BTEC Assignment Brief

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in

Qualification Engineering

Unit number and title Unit 7: Calculus to solve engineering problems

A: Examine how differential calculus can be used to solve

Learning aim(s) (For NQF
engineering problems
only)

Solving engineering problems that involve differentiation

Assignment title
Mo Daghnosh
Assessor

Student Name
15/10/24
Issue date
Summative: 28/01/25
Hand in deadline and
Re-Submission: 20/02/25
Re-Submission Date

You are working as an apprentice engineer at a company

involved in the research, design production and
maintenance of bespoke engineering solutions for larger
customers.

Part of your apprenticeship is to spend time working in all

departments, however a certain level of understanding
Vocational Scenario or
needs to be shown before the managing director allows
Context
apprentices into the design team and so she has developed
a series of questions on differentiation to determine if you
are suitable.

Produce a report that contains written descriptions, analysis

and mathematics that shows how calculus can be used to
solve engineering problems as set out below.

The equation for a distance, s(m), travelled in time t(s) by

an object starting with an initial velocity u(ms-1) and
uniform acceleration a(ms-2) is:
Task 1

1 2
s=ut+ a t
2
The tasks are to:

a) Plot a graph of distance (s) vs time (t) for the first

10s of motion if u=… m s−1 and a=… m s−2.
 b) Determine the gradient of the graph at t=2 s and
t=6 s by drawing a tangent.
c) Differentiate the equation to find the functions for

i) (
Velocity v=
ds
dt )
( )
2
dv d s
ii) Acceleration a= =
dt dt 2
d) Use your result from part c to calculate the velocity
at t=2 s and t=6 s.
e) Compare your results for part b and part d.

Task 2 The displacement of a mass is given by the function

y= Asin x .
The tasks are to:

a) Draw a graph of the displacement y against angle x

from 0 to 360 degrees.
b) Identify the position of any turning points and
whether they are maxima, minima.
c) Calculate the co-ordinate of the turning points of the
function using differential calculus and show which
are maxima, minima.
Compare your results from parts b and c.

Task 3 Malignant tumours respond to radiation therapy and

chemotherapy. Consider a medical experiment in which
mice with tumours are given a chemotherapeutic drug. At
the time of the drug being administered, the average
tumour size is about 0.5 cm 3. The tumour

volume V (t) after t days is modelled by

0.24 t −0.12 t
V ( t )=G e +Z e
for
0 ≤ t ≤ 18

a) Differentiate the function with respect to t and find

the rate of change of volume at t=7 days.
b) Use a spreadsheet or use your calculator to make a
table for your graph to plot the graph for the volume
of the tumour v(t) against number of days t.
c) After how many days the minimum point occurs.
d) What is the volume of the tumour when the
minimum point occurs?

( )
2
d v
e) . Find the second derivative 2
.
dt

2
Task 4 f) From your graph find the gradient at t=7 days by
drawing a tangent and compare this with the
calculated value in part a.

The gain of an amplifier is found to be

G=ln ( Bx−3 ) + ln ⁡(−3 x +1):

The tasks are to find equations for:

dG
Task 5 a)
dx
2
d G
b) 2
dx

1. The displacement, y of a body in damped oscillation is

−t
y=C e sin 3 t .
The task is to:

Use the Product Rule to find an equation for the velocity of

dy
Task 6 the object if v= .
dt

2. The velocity of a moving vehicle is given by the equation

4
v=( 2 t+3 )

The task is to:

Use the Chain Rule to determine an equation for the

dv
acceleration when a= .
dt

sin t
1. A communication signal is given by the function y=
t
The task is to:

dy
Derive the equation for using the Quotient Rule.
dt

2. A cylinder of height h
and radius r, with an open top has a
3
capacity of Jm and is made from steel sheet metal. Neglecting any
3
 overlaps at the joints find the dimension h and r of the cylinder so
that the amount of steel sheet used is a minimum.

a) Find an equation for the volume of the cylinder and re-

arrange for h.

b) Find an equation for surface area (Open Top) substitute

in h so that you have an equation that depends only on
the variable r.

c) Use your calculator or Excel to Plot the graph of the

surface area against r, from r= 0.1m to 2m using
interval of 0.1m and show where the minimum occurs.

d) Using differentiation, find the value of r, and the

minimum amount of steel sheet surface area, and also
the height of the cylinder.

