Applications of Derivatives

Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Topics for this week

• Tangent and normal

• Linearization
• Related rate

2
Tangent and Normal

3
Tangent and Normal
The differentiation rules enable us to find tangent lines without having to resort to the
definition of a derivative.
It also enables us to find normal lines.
The normal line to a curve C at a point P is the line through P that is
perpendicular to the tangent line at P.

4
An equation of a Tangent

The slope m of the tangent at (a, b) of the graph of 𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥) is 𝑦′ቚ

(𝑎,𝑏)

m= 𝑦′ȁ(𝑎,𝑏)

An equation of the line with slope m which is passing through (a, b) is

𝑦−𝑏 =𝑚 𝑥−𝑎 Point-slope form

𝑦 = 𝑚𝑥 − 𝑚𝑎 + 𝑏 Slope-intercept form

5
Example 1
3 2
Find an equation of the tangent to the curve 𝑦 = 𝑥 + 5𝑥 − 2

at the point (1, 4).

𝑦 = 𝑥 3 + 5𝑥 2 − 2

Solution: 𝑦 = 13𝑥 − 9

𝑦 = 𝑥 3 + 5𝑥 2 − 2

𝑦 ′ = 𝑥 3 + 5𝑥 2 − 2 ′

𝑦 ′ = 3𝑥 2 + 10𝑥

6
Example 1

Then the slope of the tangent to the curve at (1,4) is

𝑚 = 𝑦′ቚ = 3𝑥 2 + 10𝑥ቚ = 13
(1,4) (1,4)

Therefore the equation of the tangent is

𝑦 − 4 = 13(𝑥 − 1)

𝑦 = 13𝑥 − 9
7
 Example 2

At what point on the curve 𝑦 = 𝑥 3 − 7𝑥 2 is the tangent line parallel to

the line 𝑦 − 5𝑥 = 2 ?

𝑦 − 5𝑥 = 2 𝑦 = 𝑥 3 − 7𝑥 2

8
Example 2

𝑦 − 5𝑥 = 2 𝑦 = 𝑥 3 − 7𝑥 2

9
Example 2

𝑦 − 5𝑥 = 2 𝑦 = 𝑥 3 − 7𝑥 2

10
Example 2

𝑦 − 5𝑥 = 2 𝑦 = 𝑥 3 − 7𝑥 2

11
 Example 2

Solution:
The slope of the line 𝑦 = 5𝑥 + 2 is 5

Suppose the tangent of the curve 𝑦 = 𝑥 3 − 7𝑥 2 at (𝑥,𝑦) is

parallel to the line 𝑦 − 5𝑥 = 2
Then the slope of the tangent of the curve 𝑦 = 𝑥 3 − 7𝑥 2 at (𝑥,𝑦)
is 5
12
Example 2

𝑦 = 𝑥 3 − 7𝑥 2
𝑦 ′ = 𝑥 3 − 7𝑥 2 ′

𝑦 ′ = 3𝑥 2 − 14𝑥

Since 𝑦 ′
at (𝑥,𝑦) is 5

𝑦′ቚ = 3𝑥 2 − 14𝑥 ቚ
(𝑥,𝑦) (𝑥,𝑦)

5 = 3𝑥 2 − 14𝑥
13
Example 2

5 = 3𝑥 2 − 14𝑥

0 = 3𝑥 2 − 14𝑥 − 5

0 = (3𝑥 + 1)(𝑥 − 5)

3𝑥 + 1 = 0 𝑜𝑟 𝑥−5=0

−1
𝑥= 𝑜𝑟 𝑥=5
3
14
Example 2
3 2
−1 −1 −1 −22
𝑥= 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦= 𝑥3 − 7𝑥 2 = −7 =
3 3 3 27

𝑥=5 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦 = 𝑥 3 − 7𝑥 2 = 5 3 −7 5 2 = −50

15
Example 3

For what values of 𝑥 ∈ 0,2π

does the graph of 𝑦 = 3𝑥have
+ 2asin 𝑥
horizontal tangent?

