Related Rates

Selected Problems

Matthew Staley

September 27, 2011

Related Rates : Selected Problems

1. Both x and y denote functions of t that are related by the given equation. Use
this equation and the given derivative information to find the specified deriva-
tive.

(a) x + 4y = 3; Given that dx/dt = 1, find dy/dt when x = 2.

x + 4y = 3
d d
(x + 4y) = (3)
dt dt
dx dy
+4 =0
dt dt
dy
1+4 =0
dt

dy 1
=−
dt 4

(b) y = 3x + 5; Given that dy/dt = −1, find dx/dt when x = 0.

y = 3x + 5
dy dx
=3
dt dt
dx
−1 = 3
dt

dx 1
=−
dt 3

1
  
1
2 2
(c) 4x +9y = 1; Given that dx/dt = 3, find dy/dt when (x, y) = √ , √1
2 2 3 2
.

4x2 + 9y 2 = 1
d d
(4x2 + 9y 2 ) = (1)
dt dt
dx dy
8x + 18y =0
  dt
  dt
1 1 dy
8 √ · 3 + 18 √ =0
2 2 3 2 dt
6 dy 12
√ = −√
2 dt 2
√
dy 12 2
= −√ ·
dt 2 6

dy
= −2
dt
2. Let A be the area of a square whose sides have length x, and assume that x
varies with time t.

(a) Write an equation that relates A to x.

A = x2

(b) Use this equation to find an equation that relates dA/dt and dx/dt

A = x2
d d
(A) = (x2 )
dt dt
dA dx
= 2x
dt dt
(c) At a certain instant the sides are 3 ft long and increasing at a rate of 2
ft/min. How fast is the areadxincreasing

at that instant?
F ind dA 
dt x=3
given that 
dt x=3
= 2

 
dA  dx 
= 2(3) = 6(2) = 12f t2 /min
dt x=3 dt x=3

2
3. Let V be the volume of a cylinder having height h and radius r, and assume
that h and r vary with time.

(a) How are dV, dt, dh/dt, and dr/dt related?

V = πr2 h
d d
(V ) = (πr2 h)
dt dt 
dV 2 dh dr
=π r + 2rh
dt dt dt

(b) At a certain instant, the height is 6 in and increasing at 1 in/s, while the
radius is 10 in and decreasing at 1in/s. How fast is the volume changing
at that instant? Is the volume increasing or decreasing at that instant?
h=6 h=6 h=6 !
dV  dh  dr 
= π (10)2  + 2(10)(6) 
dt r=10
 dt r=10
 dt r=10

= π(100(+1) + 120(−1))
= −20π in3 /s

dV
dt
is negative, so the volume is decreasing.

4. Let θ (in radians) be an acute angle in a right triangle, and let x and y,
respectively, be the lengths and sides adjacent to and opposite θ. Suppose also
that x and y vary with time. How are dθ dt
, dx/dt, and dy, dt related?
y
tan θ =
x 


d d y  y
(tan(θ)) = 
dt dt x 
x dy − y dx  θ

dθ
sec2 (θ) = dt 2 dt x
dt x

cos2 (θ)
 
dθ dy dx
= x −y
dt x2 dt dt

3
5. The minute hand of a certain clock is 4 in long. Starting from the moment
when the hand is pointing straight up, how fast is the area of the sector that
is swept out by the hand increasing at any instant during the next revolution
of the hand?

The area of a semi-circle is given by the formula: A = 12 θr2 . Our radius is

4 in so, A = 12 θ(4)2 = 8θ. So the change in area at any instant is given by
dA dθ
=8 .
dt dt

6. Oil spilled from a ruptured tanker spreads in a circle whose area increases at
a constant rate of 6 mi2 /h. How fast is the radius of the spill increasing when
the area is 9 mi2 ?

We are given dAdt

= 6 and we are asked to find dr | . However, we need
dt A=9
to figure out what the radius is that gives us an area of 9 mi2 .

A = πr2
9 = πr2
9
= r2
π
3
√ =r
π

Now we need to find an equation that relates dA/dt and dr/dt.

A = πr2
d d
(A) = (πr2 )
dt dt
dA dr dr dA 1
= π2r → = ·
dt dt dt dt 2πr
Now find we are able to find dr/dt|A=9 .
  √ √
dr  dA  1 1 π π 1
= · 3 = 6 · 6π = 6 · = = √ mi/h
dt A=9
 dt A=9 2π √π
 √
π
6π π π

4
7. A softball diamond is a square whose sides are 60 ft long. Suppose that a
player running from first to second base has a speed of 25 ft/s at the instant
when she is 10 ft from second base. At what rate is the player’s distance from
home plate changing at that instant?

