1. Find the equations of the tangent and normal lines to the curve y = x2 + 1 at x = 2.

Solution:
At x = 2, y = 22 + 1 = 5. So, we use the point (2,5).
If y = x2 + 1, then

dy
2x .
dx
dy

Slope of tangent line is mT = dx

x2

Using point-slope form of the line:

= 2(2) = 4.
y mT ( x x1 ) y1 with (x1,y1) = (2,5).
y 4( x 2) 5
y 4x 8 5
y 4x 3

EQUATION of TANGENT LINE: 4x y 3 = 0.

Slope of normal line: m N

1
1

mT
4

Using point-slope form of the line:

y m N ( x x1 ) y1
y

1
( x 2) 5
4

4 y ( x 2) 20
4 y x 2 20
x 4 y 22 0

EQUATION OF NORMAL LINE: x + 4y 22 = 0

2. A ladder 20 ft long leans against a vertical building. If the top of the ladder slides
down at a rate of 3 ft/s, how fast is the bottom of the ladder sliding away from
the building when the top of the ladder is 10 ft above the ground.

20 ft

Given:

dy
3 , y = 10
dt

By Pythagorean Theorem: x 2 y 2 20 2 400 ------- (1)

x

400 y 2

If y = 10, x 400 10 2 300 10 3

Differentiate equation (1) implicitly:
2x

dx
dy
2y
0
dt
dt

dx

dt

dy
dt y dy
2x
x dt

2y

Using y = 10, x = 10 3 , and

dx
10
dy

3 1 ft/s
3:
dt
10 3
dt

3. A tank shaped like a cone shown on the picture below, is being filled up with
water. The top of the tank is a circle with radius 5 ft,
its height is 15 ft. Water is added to the tank at the
rate of 2 ft3/min. How fast is the water level rising
when the water level is 6 ft high?
5

15
h

Given:

dV
2 ft3/min
dt

Find:

dh
when h = 6 ft
dt
1
3

The volume of water in the tank is V r 2 h

Applying similar triangles:

Hence, V

1
h

3 3

15 5
h
5h 15r r
h r
3

1
h 3
27

dV
1
dh h 2 dh

(3h 2 )

dt
27
dt
9 dt

dh
9 dV
2
dt h dt

where

dV
2
dt

and h = 6ft

dh
9
18

( 2 )
0.5 ft/min
2
dt (6)
36