16
Example 3

Solution:
Slope of a horizontal tangent is 0
Suppose the tangent of the graph of 𝑦 = 3𝑥 + 2 sin 𝑥
at (a,b) is horizontal

Then the slope of the tangent of the graph of 𝑦 = 3𝑥 + 2 sin 𝑥

at (a,b) is 0

17
 Example 3
In other words 𝑦′ቚ =0
(𝑥,𝑦)

But
𝑦 = 3𝑥 + 2 sin 𝑥
′
𝑦′ = 3𝑥 + 2 sin 𝑥
′
𝑦′ = 3𝑥 + 2 sin 𝑥 ′

𝑦 ′ = 3 + 2 cos 𝑥

𝑦′ቚ = 3 + 2 cos 𝑥 ቚ
(𝑥,𝑦) (𝑥,𝑦) 18
Example 3

0 = 3 + 2 cos 𝑥

3
cos 𝑥 = −
2
𝜋 𝜋
𝑥=𝜋− , 𝜋+
6 6

5𝜋 7𝜋
𝑥= ,
6 6

19
Example 4
dy
If x + y = 25, find
2 2
.
dx
Then find an equation of the tangent to the circle x 2 + y 2 = 25 at the point (3, 4).
Solution 1:
Differentiate both sides of the equation x 2 + y 2 = 25 :

d 2 d
(x + y 2 ) = (25)
dx dx
d 2 d 2
(x ) + (y ) = 0
dx dx

20
Example 4 – Solution (1 of 3)
Remembering that y is a function of x and using the Chain Rule, we have
d 2 d 2 dy
(y ) = (y )
dx dy dx
dy
= 2y
dx

Thus dy
2 x + 2y =0
dx

dy
Now we solve this equation for :
dx
dy x
=−
dx y
21
Example 4 – Solution (2 of 3)
At the point (3, 4) we have x = 3 and y = 4, so
dy 3
=−
dx 4
An equation of the tangent to the circle at (3, 4) is therefore
3
y −4= − ( x − 3 ) or 3 x + 4y = 25
4
Solution 2:
Solving the equation x 2 + y 2 = 25 for y, we get y =  25 − x 2 .
The point (3, 4) lies on the upper semicircle y = 25 − x 2 and so we consider
the function f ( x ) = 25 − x 2 .

22
Example 4 – Solution (3 of 3)
Differentiating f using the Chain Rule, we have
1
1 2 2 d
−
f ( x ) = (25 − x ) (25 − x 2 )
2 dx
1
1 − x
= (25 − x 2 ) 2 ( −2 x ) = −
2 25 − x 2

At the point (3, 4) we have

3 3
f (3) = − =−
25 − 32 4

and, as in Solution 1, an equation of the tangent is 3x + 4y = 25.

23
Example 5
Find equations of the tangent line and normal line to the curve
y= x (1 + x ) at the point 1, 21 .
2

Solution:
According to the Quotient Rule, we have

dy (1 + x ) ( )
2 d
dx
x − x (
d
dx
1+ x 2 )
=
( )
2
dx 1+ x 2

(1 + x2
) 2 x − x ( 2x )
1
=
(1 + x )
2
2

24
Example 5 – Solution (1 of 2)

=
( )
1+ x 2 − 4x 2
=
1− 3x 2
( ) ( )
2 2
2 x 1+ x 2
2 x 1+ x 2

 1
So the slope of the tangent line at  1,  is
 2

dy 1 − 3  12 1
= =−
( )
2
dx x =1 2 1 1+ 1 2 4

 1
We use the point-slope form to write an equation of the tangent line at  1, 2  :
 
1 1 1 3
y− = − ( x − 1) or y = − x +
2 4 4 4
25
Example 5 – Solution (2 of 2)
 1 1
The slope of the normal line at  1, 2  is the negative reciprocal of − ,
  4
namely 4, so an equation is
1 7
y − = 4 ( x − 1) or y = 4 x −
2 2
The curve and its tangent and normal lines are graphed in Figure 5.

