2018

AP Calculus BC
Scoring Guidelines

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 AP® CALCULUS AB/CALCULUS BC
2018 SCORING GUIDELINES

Question 1

300
(a) ∫0 r ( t ) dt = 270  1 : integral
2:
 1 : answer
According to the model, 270 people enter the line for the escalator
during the time interval 0 ≤ t ≤ 300.

300 300
(b) 20 + ∫0 ( r ( t ) − 0.7 ) dt = 20 + ∫
0
r ( t ) dt − 0.7 ⋅ 300 = 80  1 : considers rate out
2:
 1 : answer
According to the model, 80 people are in line at time t = 300.

(c) Based on part (b), the number of people in line at time t = 300 is 80. 1 : answer

The first time t that there are no people in line is

80
300 + = 414.286 (or 414.285) seconds.
0.7

(d) The total number of people in line at time t, 0 ≤ t ≤ 300, is modeled by  1 : considers r ( t ) − 0.7 =
0
t 
 1 : identifies t = 33.013
20 + ∫0 r ( x ) dx − 0.7t. 4: 
 1 : answers

 1 : justification
r ( t ) − 0.7 = 0 ⇒ t1 = 33.013298, t2 =166.574719

t People in line for escalator

0 20
t1 3.803
t2 158.070
300 80

The number of people in line is a minimum at time t = 33.013 seconds,

when there are 4 people in line.

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 AP® CALCULUS BC
2018 SCORING GUIDELINES

Question 2

(a) p′( 25 ) = −1.179

2: { 1 : answer
1 : meaning with units
At a depth of 25 meters, the density of plankton cells is changing at a
rate of −1.179 million cells per cubic meter per meter.

{
30
(b) ∫0 3 p( h ) dh = 1675.414936
2:
1 : integrand
1 : answer
There are 1675 million plankton cells in the column of water between
h = 0 and h = 30 meters.

K
(c) ∫30 3 f ( h ) dh represents the number of plankton cells, in millions, in  1 : integral expression

the column of water from a depth of 30 meters to a depth of K meters. 3 :  1 : compares improper integral

 1 : explanation
The number of plankton cells, in millions, in the entire column of
30 K
water is given by ∫0 3 p( h ) dh + ∫30 3 f ( h ) dh.
Because 0 ≤ f ( h ) ≤ u ( h ) for all h ≥ 30,
K K ∞
3∫ f ( h ) dh ≤ 3∫ u ( h ) dh ≤ 3∫ u ( h ) dh =
3 ⋅ 105 =
315.
30 30 30

The total number of plankton cells in the column of water is bounded

by 1675.415 + 315
= 1990.415 ≤ 2000 million.

1
(d) ∫0 ( x′ ( t ) )2 + ( y ′ ( t ) )2 dt =
757.455862  1 : integrand
2:
 1 : total distance
The total distance traveled by the boat over the time interval 0 ≤ t ≤ 1
is 757.456 (or 757.455) meters.

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 AP® CALCULUS AB/CALCULUS BC
2018 SCORING GUIDELINES

Question 3

{
−5 1
(a) f ( −5=
) f (1) + ∫1 g ( x ) dx= f (1) − ∫−5 g ( x ) dx 2:
1 : integral

( ) ( )
3 19 25 1 : answer
= 3 − −9 − +1 = 3− − =
2 2 2

6 3 6
(b) =
∫1
g ( x ) dx ∫1 g ( x ) dx + ∫3 g ( x ) dx  1 : split at x = 3

3 6 2
3 :  1 : antiderivative of 2 ( x − 4 )2
= ∫1 2 dx + ∫3 2 ( x − 4 ) dx  1 : answer


( )
x =6
2 16 2
= 4 +  ( x − 4 )3  = 4+ − − = 10
 3  x = 3 3 3

(c) The graph of f is increasing and concave up on 0 < x < 1 and

4 < x < 6 because f= ′( x ) g ( x ) > 0 and f ′( x ) = g ( x ) is
2: { 1 : intervals
1 : reason
increasing on those intervals.

(d) The graph of f has a point of inflection at x = 4 because

f ′( x ) = g ( x ) changes from decreasing to increasing at x = 4.
2: { 1 : answer
1 : reason

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 AP® CALCULUS AB/CALCULUS BC
2018 SCORING GUIDELINES

Question 4

H ( 7 ) − H ( 5 ) 11 − 6 5
(a) H ′( 6 ) ≈
7−5
==
2 2 2: { 1 : estimate
1 : interpretation with units
H ′( 6 ) is the rate at which the height of the tree is changing, in meters
per year, at time t = 6 years.

H ( 5 ) − H ( 3) 6−2  1 : H ( 5 ) − H ( 3)
(b) = = 2
5−3 2  5−3
2: 
1 : conclusion using

Because H is differentiable on 3 ≤ t ≤ 5, H is continuous on 3 ≤ t ≤ 5.  Mean Value Theorem

By the Mean Value Theorem, there exists a value c, 3 < c < 5, such that
H ′( c ) = 2.

(c) The average height of the tree over the time interval 2 ≤ t ≤ 10 is given
1 10 2: { 1 : trapezoidal sum
1 : approximation
10 − 2 ∫2
by H ( t ) dt.

