Applied Differentiation

1. A taxi firm advertises its charges as

l.30 for the first 940 metres plus 20p for every extra 400 metres.

These charges can be modelled by the equation

( x 940)
, x 940,
C = 1.30 + 2000

where C is the charge in and x is the distance travelled in metres.

(a) Explain how the equation is obtained from the taxi firms charges.
(3)

dC
(b) Write down the value of dx and explain what this value means.
(2)
(Total 5 marks)

q cm

p cm p cm

2. O

The diagram shows a rectangular box with dimensions pcm, pcm and qcm. The volume of the
3
box is Vcm , and the length of the diagonal OA of the box is 30cm.

(a) Show that

2 2
q = 900 2p .
(2)

2
(b) Hence express V in the form
4 6
ap bp ,

where a and b are constants to be determined.

(2)

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 (c) Find in surd form
2
(i) the positive value of p for which V has a stationary value,
(4)

(ii) the volume of the box when p has this value.

(3)

(d) Show that the stationary value referred to in part (c)(i) is a maximum.
(2)
(Total 13 marks)

3. A piece of wire, of length 20 cm, is to be cut into two parts. One of the parts, of length x cm, is
to be formed into a circle and the other part into a square.

(a) Show that the sum, A cm, of the areas of the circle and the square is given by

x 1
A (20 x)
4 16
(4)

(b) Show that A has a stationary value when

20
x
4
(6)
(Total 10 marks)

4. 2x

The diagram shows an enclosure in the shape of a rectangle with dimensions 2x metres by y
metres joined to an isosceles right-angled triangle with hypotenuse 2x metres. The enclosure
has perimeter P metres and area A square metres.

(a) (i) Express A in terms of x and y.

(2)

(ii) Express P in terms of x and y.

(2)

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 (b) It is given that the perimeter of the enclosure is 100 metres.

(i) Show that

2
A = 100x (1 + 22)x .
(3)

dA
0
(ii) Find the value of x for which dx .
(3)

(iii) Show that, when x has this value, the area of the enclosure is a maximum.
(3)

(iv) Find this maximum area, giving your answer to the nearest square metre.
(2)
(Total 15 marks)

5. Small trays are to be made from rectangular pieces of card. Each piece of card is 8 cm by 5 cm
and the tray is formed by removing squares of side x cm from each corner and folding the
remaining card along the dashed lines, as shown in the diagram, to form an open-topped box.

8cm

5 cm

x cm

(a) Explain why 0 < x < 2.5.

(1)

(b) Show that the volume, V cm3, of a tray is given by

3 2
V = 4x 26x + 40x
(3)

dV
(c) Find the value of x for which dx = 0.
(5)

(d) Calculate the greatest possible volume of a tray.

(1)
(Total 10 marks)

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6. An open-topped box has height h cm and a square base of side x cm.

h cm

x cm
x cm
3
The box has capacity V cm . The area of its external surface, consisting of its horizontal base
2
and four vertical faces, is A cm .

(a) Find expressions for V and A in terms of x and h

(3)

(b) It is given that A = 3000.

1 3
V 750 x x .
(i) Show that 4
(2)

dV
0
(ii) Find the positive value of x for which dx , giving your answer in surd form.
(3)

(iii) Hence find the maximum possible value of V, giving your answer in the form
p 10 , where p is an integer.

[You do not need to show that your answer is a maximum.]

(2)
(Total 10 marks)

7. The size of a population, P, of birds on an island is modelled by

2 3
P = 59 + 117t + 57t t ,

where t is the time in years after 1970.

dP
(a) Find dt
(2)

(b) (i) Find the positive value of t for which P has a stationary value.
(3)

(ii) Determine whether this stationary value is a maximum or a minimum.

(2)

(c) (i) State the year when the model predicts that the population will reach its
maximum value.

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 (1)

(ii) Determine what the model predicts will happen in the year 2029.
(1)
(Total 9 marks)

8. A wire of length 10 cm is cut into two pieces. One of these pieces is bent to form an equilateral
triangle of side x cm and the other piece is bent to form a sector of a circle of angle radians
and radius x cm as shown below.

x cm x cm

(a) Show that 5x + x = 10.

(2)

2
(b) The sum of the areas of the triangle and sector is denoted by A cm .

3 2 5 2
A x x 5x
(i) Show that 4 2 .
(5)

dA
(ii) Find dx and hence find the value of x for which A has a stationary value.
(3)

d2 A
2
(iii) Find dx and hence determine whether this stationary value is a maximum or a
minimum.
(2)
(Total 12 marks)

9. The height, h in centimetres, of water in a river above its normal level at a time, t days, after a
thunderstorm is given by
2 3
h = 3t t , 0 < t< 3

dh
(a) Find dt .
(2)

(b) Find the rate of change, in centimetres per day, of the height of water in the river after 2.5
days.
(2)

(c) Find the values of t for which the height of water is increasing.
(4)
(Total 8 marks)

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10. The diagram shows a thin metal component.

3x 4x

5x

h h

The component consists of a rectangle of height h cm and a right-angled triangle whose shorter
sides are of length 3x cm and 4x cm.

The perimeter of the component is 240 cm.

(a) (i) Show that h = 120 6x.

(3)

2
(ii) The total surface area of the front face of the component is A cm . By eliminating
h, show that
2
A = 600x 24x
(3)

dA
(b) (i) Find dx and hence find the value of x for which A has a stationary value.
(3)

d2 A
2
(ii) Find dx and hence determine whether this stationary value is a maximum or a
minimum.
(2)
(Total 11 marks)

11. The diagram below shows a rectangular sheet of metal 24 cm by 9 cm.

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 x cm

x cm

9 cm

24 cm

A square of side x cm is cut from each corner and the metal is then folded along the broken lines
to make an open box with a rectangular base and height x cm.

3
(a) Show that the volume, V cm , of liquid the box can hold is given by
3 2
V = 4x 66x + 216x
(3)

dV
(b) (i) Find dx .
(3)

2
(ii) Show that any stationary values of V must occur when x 11x + 18 = 0
(2)

2
(iii) Solve the equation x 11x + 18 = 0.
(2)

(iv) Explain why there is only one value of x for which V is stationary.
(1)

d 2V
2
(c) (i) Find dx .
(2)

(ii) Hence determine whether the stationary value is a maximum or minimum.

(2)
(Total 15 marks)

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