Figure 5

26
Linearization and Approximation

27
Linearization and Approximation (1 of 5)
It might be easy to calculate a value f(a) of a function, but difficult (or even
impossible) to compute nearby values of f.
So we settle for the easily computed values of the linear function L whose
graph is the tangent line of f at (a, f(a)). (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1

28
Linearization and Approximation (2 of 5)
In other words, we use the tangent line at (a, f(a)) as an approximation to the
curve y = f(x) when x is near a. An equation of this tangent line is
y = f ( a ) + f  ( a )( x − a )

The linear function whose graph is this tangent line, that is,
1 L ( x ) = f ( a ) + f  ( a )( x − a )

is called the linearization of f at a. The approximation f ( x )  L( x )or

2 f ( x )  f ( a ) + f  ( a )( x − a )

is called the linear approximation or tangent line approximation of f at a.

29
Example 1
Find the linearization of the function f ( x ) = x + 3 at a = 1 and use it to
approximate the numbers 3.98 and 4.05. Are these approximations
overestimates or underestimates?

Solution:
The derivative of f ( x ) = ( x + 3 ) is
1/2

1
f ( x ) = ( x + 3)
−1/2

2
1
=
2 x +3

and so we have f(1) = 2 and f  (1) = 41 .

30
Example 1 – Solution (1 of 4)
Putting these values into Equation 1, we see that the linearization is
L (x) = f (1) + f  (1)( x − 1)
= 2+ 1
4 ( x − 1)
7 x
= +
4 4
The corresponding linear approximation (2) is

7 x
x +3  + (when x is near 1)
4 4

31
Example 1 – Solution (2 of 4)
In particular, we have
3.98  7
4
+ 0.98
4

= 1.995
and

4.05  7
4
+ 1.05
4

= 2.0125

32
Example 1 – Solution (3 of 4)
The linear approximation is illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 2

33
Example 1 – Solution (4 of 4)
We see that, indeed, the tangent line approximation is a good approximation to
the given function when x is near 1.
We also see that our approximations are overestimates because the tangent
line lies above the curve.
Of course, a calculator could give us approximations for 3.98 and 4.05,
but the linear approximation gives an approximation over an entire interval.

34
Linearization and Approximation (3 of 5)
In the following table we compare the estimates from the linear approximation
in Example 1 with the true values.

35
Linearization and Approximation (4 of 5)
Notice from this table, and also from Figure 2, that the tangent line
approximation gives good estimates when x is close to 1 but the accuracy of
the approximation deteriorates when x is farther away from 1.

Figure 2

36
Linearization and Approximation (5 of 5)
The next example shows that by using a graphing calculator or computer we
can determine an interval throughout which a linear approximation provides a
specified accuracy.

37
Example 2
For what values of x is the linear approximation
7 x
x +3  +
4 4

accurate to within 0.5? What about accuracy to within 0.1?

Solution:
Accuracy to within 0.5 means that the functions should differ by less than 0.5:
7 x
x + 3 −  +   0.5
4 4

38
Example 2 – Solution (1 of 4)
Equivalently, we could write
7 x
x + 3 − 0.5  +  x + 3 + 0.5
4 4

This says that the linear approximation should lie between the curves
obtained by shifting the curve y = x + 3 upward and downward by an
amount 0.5.

39
Example 2 – Solution (2 of 4)
Figure 3 shows the tangent line y = ( 7 + x ) / 4 intersecting the upper curve
y = x + 3 + 0.5 at P and Q.

Figure 3

40
Example 2 – Solution (3 of 4)
We estimate that the x-coordinate of P is about −2.66 and the x-coordinate of Q
is about 8.66.
Thus we see from the graph that the approximation
7 x
x +3  +
4 4

is accurate to within 0.5 when −2.6 < x < 8.6. (We have rounded the smaller
value up and the larger value down.)

41
Example 2 – Solution (4 of 4)
Similarly, from Figure 4 we see that the approximation is accurate to within 0.1
when −1.1 < x < 3.9.

Figure 4

42
Related Rates

Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Related Rates
If we are pumping air into a balloon, both the volume and the radius of the
balloon are increasing and their rates of increase are related to each other.
But it is much easier to measure directly the rate of increase of the volume than
the rate of increase of the radius.
In a related rates problem the idea is to compute the rate of change of one
quantity in terms of the rate of change of another quantity (which may be more
easily measured).
The procedure is to find an equation that relates the two quantities and then
use the Chain Rule to differentiate both sides with respect to time.

