APPLICATION OF DIFFRENTIATION

Find the stationary points on the graph of y = 2x2 + 4x3 and state their nature (i.e. whether they are maxima, minima or points of inflexion). dy/dx = 4x + 12x2 At stationary points, dy/dx = 0 Therefore 4x + 12x 2 = 0 at stationary points Therefore 4x( 1 + 3x ) = 0 Therefore either 4x = 0 or 3x = -1 Therefore x = 0 or -1/3 When x = 0, y = 0 When x = -1/3, y = 2x2 + 4x3 = 2(-1/3)2 + 4(-1/3)3 = 2/9 - 4/27 = 2/27 Looking at the gradient either side of x = 0: When x = -0.0001, dy/dx = negative When x = 0, dy/dx = zero When x = 0.0001, dy/dx = positive So the gradient goes -ve, zero, +ve, which shows a minimum point. Looking at the gradient either side of x = -1/3 . When x = -0.3334, dy/dx = +ve When x = -0.3333..., dy/dx = zero When x = -0.3332, dy/dx = -ve So the gradient goes +ve, zero, -ve, which shows a maximum point. Therefore there is a maximum point at (-1/3 , 2/27) and a minimum point at (0,0). Solving Practical Problems This method of finding maxima and minima is very useful and can be used to find the maximum and minimum values of all sorts of things. Example Find the least area of metal required to make a closed cylindrical container from thin sheet metal in order that it might have a capacity of 2000p cm3. The total surface area of the cylinder, S, is 2pr2 + 2prh The volume = pr2h = 2000p Therefore pr2h = 2000p. Therefore h = 2000/r2

Therefore S = 2pr2 + 2pr( 2000/r2 ) = 2pr2 + 4000p r So we have an expression for the surface area. To find when the surface area is a minimum, we need to find dS/dr . dS = 4pr - 4000p dr r2 When dS/dr = 0: 4pr - (4000p)/r2 = 0 Therefore 4pr = 4000p r2 So 4pr3 = 4000p So r3 = 1000 So r = 10 You should then check that this is indeed a minimum using the technique above. So the minimum area occurs when r = 10. This minimum area is found by substituting into the equation for the area the value of r = 10. S = 2pr2 + 4000p r = 2p(10)2 + 4000p 10 = 200p + 400p = 600p Therefore the minimum amount of metal required is 600p cm http://khvmathematics.blogspot.com/2009/06/application-of-differentiation.html

A 20 m ladder leans against a wall. The top slides down at a rate of 4 ms-1. How fast is the bottom of the ladder moving when it is 16 m from the wall? Steps: 1. Make a sketch of the problem 2. Identify constant and variable quantities 3. Establish relationship between quantities. 4. Differentiate w.r.t time. 5. Evaluate at point of interest. Following is a demonstration of how to solve this problem in LiveMath. You obviously still need to understand the mathematics! Answer

Now the relation between x and y is: x2 + y2 = 202 Now, differentiating throughout w.r.t time:

That is:

Now, we know

and we need to know the horizontal velocity (dx/dt)when x = 16. The only other unknown is y, which we obtain using Pythagoras' Theorem:

So

gives

ms-1.

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A stone is dropped into a pond, the ripples forming concentric circles which expand. At what rate is the area of one of these circles increasing when the radius is 4 m and increasing at the rate of 0.5 ms-1? Answer

Relation:

Differentiate w.r.t. time: