APPLICATIONS OF CALCULUS IN THE

REAL WORLD

Zohra Noushin Ahmed 08111-41

Bushra Mahmood 08111-08
Natasha Nizar Ali 08111-21
Dania Malik 08111-10

BBA – 3A
 The main ideas behind calculus were brought to life a very long time ago, with the
first steps being taken by the Egyptians and Greek mathematicians.
Calculus is a very versatile tool, developed from both algebra and geometry. It
includes both differential and integral calculus.
Integral calculus covers the accumulation of quantities, such as the areas under a
curve, whereas differential calculus focuses more on the mathematics of motion and
change.
The study of differential equations is of central interest in analysis. They describe
real-world phenomena ranging from description of planetary orbits to electromagnetic
force fields, such as, say, those used in CAT scans. Such equations are traditionally
classified either as ordinary differential equations (if they involve functions of one
variable) or partial differential equations (if they involve functions of more than one
variable).
Calculus is used in every branch of physics, actuarial sciences, computer sciences,
statistics and engineering. It is even found in medicine and demography!
Calculus is used wherever a problem needs a mathematically modeled and optimal
solution.
When thinking of historical examples of the use of calculus, Sir Isaac Newton comes
to mind, who invented Calculus to certain problems in physical sciences, such as
computing the gravitational force on an apple near the surface of the earth. This is one of
the reasons why calculus is used most widely in the subject of physics.
Newton’s Second Law of Motion, uses the term ‘rates of change’, which are brought
about via derivation.

“the rate of change of momentum of a body is equal to the resultant force acting on
that body and is in the same direction”

Even the expression of this law – Force = Mass x Acceleration – uses differential
calculus, since it involves acceleration, which can also be expressed as the derivative of
velocity.
Maxwell’s theory of electromagnetism and Einstein’s theory of relativity are both
expressed in differential calculus.
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All concepts of classical mechanics, used by mechanical engineers everyday, make
particular use of calculus. In the subfields of electricity and magnetism, it can be used to
find the total flux of electromagnetic fields.
From the making of a water pump to a Ferris wheel, vector Calculus is required.
Amazingly, it is also used in Chemistry, to determine reaction rates and the rates of
decay chemical substances.
Greene’s Theorem, which provides us with the relationship between a line integral
around a simple close-curved ‘C’, and a double integral over the plain region ‘D’
bounded by ‘C’, is applied in an instrument called ‘the planimeter’. This instrument is
used to calculate the area of a flat surface on a drawing.
For example, in everyday life, it can be used to calculate the amount of area taken up
by an irregularly shaped flower bed in your garden, or even the area taken up by a
swimming pool when designing the layout of a future property.
 In medicine, calculus is used to measure the optimal branching angle of a blood
vessel so as to maximize blood flow. In the subject of Sociology, it is used to model
population growth. Economics also has various uses of calculus, one of which is
modeling compound interest.
In the field of Engineering, calculus is applied in the making of generating shears and
bending moment diagrams for beams in civil engineering. It is also used to calculate the
fuel used to send a rocket into space, where the mass of the rocket is constantly changing
due to the fuel being consistently burnt. It is also used in spacecrafts (The Euler Method),
to approximate curved courses within zero gravity environments.
The average of a function can also be found thus. A function can represent many
things. An example could be the path of an airplane. By using calculus, a plane’s average
cruising altitude, velocity and acceleration can be found out. The same can be done for
any other vehicle (bus, car, ship) or any object, for that matter, which moves along a path.
With regular math you can determine the length of a buried cable that runs diagonally
from one corner of a park to the other. With calculus you can determine the length of a
cable hung between two towers, and has the shape of a catenary (which is different, by
the way, from a simple circular arc or a parabola).

Knowing the exact length is of obvious importance to a power company planning

hundreds of miles of new electric cable. The following is an example of constant
acceleration motion, which can be characterized by formulae and motion graphs:
The motion equations for the case of constant acceleration can be developed by
integration of the acceleration. The process can be reversed by taking successive
derivatives.

Also if the acceleration of an object is time dependent, then calculus methods are
required for motion analysis. The relationships between position, velocity and
acceleration can be expressed in terms of derivatives or integrals.

Calculus has a place in various aspects of the world, and thus we can safely say, that
calculus is an integral part of evryday life, without which the world would refuse to
function as it is.