44
Some important facts 1

In this section we are taking derivative of a function with respect

to time t

𝑑
By prime (‘) we mean
𝑑𝑡

𝑑 2 𝑑 2 𝑑 𝑑𝑥
𝑥 = 𝑥 𝑥 = 2𝑥
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
45
Some important facts 2

𝑓 𝑡 + ℎ − 𝑓(𝑡)
Average rate of change of function
ℎ

𝑓 𝑡 + ℎ − 𝑓(𝑡) instantaneous rate of change of

𝑓′(𝑡) = lim function
ℎ→0 ℎ

46
Some important facts 3
𝑓 𝑡 + ℎ − 𝑓(𝑡)
𝑓′(𝑡) = lim
ℎ→0 ℎ

If f increases then 𝑓 𝑡 + ℎ > 𝑓(𝑡) and hence 𝑓 𝑡 + ℎ − 𝑓 𝑡 > 0 which implies that
𝑓′ 𝑡 > 0

If f decreases then 𝑓 𝑡 + ℎ < 𝑓(𝑡) and hence 𝑓 𝑡 + ℎ − 𝑓 𝑡 < 0 which implies that
𝑓′ 𝑡 < 0

47
How to solve related rate problems
• Understand the problem

• Define the variables

• Find relationship among the variables

• Take derivative with respective to time

• Plug in the known values

• Find the unknown

48
Example 1
Air is being pumped into a spherical balloon so that its volume increases at a
rate of 100cm3 /s. How fast is the radius of the balloon increasing when the
diameter is 50 cm?
Solution:
We start by identifying two things:
the given information:
the rate of increase of the volume of air is 100 cm3 / s
and the unknown:
the rate of increase of the radius when the diameter is 50 cm

49
Example 1 – Solution (1 of 4)
In order to express these quantities mathematically, we introduce some
suggestive notation:
Let V be the volume of the balloon and let r be its radius.
The key thing to remember is that rates of change are derivatives. In
this problem, the volume and the radius are both functions of the time t.
dV
The rate of increase of the volume with respect to time is the derivative ,
dt
dr
and the rate of increase of the radius is .
dt

50
Example 1 – Solution (2 of 4)
We can therefore restate the given and the unknown as follows:
dV
Given : = 100 cm3 / s
dt
dr
Unknown : when r = 25 cm
dt

dV dr
In order to connect and , we first relate V and r by the formula for the
dt dt
volume of a sphere:
4 3
V= r
3

51
Example 1 – Solution (3 of 4)
In order to use the given information, we differentiate each side of this equation
with respect to t. To differentiate the right side, we need to use the Chain Rule:
dV dV dr dr
= = 4 r 2
dt dr dt dt

Now we solve for the unknown quantity:

dr 1 dV
=
dt 4 r 2 dt

52
Example 1 – Solution
dV
If we put r = 25 and = 100 in this equation, we obtain
dt
dr 1
= 100
4 ( 25 )
2
dt
1
=
25
1
The radius of the balloon is increasing at the rate of  0.0127 cm/s.
( 25 )
when the diameter is 50 cm.

53
 Example 2
Gravel is being dumped from a conveyor belt at a rate of 35 ft 3 / min and its
coarseness is such that it forms a pile in the shape of a cone whose base
diameter and height are always equal.

How fast is the height of the pile increasing when the pile is 15 ft high?
Round the result to the nearest hundredth.

54
Example 2

55
 Example 2 – Solution
Let the height of the cone be ℎ and the volume of the cone be 𝑉
ℎ
Then the radius of the cone is r=
2
Given
𝑉′ = 35𝑓𝑡 3 /𝑚𝑖𝑛

Find h′ =? when h= 15𝑓𝑡

56
Example 2 – Solution

1 2
𝑉 = 𝜋𝑟 ℎ
3
2
1 ℎ 1 𝜋ℎ3
𝑉= 𝜋 ℎ= ∙
3 2 3 4

𝜋ℎ3 𝜋 3 𝜋
𝑉′ = ′= ℎ ′= 3ℎ2 ℎ′
12 12 12

57
Example 2 – Solution
𝜋ℎ2
𝑉′ = ℎ′
4

𝜋ℎ2 𝑉′ = 35𝑓𝑡 3 /𝑚𝑖𝑛

𝑉′ = ℎ′
4
h′ =? when h= 15𝑓𝑡
𝜋152
35= ℎ′
4
4∙35
h’= 2 𝑓𝑡/𝑚𝑖𝑛 = 0.198𝑓𝑡/𝑚𝑖𝑛
𝜋15

58
 Example 3
Two sides of a triangle are 6 m and 7 m in length and the angle
between them is increasing at a rate of 0.07 rad ∕ s. Find the rate at
which the area of the triangle is increasing when the angle between

