BASIC CALCULUS

St. Paul University Manila

Mr. Amniel D. Mejico
Senior High School Faculty
Pre-Calculus
RELATED
RATES
IMPLICIT DIFFERENTIATION
REMARKS
Let 𝒙 be a differentiable function which represents a quantity that
changes with time 𝒕, then
𝒅𝒙
• is the rate of change of 𝒙 with respect to 𝒕.
𝒅𝒕
𝒅𝒙
• is positive if and only if 𝒙 increases with time (𝒕); and
𝒅𝒕
𝒅𝒙
• is negative if and only if 𝒙 decreases with time (𝒕).
𝒅𝒕

𝒅𝒙 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒙
The unit of measurement of is
𝒅𝒕 𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕
 RELATED RATES
A related rates problem concerns the relationship among the rates of
change of several variables with respect to time, given that each variable
is also dependent on the others. If 𝒚 is dependent on 𝒙, then the rate of
change of 𝒚 with respect to 𝒕 is dependent on the rate of change of 𝒙 with
𝒅𝒚 𝒅𝒙
respect to 𝒕, that is, is dependent on .
𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕
EXAMPLE 1
Two Rates that are Related
Suppose that 𝒙 and 𝒚 are both differentiable functions of 𝒕 and are related
by the equation 𝒚 = 𝒙𝟐 + 𝟑. Find 𝒅𝒚/𝒅𝒕, given that 𝒅𝒙/𝒅𝒕 = 𝟐 when 𝒙 = 𝟏.
𝒚 = 𝒙𝟐 + 𝟑 Write the original equation Given that 𝒙 = 𝟏 and 𝒅𝒙/𝒅𝒕 = 𝟐, then,