1. You plan to make a simple, open topped box from a

piece of sheet metal by cutting a square – of equal size –
from each corner and folding up the sides as shown in the
diagram:
Task 7

If l=… mm and w=… mm calculate:

a) The value of x which will give the maximum volume

b) The maximum volume of the box

c) Comment of the value obtained in part b.

Your informal report should contain:

● analysis

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 ● worked solutions to the problems

Checklist of evidence Each worked solution should be laid out clearly and contain
required brief explanations of the stages of the calculation to indicate
your understanding of how calculus can be used to solve an
engineering problem. Graphs should be well presented and
clearly labelled and comparisons between methods should
be accurate and well presented.

Criteria covered by this task:

Unit/Criteria
To achieve the criteria you must show that you are able to:
reference
Evaluate, using technically correct language and a logical structure, the
correct graphical and analytical differential calculus solutions for each
7/A.D1
type of given routine and non-routine function, explaining how the
variables could be optimised in at least two functions.
Find accurately the graphical and analytical differential calculus
solutions and, where
7/A.M1
appropriate, turning points for each type of given routine and non-
routine function and compare the results.
Find the first and second derivatives for each type of given routine
7/A.P1
function.
Find, graphically and analytically, at least two gradients for each type
7/A.P2
of given routine function.
Find the turning points for given routine polynomial and trigonometric
7/A.P3
functions.

Sources of information http://www.mathsisfun.com/index.htmhttp://

to support you with www.mathsisfun.com/index.htm
this Assignment
http://www.mathsisfun.com/index.htm
http://www.mathcentre.ac.uk/students/topicshttp://
www.mathcentre.ac.uk/students/topics
http://www.mathcentre.ac.uk/students/topics
http://www.mathcentre.ac.uk/students/topics
Other assessment
materials attached to
this Assignment Brief

5
Student Values

Student Task 1 Task 2 Task 3 Task 4 Task 5 Task 6 Task 7

u a A G Z B C J w mm L mm
Student 1 2 3 1 0.005 0.495 4 2 6 400 180
Student 2 3 4 1.5 0.007 0.498 5 4 5 410 190
Student 3 4 5 1.8 0.009 0.501 6 6 4 420 200
Student 4 5 6 2 0.011 0.504 7 8 3 430 210
Student 5 6 7 2.2 0.013 0.507 8 10 2 440 220
Student 6 7 8 2.4 0.015 0.51 9 12 1 450 230
Student 7 8 9 2.6 0.017 0.513 10 14 7 460 240
Student 8 9 10 2.8 0.019 0.516 11 16 8 470 250
Student 90 10 11 3 0.021 0.519 12 18 9 480 260
Student 10 11 12 3.2 0.023 0.522 13 20 6.5 490 270
Student 11 12 13 3.4 0.025 0.525 14 22 7.5 500 280
Student 12 13 14 3.6 0.027 0.528 15 24 8.5 510 290
Student 13 14 15 3.8 0.029 0.531 16 26 9.5 520 300
Student 14 15 16 4 0.031 0.534 17 28 5.5 530 310
Student 15 16 17 4.2 0.033 0.537 18 30 4.5 540 320
Student 16 17 18 4.4 0.035 0.54 19 32 3.5 550 330
Student 17 18 19 4.6 0.037 0.543 20 34 2.5 560 340
Student 18 19 20 4.8 0.039 0.546 21 36 1.5 570 350

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 Answer Booklet
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Task 7
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