1 10
8 ∫2
H ( t ) dt ≈
8 (
1 1.5 + 2
2
⋅1 +
2+6
2
⋅2 +
6 + 11
2
⋅2 +
11 + 15
2
⋅3 )
1 263
= = ( 65.75 )
8 32

The average height of the tree over the time interval 2 ≤ t ≤ 10 is

263
meters.
32

(d) G ( x ) = 50 ⇒ x = 1  2 : d ( G ( x ) )
3:  dt
 1 : answer
d d dx (1 + x )100 − 100 x ⋅ 1 dx 100 dx
( G (=
x )) ( G ( x ) ) ⋅= ⋅= ⋅
dt dx dt (1 + x ) 2 dt (1 + x ) 2 dt
Note: max 1 3 [1-0] if
no chain rule
d 100 3
( G( x )) = ⋅ 0.03
=
dt x =1 (1 + 1)2 4

According to the model, the rate of change of the height of the tree with
3
respect to time when the tree is 50 meters tall is meter per year.
4

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 AP® CALCULUS BC
2018 SCORING GUIDELINES

Question 5

(a)=
Area
1
2 ∫π 3 ( 4 − ( 3 + 2cos θ ) ) dθ
5π 3 2 2
3: { 1 : constant and limits
2 : integrand

dr dr = dy dr
(b) −2sin θ ⇒
= −2
= 1: sin θ + r cos θ
dθ dθ θ =π 2  dθ dθ

( π2 ) =
3 + 2cos ( ) =
π dx dr
r 3  = or cos θ − r sin θ
2  d θ d θ
3:  dr
 dy sin θ + r cos θ
1 : = dθ
dy dr  dx dr
y= r sin θ ⇒
= sin θ + r cos θ cos θ − r sin θ
dθ dθ 
 dθ
dx dr
x= r cos θ ⇒ = cos θ − r sin θ  1 : answer
dθ dθ

dy
= =
dy dθ
−2sin
π
2
=
+ 3cos ( )
π
2 ( ) 2
dx θ =π 2 dx dθ θ =π 2
−2cos
π
2
− 3sin ( )
π
2 ( ) 3

The slope of the line tangent to the graph of r= 3 + 2cos θ

π 2
at θ = is .
2 3

— OR —

dy
y= r sin θ= ( 3 + 2cos θ ) sin θ ⇒= 3cos θ + 2 cos 2 θ − 2sin 2 θ
dθ
dx
x= r cos θ =( 3 + 2cos θ ) cos θ ⇒ = −3sin θ − 4sin θ cos θ
dθ

dy
= =
dy dθ
3cos
π
2 ( )
+ 2 cos 2
π
2( ) ( )
=
− 2sin 2
π
2 2
dx θ =π 2 dx dθ θ =π 2
−3sin
π
2 ( ) ( ) ( )
− 4sin
π
2
cos
π
2
3

The slope of the line tangent to the graph of r= 3 + 2cos θ

π 2
at θ = is .
2 3

(c) dr =dr dθ dθ dθ dr 1  1 : dr dr dθ
⋅ −2sin θ ⋅
= ⇒ =⋅ = ⋅
dt dθ dt dt dt dt −2sin θ  dt dθ dt
 θ dr 1
3 :  1 : d= ⋅
dθ 1 3  dt dt −2sin θ
3⋅
= = − 3 radians per second
=
( )
dt π  1 : answer with units
θ =π 3 −2sin − 3 
3

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 AP® CALCULUS BC
2018 SCORING GUIDELINES

Question 6

{
2 3 4 5 1 : first four terms
(a) The first four nonzero terms are x − x + x − x . 2:
3 2 ⋅ 32 3 ⋅ 33 4 ⋅ 34 1 : general term
x n +1
The general term is ( −1)n +1 .
n ⋅ 3n

( −1)n + 2 x n + 2
( n + 1) ( 3n +1 ) −x n x
(b) lim = lim ⋅ =  1 : sets up ratio
n →∞ ( −1) n +1 n +1
x n →∞ 3 ( n + 1) 3  1 : computes limit of ratio
n ⋅ 3n 
 1 : radius of convergence
5: 
x
< 1 for x < 3  1 : considers both endpoints
3  1 : analysis and interval of
Therefore, the radius of convergence of the Maclaurin series for f is 3.  convergence

— OR —
— OR —
The radius of convergence of the Maclaurin series for ln (1 + x ) is 1,
 1 : radius for ln (1 + x ) series
f ( x ) x ln 1 +
so the series for =
x
3 ( )
converges absolutely for
x
3
< 1. 
 1 : substitutes

x
3
x 5:  1 : radius of convergence
<1 ⇒ x < 3
3  1 : considers both endpoints
Therefore, the radius of convergence of the Maclaurin series for f is 3. 
 1 : analysis and interval of
∞ ∞  convergence
3( −3)n +1
When x = −3, the series is
=n
∑ ( −1)n +1
n⋅3
1=
n ∑
=
n 1
n
, which

diverges by comparison to the harmonic series.

∞ ∞
3n +1 3
When x = 3, the series is
= n 1=
∑ ( −1)n +1
n⋅3 n ∑
=
n 1
( −1)n +1 , which
n
converges by the alternating series test.

The interval of convergence of the Maclaurin series for f is

−3 < x ≤ 3.

(c) By the alternating series error bound, an upper bound for  1 : uses fifth-degree term

P4 ( 2 ) − f ( 2 ) is the magnitude of the next term of the alternating 2:  as error bound
series.  1 : answer

25 8
P4 ( 2 ) − f ( 2 ) < − =
4⋅3 4 81

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