Math 1210 Signature Assignment: Derivatives

Completed by: Nania Platt

March 1, 2019

Question: Suppose that a particle moves according to the law of motion

s (t)=t 4−6 t ❑3+ 4 t ❑2+3 with t ≤ 0 , where s is in meters and t is in seconds. Use your
knowledge of the relationship between position, velocity, and acceleration to answer the
following questions. Use exact values ( not approximations) throughout.

a). Find the velocity of the particle at time t. What is the velocity at t=0 ?

The first part of this problem is to take the original problem and
take the derivative of it.
s (t)=t 4−6 t ❑3+ 4 t ❑2+3
Shown as follows: The derivative was done by the power rule
to each value in the function
v (t )=4 t 3 −18t 2 +8 t ❑
And simplified as,
3 2 ❑
v (t )=2 t −9 t + 4 t ❑
❑
The velocity at t=0 , plug in 0 into
the function of the velocity
Shown as follows:
2
0 ¿ +4 (0)
¿
0 ¿ −9 ¿ (When plugging in t=0
3

v (0)=2 ¿
¿
for all the t
values the
function is equal to 0)
v ( 0)=0

And so we know that the velocity is 0 when the time is 0, which is a very
clear conclusion since the object hasn’t moved anywhere.

To the left is the graph of the velocity function v (t )=2 t 3 −9 t 2 + 4 t ❑

❑

We can see that the velocity is 0 at time t and that has positive and negative values for some of
its measurements.
b). Determine, using algebraic analysis, when the particle is moving in a positive
direction, a negative direction, and when it is at rest.

To find this, first put the v(t) function equal to zero and solve for t, this is finding when the
❑
particle is at rest or v =0.❑
v (t )=2 t 3 −9 t 2 + 4 t ❑
❑ Velocity function

2t 3−9t 2 +4 t=0❑ Here it is set equal to zero

❑

t (2t 2−9 t +4)=0❑ ❑ Start to factor the function by taking a t that is common in all the values
❑
t (2t−1)(t−4 )❑ =0 Factor the inside of the parenthesis to get this.
2t−1=0❑ ❑ t−4=0❑ ❑ Set both parts equal to zero and solve.
❑ ❑
+1+1❑ +4 ❑ +4 Add the 1 or the 4 to both sides and then get what t is.
2t 1
= ------
2 2
❑
1
t= t=4 ❑
2❑ ❑

❑
There is a third zero at t=0❑

To know when the particle is positive and when it is a negative is a slightly different process.
❑
Positive only when v >0❑
❑
Negative only when v <0❑
The way that I was able to figure this out was by looking at the v(t) graph shown in part a.
❑
1
The particle is moving in a positive direction (0, ) ,(4, ∞)
2 ❑
1 ❑
The particle is moving in a negative direction (−∞ ,0) ,( , 4)
2 ❑

c). Find the total distance traveled by the particle in the first 6 seconds.

To figure out the total distance that was traveled by the particle in the first 6 seconds, we need
to take the t values found in part b and create a sketch of where the particle travels over the
period of time. Again we need to use the graph in part a to help us find where the particle is and
how far it travels.

Starting at time 0 I figured the distance the particle traveled. By plugging in the zeros of the v(t)
function into the s(t) we can find the distances. The following are the answers to plugging in
4 3 2
s (t)=t −6 t ❑ + 4 t ❑ +3

When t=0, s=0❑

 ❑
1 63
When t= , s=3.3125=
2 16 ❑
❑
When t=4, s=−61❑
❑
When t=6, s=1059❑

Using the s(t) found values we can do the following to find the total distance the particle travels;
❑
1
f ( )−f (0)=3.3125−0=3.3125 m
2 ❑

❑
1
f (4)−f ( )=−61−3.3125=−64.3125 m
2 ❑
Can’t have a negative distance and if it was made positive answer would be
61- 3.3125= 57.6875 m

❑
f (6)−f (4 )=1059−(−61)❑=1120 m
And so for this the answer would be 1059 - 61 = 998 m

❑
Total Distance: 3.3125+(−64.3125)+1120=1062m traveled total❑
Total Distance would then be 3.3125 +57.6875 +998 =1059 m total

Not sure what is the correct answer, but the bigger value of 1062 makes the most sense overall.
I put both calculations shown, because I wanted to show the two different ways I did it and if one
is right and the other is wrong, then the work is there to be shown.

d). Find the acceleration of the particle at time t. What is the acceleration at t=0 ?
 This part of the problem we need to take the second
derivative of the function in our case the v(t) function.
3 2 ❑
v (t )=2 t −9 t + 4 t ❑
a( t)=6 t 2−18 t+ 4❑❑
Simplified as,
2 ❑
a( t)=3 t −9 t+ 2❑
❑
The acceleration at t=0❑ is solved by plugging 0
into the function as follows,
0 ¿2−9(0)+2
¿
a( 0)=3 ¿
¿
a( 0)=2∨2 m/s 2❑
❑
This is the acceleration process and the graph of
acceleration is shown to the left.

e). When is the particle speeding up and slowing down?

 To the left is the graph of all the functions of s(t) in
purple, v(t) in blue and a(t) in red.

It's a little compact but this will help for us to

determine when the particle is speeding up or when
(a and v are equal values),
and when the particle is slowing down or when (a
and v are opposite values).

The big way to figure out when the function is

speeding up or slowing down is by looking at all the
graphs of each function and comparing where they
are working together or against each other. We also
need to find the zeros of a(t).

We can do this by factoring a(t)=3 t 2−9 t+2❑ ❑

And this equation does not evenly factor we need to
use the quadratic equation.
9 ± √❑ ❑
t=
❑ ❑
❑ 9 ± √❑ ❑ Simplified to t= 2.7583 and t=
❑ ❑ t=
❑ ❑
0.24169

Now using the values of v(t)= ½, 4, 0

a(t)= 2.7583, 0.24169
We can figure out the points at which the particle is
speeding up and slowing down.

The particle is speeding up in the following intervals;

2.8 < t < 4

The particle is slowing down in the following intervals;

0.24 < t < 1/2

The graph below is a little more blown up version of the graph at the left above.

Function s(t)
Velocity v(t)

Acceleration a(t)