
 

♦♦ Mean mark 39%.

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