Lesson 20

Related Rates
(Time – Rate Problems)
OBJECTIVES:
•to “know by heart” the different rules of
differentiation;
•to utilize fully these rules and appreciate its
simplicity; and
•to extend these basic rules to other “complex”
algebraic functions.
There are many problems in which we are concerned with
the rate of change of two or more related variables with
respect to time, in which it is not necessary to express each
of these variables directly as function of time. For example,
we are given an equation involving the variables x and y, and
that both x and y are functions of the third variable t, where t
denotes time.
A Strategy for Solving Related Rates Problems (p. 205)
Example 1.
A 17 ft ladder is leaning against a wall. If the bottom of the ladder is pulled along the
ground away from the wall at the constant rate of 5 ft/sec, how fast will the top of the
ladder be moving down the wall when it is 8 ft above the ground?

x 2  y 2  17 2
dx dy
2x  2y 0 Note:
•Values which changes
dy
? dt dt as time changes are
17 y
dt y  8 ft
dx denoted by variable.
 2x The rate is positive if
dy dt the variable increases
x  as time increase and is
dt 2y negative if the variable
decreases as time
ft
5
sec
when y  8  x  17 2  8 2  15 increases.

dy  15 5  ft
  9.375
dt 8 sec
Example 2
A balloon leaving the ground 60 feet from an observer, rises vertically at the rate 10
ft/sec . How fast is the balloon receding from the observer after 8 seconds?

dL
h
L ?
dt t 8 sec
dh ft
 10
dt sec

Viewer
60 feet

Let h  height  ft  of the balloon from the ground at any instant

L  distance  ft  of the balloon from the observer at any instant
t  time  sec  since the balloon starts to rise from the ground
In the figure : L2  h2   60
2

L  h2  3600  Working Equation 

 dh 
2h 
dL
  dt  dL  80 10
dt 2 h2  3600 
dt  80  3600
2

 dh 
h  dL 800 800
dL  dt   
 2 dt 6400  3600 10,000
dt h  3600
dL 800 ft
dh ft  8
Since,  10 and t  8sec dt 100 sec
dt sec
 ft 
h   10   8sec   80 ft.
 sec 
Example 3.
A man on a wharf of 20 feet above the water pulls in a rope, to which a
boat is attached, at the rate of 4 ft/sec. At what rate is the boat
approaching the wharf when there is 25 feet of rope out?

dR ft
 4
dt sec

20ft R

x
Let t  time  ft  since the boat starts to approach the wharf
x  ditsnace  ft  of the boat from the wharf at any instant
R  length  ft  of the rope out at any instant
dx
Find when R  25 ft
dt
R 2  x 2  20 2
x 2  R 2  400
x  R 2  400 ( WorkingEqu ation )
x  R 2  400
dR dR
2R R
x dt  dt
2 R  400
2
R 2  400
When R  25 ft
dR ft
and  4
dt sec
dx 25  4 

dt 25 2  400
25 4 
 
15
dx 20 ft
 
dt 3 sec
Example 4.
Water is flowing into a conical reservoir 20 feet and 10 feet
across the top, at the rate of 15 . Find how fast the surface is
rising when the water is 8 feet deep? 
10 feet
dV ft3 5 feet
 15
dt min

20 feet

h
Let t  time  min  sin ce the water flows int o the reservoir
r  radius (ft) of the water surface at any instant
h  height (ft) of the water at any instant

dh
Find when the water is 8 ft deep By ratio and proportion
dt
5 r 1
  
1 1
 r h
V  Bh 
3 3
r 2 h 20 h 4

1 1  
2

Thus , V    h  h
3   4  
 dV   2  dh   2  dh 
V  h3  Working Equation    3 h     h  
48 dt 48   dt  16  dt 
dV
16
dh
 dt  16  15   15 ft
dt h  8 ft h 2   8 2 4 min
Example 5.
Water is flowing into a vertical tank at the rate of 24 . If the
radius of the tank is 4 feet, how fast is the surface rising?

4 feet

ft3
24
min

h
Let t  time  min  since the water flows into the tank
h  height  ft  of the water at any instant
V  volume  ft 3  of the water at any instant

dh
Find when the radius of the tank is 4 ft.
dt
From V  Bh dV dh
 16 
 
V  r h  r h
2 2 dt dt
dV
But r is constant, r  4 ft dh dt 24 3 ft
  
V    r  h  16h dt r 4 ft 16 16 2 min
2
Example 6
A triangular trough is 10 feet long, 6 feet across the top, and 3 feet deep.
If water flows in at the rate of 12 ft3/min, find how fast the surface is
rising when the water is 6 inches deep?

6 feet

ft 3
12
min

x
3 feet

h
feet
10
Let t  time  min  since the water flows into the trough
h  height  ft  of the water at any instant
x  horizontal width  ft  of the water at the triangular
end at any instant
 
V  volume ft 3 of the water at any instant
dh
Find when the water is 6 inches deep.
dt
From V  Bh
1 
V   x h 10  5xh
2 
x 6
By ratio and proportion ,   x  2h
h 3
Thus, V  5xh  5 2h h  10h 2  Working Equation 
dV dh
 20h
dt dt
dV
dh 12 ft
 dt   1.2
dt h6 in 20h   1ft  min
20 6in 
  12in 
Example 7
A train, starting at noon, travels at 40 mph going north. Another train, starting from the
same point at 2:00 pm travels east at 50 mph . Find how fast the two trains are
separating at 3:00 pm. C
3pm

B
2pm

dy mi
 40
80 miles
dt hr

dx mi
 50
dt hr
A 3pm
12pm
D
2pm
x
 dL
Find when t  1hr.
dt
dx dy
Since  50 mph and  40 mph
dt dt
A B   40  2  80 miles
From the figure : L  x   80  y 
2 2 2

L  x   80  y   Working Equation 
2 2

dx dy
2x  2(80  y)
dL
 dt 2 dt
dt 2 x  (80  y)2
x   50mph 1hr   50 miles
After 1 hr  
y   40mph 1hr   40 miles
 dx dy
x  (80  y)
dL
 dt 2 dt
dt x  (80  y)2
dL (50)(50))  ((80  40)(40)

dt (50)2  (80  40)2
dL 2,500  4 ,800

dt 2,500  14 ,400
dL 7,300 7,300
 
dt 16,900 130
dL mi
 56.15
dt hr