92-131 Calculus 1 Related Rates

1) A spherical iron ball 8 inches in diameter is coated with a layer of ice of uniform thickness. If the
ice melts at a rate of 10 in3/min, how fast is the outer surface area of the ice decreasing with the ice
is 1 inch thick?

2) A trough in the shape of a triangular prism is being filled at a rate of 5 cc per minute. The depth and
width of the trough are both 50 cm, while the length is 150 cm. How quickly is the level of the
water rising when it is 30 cm deep?

50 cm

50 cm
150 cm

3) Consider a can shaped like a right circular cylinder of equal diameter and height. Suppose the
height changes at a rate of 3 cm/s. How quickly is the surface area changing when height is 5
cm? Write down the exact answer.

4) A trough in the shape of a trapezoidal prism (dimensions shown below) is being filled with
water at a rate of 10 cc per minute. How fast is the water level rising when the trough is half
full? 200 cm

150 cm
400 cm

100 cm

5) A street light is mounted on a 15 foot pole. A man 6 ft tall walks away from the pole with a
speed of 5 ft/s along a straight path. How fast is the tip of his shadow moving when he is 40 feet
from the pole? Write down the exact answer.
 Solutions

1) A spherical iron ball 8 inches in diameter is coated with a layer of ice of uniform thickness. If the
ice melts at a rate of 10 in3/min, how fast is the outer surface area of the ice decreasing with the ice
is 1 inch thick?
Let x be the thickness of the ice. Since we are given the rate
at which the ice melts, we begin with volume.
4 4
Volume of ice is V = ( 4 + x ) 3 ( 4) 3 which simplifies
x in 3 3
4
to V = ( 48 x + 12 x 2 + x 3 ) .
3

dV dx dx dx
= 4 (16 + 8x + x2 )
dt dt dt dt
dV dx
Since = 10 in3/min, When x = 1 , 10 = 4 (25 ) , so
dt dt
4 in
dx 10 1
= = in/min.
dt 100 10

However, this is not what is requested. The outer surface

area of the ice is A = 4 ( 4 + x ) 2 , so
dA dx
= 8 ( 4 + x ) .
dt dt
dx 1
With x = 1 and = ,
dt 10
dA 1
= 8 ( 4 + 1) = 4 in2/min.
dt 10

1
2) cm/min 3) 45 cm2/s
900

2
4) When the water is at a level of y cm the width is w = 100 + y , so the area of the trapezoid is
3
1 1 2 1 1
A = (100 + w) y = (100 + 100 + y ) y = 100 y + y 2 , and the volume is V = 100 y + y 2 400 .
2 2 3 3 3
dV d y 800 d y
Taking a t-derivative gives = 40,000 + y .
dt dt 3 dt
dV dy d y 800 dy dy
With = 10 , and y = 75 cm, we can solve for , 10 = 40,000 + (75) = 60,000 ,
dt dt dt 3 dt dt

dy 1
= cm/min
d t 6000
92-131 Final Exam 5/23/2001
5) A street light is mounted on a 15 foot pole. A man 6 ft tall walks away from the pole with a
speed of 5 ft/s along a straight path. How fast is the tip of his shadow moving when he is 40 feet
from the pole? Write down the exact answer.

The geometry is shown here.

dx

15 ft
What is given: = 5 , x = 40.
dt

6 ft
dy
What is requested: .
dt
x
Similar triangles give the equation y

15 6 5 dy 5dx
= and so 5( y x ) = 2 y , and hence y = x . Which gives =
y yx 3 dt 3 dt
d y 25
Hence = ft/s.
dt 3