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12 views8 pages

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chembro9
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3.

9 Related Rates
When two variables are related by an equation and both are
functions of a third variable (such as time), we can find a relation
between their rates of change. In this case, we say the rates are
related, and we can compute one if we know the other.
We proceed as follows:
1. Read the problem carefully.
2. Draw a diagram if possible.
3. Introduce notation. Assign symbols to all quantities involved.
4. Identify the independent variable (usually time) on which the
other quantities depend and assign it a symbol, such as t.
5. Find an equation that relates the dependent variables, often –
using simple geometry.
6. Differentiate both sides of the equation with respect to t (using
the chain rule if necessary).
7. Substitute the given information into the related rates equation
and solve for the unknown rate.
How to identify this type of the problems: usually, they have the
question about “how fast” or “at what rate” is some quantity
changing.
Ex.1. The legs of the isosceles right triangle increase in length at a
rate of 2m/s. At what rate is the area of the triangle changing when
the legs are 2m long?

1
Ex.2. Sand falls from an overhead bin, accumulating in a conical
pile a radius which is always three times its height. If the sand falls
from the bin at a rate of 120 m3/min., how fast is the height of the
sand pile changing when the pile is 10 m high?

2
Ex.3. An angler hooks a fish and reels in his line at 4in/s. The tip of
the fishing rod is 12 ft above the water and directly above the angler.
The fish is pulled horizontally directly towards the angler. How fast
is the distance between the fish and the angler changing when it is
20 ft away?

3
Ex.4. A swimming pool is 20 ft wide, 40 ft long, 3 ft deep at the
shallow end, and 9 ft deep at the deepest point. A cross-section is
shown in the figure. If the pool is being filled at a rate of 0.8ft /min,
how fast is the water level rising when the depth at the deepest point
is 5 ft?

4
Ex.5. A Ferris wheel with a radius of 10 m is rotating at a rate of one
revolution every two minutes. How fast is a rider rising when his
seat is 16 m above ground level?

5
Ex.6. A lamp is located at point (3,0) in the xy-plane. An ant is
crawling in the first quadrant of the plane and the lamp casts its
shadow onto the y-axis. How fast is the ant’s shadow moving along
the y-axis when the ant is at position (1,2) and moving so that its x-
coordinate is increasing at a rate of 1/3 m/s and y-coordinate is
decreasing at 1/4 m/s?

6
Ex.7. The minute hand on a watch is 6 mm long and the hour hand is
3 mm long. How fast is the distance between the tips of the hands
changing at two o’clock?

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