Let x denote the distance from first base and y the distance from home (See
figure). Then we have the following relationship, 602 + x2 = y 2 . Now 10 feet
from second base translates to 50 ft from from first base. So when x = 50,

602 + x2 = y 2
@
@

602 + 502 = y 2
@
 x
 @
√ @
3600 + 2500 = y

y @ First
√ @
6100 = y
@ 
√ @ 
10 61 = y @
@ 

60 ft
@
Home

Now find a relation ship between dx/dt and dy/dt:

602 + x2 = y 2
d d
(602 + x2 ) = (y 2 )
dt dt
dx dy dy x dx
2x = 2y → = ·
dt dt dt y dt
√
Now we can find dy/dt using the fact that when x = 50 we know y = 10 61
and dx/dt = 25 f t/sec.

dy x dx
= ·
dt y dt
50
= √ (25 f t/s)
10 61
125
= √ f t/s
61

5
8. A conical water tank with vertex down has a radius of 10 ft at the top and is
24 ft high. If water flows into the tank at a rate of 20 f t3 /min, how fast is the
depth of the water increasing when the water is 16 ft deep?

We are asked to find dh 
dt h=16
given that dV
dt
= 20. The volume of the water
1
tank (right circular cone) is given by V = 3 πr2 h.

Look at the accompanying figure. We can use similar triangles to obtain a

relationship between r and h. Then solve for r and substitute into our volume
equation so that volume is a function of height only. Then find dV /dt.
10 r
=
24 h
5 10
·h=r
12 BB 
B 
π
B 
V = r2 h B
r

3 B 
 2 B 
π 5
= h h
B 
3 12 B  24
B 
π 25 3 B h 
= h
3 144 B
B 


B 
  B 
dV d π 25 3
= h B 
dt dt 3 144 B
25 dh
= πh2
144 dt
Now when h = 16:
25 dh
20 = π(16)2
144 dt
dh 1 144 4(5)(42 )(32 ) 9
→ = 20 2 = 4 2
=
dt 16 π 25 4 (5 )π 20π

6
9. Grain pouring from a chute at the rate of 8 f t3 /min forms a conical pile whose
height is always twice its radius. How fast is the height of the pile increasing
at the instant when the pile is 6 ft high?

We need to find dh/dt|h=6f t , so we need to express the volume of the conical

pile, V = 13 πr2 h, solely in terms of h. We know that h = 2r so that implies
r = 12 h. Now substitute r into the volume equation and find dV /dt so we can
solve for dh/dt:
 2
1 1
V = π h h
3 2
1 1
= π h2 · h
3 4
π
= h3
12

dV π dh πh2 dh
= 3 h2 =
dt 12 dt 4 dt

dh 4 dV
→ =
dt πh2 dt

f t3
 
dh  4 dV  4 8
= 2
= 2
· 8 = f t/min
dt h=6f t π(6f t) dt h=6 π 36f t
  min 9π

7
10. A boat is pulled into a dock by means of a rope attached to a pulley on the
dock. The rope is attached to the bow of the boat at a point 10 ft below the
pulley. If the rope is pulled through the pulley at a rate of 20 ft/min, at what
rate will the boat be approaching the dock when 125 ft of rope is out?

Let x = Distance from dock to the boat, and y = Length of rope. Then we have
the following relationship: x2 + 102 = y 2 .
P y
X
XX
XXX
10 XXX
XXX
XX X Boat
x
Since the Boat is coming towards the pulley, x and y will shrink. So in this
viewpoint, dy/dt = −20 f t/min. We need to find dx/dt|y=125 .
Now when y = 125 we can find x:
x2 + 102 = 1252
x2 = 15625 − 100 = 15525
√ √ √
x = 15525 = 152 · 69 = 15 69
Now find d/dt of x2 + 102 = y 2 to find dx/dt:
d 2 d
(x + 102 ) = (y 2 )
dt dt
dx dy
2x = 2y
dt dt

dx y dy
=
dt x dt
 
dx  125 dy  25 500
= √ · = √ (−20) = − √
dt y=125 15 69 dt y=125 3 69
  3 69

The boat approaches the dock at + 3500

√
69
f t/min (Why do we not use the neg-
ative ( - ) solution for dx/dt? We setup the problem so that dx/dt is the rate
at which the boat is coming towards the pulley, so it makes sense to say it has
a positive rate, even though the distance is shrinking.)

8
11. A beacon that makes one revolution every 10 seconds is located on a ship an-
chored 4 kilometers from a straight shoreline. How fast is the beam moving
along the shoreline when it makes an angle of 45◦ with the shore?

Look at the picture below. We are asked to find dx dt

when θ = 45◦ = π4 . We
dθ
are given that dt = 10 revolutions per minute. Since there are 2π radians in a
complete revolution, we have dθ
dt
= 2π
10
= π5 rad/sec.

x
Shore

Ship

x
We need a relationship then between θ and x. We see that tan(θ) = 4
so
set x = 4 tan(θ) and find dx/dt:

x = 4 tan(θ)
d d
(x) = (4 tan(θ))
dt dt
dx dθ
= 4 sec2 (θ)
dt dt


dx 

dθ  √ 2 π 8π
2
= 4 sec (π/4) = 4 2 = km/s
dt θ=π/4
 dt θ=π/4
 5 5

9
12. An aircraft is flying at a constant altitude with a constant speed of 600 mi/h.
An antiaircraft missile is fired on a straight line at an angle 120◦ to the flight
path of the aircraft so that it will hit the aircraft at a point P. At the instant
the aircraft is 2 mi from the impact point P, the missile is 4 mi from P and
flying at 1200 mi/h. At that instant, how rapidly is the distance between the
missile and the aircraft decreasing?