the sides of fixed length is .
3

𝜃 6m
7m

59
 Example 3 – Solution
Let the area of the triangle be 𝐴 and the angle between two sides of fixed lengths is 𝜃
We know that

1 𝑎 =6m b= 7m
𝐴 = 𝑎𝑏 sin 𝜃 𝜃′ = 0.07rad/s
2
′
1 1 1
𝐴′ = 𝑎𝑏 sin 𝜃 = 𝑎𝑏 sin 𝜃 ′ = 𝑎𝑏 cos 𝜃 𝜃 ′
2 2 2

1
𝐴′ = 𝑎𝑏 cos 𝜃 𝜃 ′
2
60
Example 3 – Solution

1 𝜋
𝐴′ = ∙ 7 ∙ 6 cos ∙ 0.07𝑚2 /𝑠
2 3
𝑎 =6m b= 7m
𝜃′ = 0.07rad/s
𝐴′ = 0.735𝑚2 /𝑠 ′ 𝜋
𝐴 =? when 𝜃 = rad
3

61
Example 4
Two cars start moving from the same point. One travels south at
28 mi ∕ h and the other travels west at 70 mi ∕ h. At what rate is the
distance between the cars increasing 5 hours later?

x
𝑥 ′ = 70 𝑚i/ℎ

𝑦 ′ = 28 𝑚i/ℎ
d y

62
 Example 4 – Solution
Let the car which is going in the west direction travels 𝑥 miles and the car going in the
south direction travels 𝑦 miles. Let the distance between the cars be 𝑑 miles

Given
𝑥′ = 70mi/h 𝑦′ = 28mi/h

𝑥 = 70 ∙ 5𝑚i = 350𝑚i
𝑦 = 28 ∙ 5𝑚i = 140𝑚i
Find d′
We know that 𝑑= 𝑥2 + 𝑦2
′
d′ = 𝑥2 + 𝑦2
63
Example 4 – Solution
𝑥′ = 70mi/h 𝑦′ = 28mi/h
′
d′ = 𝑥2 + 𝑦2 𝑥 = 70 ∙ 5𝑚i = 350𝑚i
𝑥 𝑥 ′ + 𝑦 𝑦′ 𝑦 = 28 ∙ 5𝑚i = 140𝑚i
d′ =
𝑥2 + 𝑦2

350∙70 +140∙28
d′ = 𝑚i/h
3502 +1402

d′ = 75.39𝑚i/h

64
Example 5
A plane flying horizontally at an altitude of 5 mi and passes directly
over a tracking telescope on the ground. When the angle of
𝜋
elevation is 𝜋/3 this angle is decreasing at a rate of rad/min.
6
How fast the plane traveling at that time?

𝑥 ′ =? 𝜃

h= 5 𝑚i

𝜋
𝜃′ = − 𝑟𝑎𝑑/𝑚in
6

65
 Example 5 – Solution
Let the horizontal distance of the plane from the telescope be 𝑥 miles and the angle of
elevation be 𝜃 rad.

Given
𝜃 ′ = −𝜋/6 𝑟𝑎𝑑/𝑚i𝑛

h = 5𝑚i

Find 𝑥′ when 𝜃 = 𝜋/3 𝑟𝑎𝑑

5
We know that tan 𝜃 =
𝑥
5
𝑥= = 5 cot 𝜃
tan 𝜃 66
Example 5 – Solution

𝑥 = 5 cot 𝜃
𝑥′ = 5 cot 𝜃 ’
𝑥 ′ = −5 csc 2 𝜃 ∙ 𝜃’
𝜋 𝜋
𝑥′ = −5 csc 2 ∙ − 𝑚i/min
3 6

′ 10𝜋
𝑥 = 𝑚i/min
9

67