(Ex.

A 13-ft ladder is leaning against a wall when its base starts to slide away from
the wall. By the time its base is 12 ft from the wall, the base is moving at the rate of
5 ft/sec. Let x be the distance between the base of the wall and the base of the
ladder. Let y be the height the top of the ladder is off the ground. The given is that
dx/dt = +5 at the moment x = 12. The length of the ladder, 13 feet, is a constant,
since it would never change through out. (a) How fast is the top of the ladder sliding
down the wall then? We are looking for dy/dt. A simple relation between x and y is
via the Pythagorean Theorem: x 2 + y 2 = 132 . Implicitly differentiate both sides of
the equation with respect to t 2 + 2 = 0 dt dy y dt dx x . Solve for dy/dt in terms of
x, y, and dx/dt dt dx y x dt dy = We know that at the moment x = 12, dx/dt = 5.
The only other thing we need is y, which can be found by setting x = 12 and use the
equation x 2 + y 2 = 132 . We have y = 5. Therefore, 5 12 5 12 = = = dt dx
y x dt dy The minus sign denotes that the ladder is sliding down, i.e., the height y is
decreasing. It is sliding down at a speed of 12 ft/sec. Answer: 12 ft/sec (b) At what
rate is the area of the triangle (formed by the wall, the ladder, and the ground)
changing at the same time? Now the unknown is the rate of change of the area,
dA/dt. We know the rates of changes of the 2 sides, therefore, the choice for a
relation between what are known and the unknown is simple: A = xy/2. Implicitly
differentiate both sides = + dt dx y dt dy x dt dA 2 1 . We are given that
when x = 12, dx/dt = 5. Weve also found in (a) that, at the same moment, y = 5
and dy/dt = 12. Substitute those values into the equation above and we have ( )
59 5. 2 119 2 144 25 12 ( 12) 5 5 2 1 = = + = + = dt dA Answer: 59.5
ft2 /sec Comment: The calculation above is short and simple (2 steps) only because
weve already found y and dy/dt in (a). Otherwise, to solve (b) from scratch, we
would either have to solve (a) first, or rewrite A solely as a function of x by
substituting y = (169 x 2 ) 1/2. Then differentiate the equation A = x(169 x 2 )
1/2, which requires a more complex series of calculation than above. (c) At what
rate is the angle , between the ladder and the ground changing then? Can you
think of a formula that relates the angle with the sides x and y of a right triangle?
There are in fact six familiar ones. Answer: 1 rad/sec )

#2) A light is hung 15ft above a straight horizontal path. If a man 6 ft tall is walking
away from the light at the rate of 5ft/sec. How fast is his shadow lengthening? And at
what rate is the tip of the man's shadow moving?
y = 6? or 15?
dx/dt = 6
z^2 = x^2 + y^2 ?
*Consider a set of axes (x,y) and let the light be on the line x=0, 15 feet up. Then the
coordinates of the light are (0,15). If the man is moving along the x axis and is at a
position x at time t, the top of his head is at (x,6). Let his shadow be a length s. Then

the shadow is along the x axis from the man's feet (which are at (x,0)) till a point
(x+s,0). The triangle formed by the origin, the light and the tip of the shadow is
similar to that formed by the man and the tip of the shadow. We have therefore
15/6 = (x+s)/s from where we get 5/2 s = x+s and therefore 3/2 s = x or s = (2/3) x from
where we get
ds/dt = (2/3) dx/dt where dx/dt is the man's speed. So the shadow lengthens at a
speed = (2/3)*5 = 3.33 ft/s
* Let z be the distance from the base of the light to the tip of the man's shadow.
y=length of the shadow
x= distance between the man and the light
dx/dt=5
Using similar triangles
y/6 = x/15
y=(6/15) x
dy/dt = (6/15) dx/dt
dy/dt = (6/15)(5) = 2 ft/sec ---- length of shadow changing
Also,
z/15=x/(15-6)
z/15=x/9
z=(15/9)x
dz/dt = (15/9) dx/dt = (15/9)(5)=45/9=5 ft/sec --- tip of the shadow changing

*First, dx/dt = velocity = 5ft/s. (This will be difficult to explain without a figure.)
Then the distance along the y axis from his head to the light will be just the height of the light minus his
height, or 9 ft.
At the same time, the distance along the x axis a function of time, that is, x(t) = 5t, t in seconds.
So the distance from his head to the light must be,
d(t) = sqrt(81 + 25t^2).
However, the shadow itself forms a triangle. We know that the vertical part of this triangle is just the man's
height, which is 6 ft. In order to find the horizontal part and how it changes with time, we need to find the
hypotenuse of this triangle.

Here's how we find another side of the triangle. The angle that the line of length d(t) makes with the line of
length 15 has to be equal to the angle that the line of length 6 makes with the hypotenuse of the shadow
triangle. Using trigonometry, the angle must be
theta = cos^-1(9/sqrt(81+25t^2)), which can always be done since the expression in parenthesis is always
equal to or less than 1.
Now, for the shadow triangle, we can find the hypotenuse to be,
cos (theta) = a/h = 6/h = 9/sqrt(81 + 25t^2). So,
Hypotenuse = h(t) = (6/9)sqrt(81 + 25t^2).
Now,
6^2 + (shadow length)^2 = (36/81)(81 + 25t^2), so
Shadow length = S(t) = sqrt( (36/81)(81 + 25t^2) - 36).
Rate at which shadow length is increasing =
dS/dt = (1/2)((36/81)(81 + 25t^2) - 36)^-1/2 (50t).
I would think this would also be the rate at which the tip of the shadow is moving.
S(t) shows that the length of the shadow changes with time, which is what you would expect if a person is
walking away from a light at some distance in the air. At d = 0, t = 0, so S(0) = 0, shadow length would be zero

#POR.)

#5.)

#6)