𝒅 𝒅 𝟐 𝒅𝒚
𝒚 = 𝒙 +𝟑 Differentiate with respect to 𝒕 =𝟐 𝟏 𝟐
𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕
𝒅𝒚 𝒅𝒙
= 𝟐𝒙 Chain Rule 𝒅𝒚
𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕 =𝟒
𝒅𝒕
RELATED RATES
RELATED RATES
The table below lists examples of mathematical models involving rates of change.
EXAMPLE 2
Ripples in a Pond
A pebble is dropped in a calm pond, causing ripples in the form of concentric circles. The
radius 𝒓 of the outer ripple is increasing at a constant rate of 1 foot per second. When the
radius is 4 feet, at what rate is the total area 𝑨 of the disturbed water changing?
𝒅𝒓 𝒅𝑨
Equation: 𝑨 = 𝝅𝒓𝟐 Given: =𝟏 𝒓=𝟒 Find:
𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕
Differentiate with respect to 𝒕: Substitute the given:
𝒅 𝒅 𝒅𝑨
𝑨 = 𝝅𝒓𝟐 = 𝟐𝝅 𝟒 𝟏
𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕
𝒅𝑨 𝒅𝒓
= 𝟐𝝅𝒓 𝒅𝑨
𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕 = 𝟖𝝅
𝒅𝒕
When the radius is 4 feet, the area is changing at the rate of 8𝜋 square feet per second.
EXAMPLE 3
An Inflating Balloon
Air is being pumped into a spherical balloon at a rate of 4.5 cubic feet per minute. Find the
rate of change of the radius 𝒓 when the radius is 2 feet.
𝟒 𝟑 𝒅𝑽 𝒅𝒓
Equation: 𝑽 = 𝝅𝒓 Given: = 𝟒. 𝟓 𝒓 = 𝟐 Find:
𝟑 𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕
Differentiate with respect to 𝒕: Substitute the given:
𝒅 𝒅 𝟒 𝟑 𝒅𝒓
𝑽 = 𝝅𝒓 𝟒. 𝟓 = 𝟒𝝅 𝟐 𝟐
𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕 𝟑 𝒅𝒕
𝒅𝑽 𝟐
𝒅𝒓 𝒅𝒓
= 𝟒𝝅𝒓 𝟒. 𝟓 = 𝟏𝟔𝝅
𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕
𝟒. 𝟓 𝒅𝒓 𝒅𝒓
= ≈ 𝟎. 𝟎𝟗 𝒇𝒕/𝒎𝒊𝒏
𝟏𝟔𝝅 𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕
EXAMPLE 4
A Ladder pushed towards a Wall
A ladder 10 meters long is leaning against a wall. If the bottom of the ladder is being
pushed horizontally towards the wall at 2 m/s, how fast is the top of the ladder moving
when the bottom is 6 meters from the wall?
𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒚
Equation: 𝒙𝟐 + 𝒚𝟐 = 𝟏𝟎𝟎 Given: = −𝟐 𝒙 = 𝟔 Find:
𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕
Differentiate with respect to 𝒕: We still don’t have Then, substitute
𝒅 𝟐 𝒅 a value of y, so: all the given now:
𝒙 +𝒚 =𝟐 𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕 𝒙𝟐 + 𝒚𝟐 = 𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝒅𝒚
𝟐 𝟔 −𝟐 + 𝟐 𝟖 =𝟎
𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒚 𝟔 𝟐 + 𝒚𝟐 = 𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝒅𝒕
𝟐𝒙 + 𝟐𝒚 =𝟎 𝒅𝒚
𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕 𝒚𝟐 = 𝟏𝟎𝟎 − 𝟑𝟔 −𝟐𝟒 + 𝟏𝟔 =𝟎
𝒅𝒕 The top of the ladder
𝒚𝟐 = 𝟔𝟒 𝒅𝒚 𝒅𝒚 𝟑 is moving at the rate
𝟏𝟔 = 𝟐𝟒 = of 3 meters per 2
𝒚=𝟖 𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕 𝟐 seconds or 1.5 m/s.
EXAMPLE 5
The Speed of an Airplane Tracked by Radar
An airplane is flying on a path that will take it directly over a radar
tracking station. If 𝑠 is decreasing at a rate of 400 miles per hour
when 𝑠 = 10 miles, what is the speed of the plane?
𝒅𝒔 𝒅𝒙
Equation: 𝒙𝟐 + 𝟔𝟐 = 𝒔𝟐 Given: = −𝟒𝟎𝟎 𝒔 = 𝟏𝟎 Find:
𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕
Differentiate with respect to 𝒕: We still don’t have Then, substitute
𝒅 𝟐 𝒅 𝟐 a value of x, so: all the given now:
𝒙 +𝟔 =𝟐 𝒔
𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕 𝒙𝟐 + 𝟔𝟐 = 𝒔𝟐 𝒅𝒙
𝟐 𝟖 = 𝟐 𝟏𝟎 (−𝟒𝟎𝟎)
𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒔 𝒅𝒕
𝒙𝟐 + 𝟔𝟐 = 𝟏𝟎 𝟐 𝒅𝒙
𝟐𝒙 + 𝟎 = 𝟐𝒔
𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕 𝒙𝟐 = 𝟏𝟎𝟎 − 𝟑𝟔 𝟏𝟔 = −𝟖𝟎𝟎𝟎
𝒅𝒕
𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒔 𝒙𝟐 = 𝟔𝟒 𝒅𝒙 𝟖𝟎𝟎𝟎 The speed is 500
𝟐𝒙 = 𝟐𝒔 =− = −𝟓𝟎𝟎
𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕 𝒙=𝟖 𝒅𝒕 𝟏𝟔 miles per hour.
EXAMPLE 6
Two Cars moving at the Same Time
An automobile traveling at the rate of 20 m/s is approaching an intersection. When the
automobile is 100 meters from the intersection, a truck traveling at the rate of 40 m/s
crosses the intersection. The automobile and the truck are on perpendicular roads. How
fast is the distance between the truck and the automobile changing two seconds after the
truck leaves the intersection?