Related Rates

By Klyde Britton and Michael DeSimone

Related Rate: The rate at which multiple things changing together

Examples:

1. Mr. Spitz’s age and hotness

dHotdAge

Age up = hotness up

2. Mr. Spitz’s homework and student dislike

dDislikedHomework

Homework up = dislike up

Simple Examples from Calculus:

1. Find dy/dt for 2x3 + y2 = 6, when x = 2 and y = 3 and dx/dt = -1

6x2dxdt+ 2ydydt=0

622-1+ 23dydt= 0

6dydt= 24

dydt=4

2. Find dx/dt for y = 4x4 – 6x2, when x = 2 and dy/dt = 3

dydt=16x3dxdt- 12x2dxdt

dydt= dxdt(16x3-12x2)

3= dxdt1623- 1222

3= dxdt80

dxdt=380

3. The sides of an equilateral triangle are expanding at a rate of 6cm per minute. Find the
rate at which they are expanding when the sides are 3cm.

s=3 dsdt=6

A= s234

Find dA/dt

dAdt= 234sdsdt

dAdt=23436
 dAdt=93

MORE EXAMPLES (ugh):

1. Mr. Spitz’s ego (E) grows at a rate of 2 Spitz’s per year as a function of average AP test
scores. Find the rate of change of average AP test scores x) when the average is a 3.

Find dx/dt

E=2πlnx

dEdt=2 x=3

dEdt= 2πxdxdt

2= 2π3dxdt

dxdt= 3π

2. Mr. Spitz is eating ice cream out of an ice cream cone that is 6 inches across and 8 inches
deep, at a rate of 15 cubic inches per second (that means he eats it in 5 freakin’ seconds,
guys). How fast is the ice cream level dropping when the ice cream is 5 inches deep?
Find dh/dt
V= 13πr2h
r=3 h=8 dVdt=-15
r= 38h
V= 13π(38h)2h
V= 364πh3
dVdt= 964πh2dhdt
-15= 964π(5)2dhdt
dhdt= 6415π

3. Mr. Spitz is flying at an altitude of 15 miles on a flight path that will take him directly over
a radar tracking station. The distance between Mr. Spitz and the station is decreasing at a
rate of 600 miles per hour at the instant he is 20 miles from the station. Find the speed of
Mr. Spitz.
Mr. Spitz
z
Y = 15

Station
X = 20
Find dx/dt

x2+y2=z2

dzdt=-600 z=25 (Using Pythagorean Theorem)

2xdxdt+2ydydt=2zdzdt

220dxdt+215dydt=225-600

dy/dt = 0

40dxdt=-30000

dxdt=-750
Holy crap, 750mph!

The End