Let x = distance from P to aircraft (A), y = distance P to missile (M), and

z = distance between missile and aircraft ( See figure below ).We are asked to
find dz
dt
when x = 2, y = 4 given that dx
dt
= −600 and dy dt
= −1200 at his instant
(They are negative because they are shrinking).

P x
A
◦ 
120


y 


 z




M 

Using the law of cosines, and that 120◦ = 2π

3
, we have a relationship between
x, y, z:
 
2 2 2 2π
z = x + y − 2xy cos
3
 
1
= x2 + y 2 − 2xy −
2

→ z 2 = x2 + y 2 + xy (∗)

Now when we need to find z when x = 2, y = 4:

z 2 = (2)2 + (4)2 + 2(4)
= 4 + 16 + 8
= 28
√ √
→ z = 28 = 2 7

10
Now take take d/dt of (∗) and solve for dz/dt:

d 2 d
(z ) = (x2 + y 2 + xy)
dt dt

dz dx dy dy dx
2z = 2x + 2y + x + y
dt dt dt dt dt
 
dz 1 dx dy
→ = (2x + y) + (2y + x)
dt 2z dt dt

Now when x = 2, y = 4 . . .
x=2 x=2 x=2 !
dz  1 dx  dy 
= √ (2(2) + 4) + (2(4) + 2) 
dt y=4 2(2 7)
 dt y=4 dt y=4

1
= √ (8(−600) + 10(−1200))
4 7

1
= √ (−4800 − 12000)
4 7

1
= √ (−16800)
4 7

√
4200 4200 7 √
=− √ =− = −600 7 mi/h
7 7

This means that√ the distance between missile and the aircraft is decreasing at
the rate of 600 7 miles per hour.

11
13. A point P is moving along the curve whose equation is y = 2x How fast is the
distance between P and the point (3, 0) changing at the instant when P is (3, 6)
if x is decreasing at the rate of 2 units/sec at that instant?

For any x, the coordinates of P is given by (x, 2x). The distance between
P = (x, 2x) and (3, 0) is given by the distance formula:
p
D = (x − 3)2 + (2x − 0)2
√
= x2 − 6x + 9 + 4x2
√
= 5x2 − 6x + 9

Now we need to find dD/dt|x=3 with the fact that dx/dt|x=3 = −2:
 
dD 1 2 −1/2 dx dx
= (5x − 6x + 9) 10x − 6
dt 2 dt dt
dx
(10x − 6) dt
= √
2 5x2 − 6x + 9
2(5x − 3) dx
= √
2 5x − 6x + 9 dt
2

5x − 3 dx
=√
5x − 6x + 9 dt
2

 
dD  5(3) − 3 dx 
=p
dt x=3 5(3)2 − 6(3) + 9 dt x=3
12
=√ (−2)
45 − 18 + 9
24
= −√
36
24
= − = −4 units/sec
6

12
14. A particle is moving along the curve y = x2x+1 . Find all values of x at which
the rate of change of x with respect to time is three times that of y. (Assume
that dx/dt is never zero.)

We need to solve the equation dx

dt
= 3 dy
dt
. Since dx/dt is never zero, we can
dy
1 dy
divide by it. This means that 1 = 3 dx
dt
, or 3
= dx
. We will use this later.
dt

Next rewrite the equation as (x2 + 1)y = x and differentiate with respect to x.

d d
((x2 + 1)y) = (x)
dx dx
dy
(x2 + 1) + y(2x) = 1 Replace dy/dx = 1/3
dx 

1
(x2 + 1) + 2yx = 1
3
x2 + 1 + 6xy = 3 Replace y with original equation
 
x
x2 + 1 + 6x 2
=3 Multiply both sides by x2 + 1
x +1
(x2 + 1)2 + 6x2 = 3(x2 + 1)
x4 + 2x2 + 1 + 6x2 − 3x2 − 3 = 0
x4 + 5x2 − 2 = 0 Substitute u = x2
u2 + 5u − 2 = 0 Complete the square
 2  2
5 5
u2 + 5u + − −2=0
2 2
 2
5 25 8
u+ − − =0
2 4 4
 2
5 33
u+ =
2 4
√
5 33
u+ =±
2 2 √
5 33
u=− ± Replace u = x2
2 √2
5 33
→ x2 = − ±
2 2

13
 √
Note that − 52 − 233 < 0, so we must disregard it before taking the square root
of a negative number.
√ √
2 5 33 −5 + 3
→x =− + =
2 2 2

s √
−5 + 33
x=±
2

14