A related rates problem (shouldn't be complicated)

In summary, the conversation discusses a problem involving an inverted conical container, with a known diameter and depth, and water flowing out of the vertex at a given rate. The goal is to find the rate at which the depth of the water is dropping when the height is a specific value. The solution involves using the equation for volume of a cone and taking the derivative with respect to time, but the mistake in the attempt is treating the radius as a constant instead of a function of height. The correct answer is 5/7 in/sec, not 15/7 in/sec.
  • #1
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Homework Statement


An inverted conical container has a diameter of 42 in and a depth of 15 in. If water is flowing out of the vertex at a rate of 35 [tex]\pi[/tex] in^3 / sec, how fast is the depth of the water dropping when the height is 5 in?


Homework Equations


v= (1/3) [tex]\pi[/tex] r^2 * h


The Attempt at a Solution


What I know:
D=42 in
R=21 in
h=15 in
(dV/dT)=35 [tex]\pi[/tex] in^3/min
(dH/dT)=? When h=5.

(r1/h1)=(r2/h2) ... (21/15)= (r2/5) ...r2=7

plugging in 7 for r, I get...
v= (1/3) [tex]\pi[/tex] (49) * h

Taking the derivative in terms of T, I get...
(dV/dT)=(49 [tex]\pi[/tex] /3) (dH/dT)
35 [tex]\pi[/tex] = (49 [tex]\pi[/tex] / 3) (dH/dT)



I get (dH/dT) to = 15/7 in/sec, but the back of my book says 5/7 in/sec. Is it just supposed to be the ratio of height to radius? Thanks in advance.
 
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  • #2
Did I go wrong in plugging 7 in for r before I took the derivative? But if I took the derivative I'd have (dr/dt) in the equation, which I wouldn't be able to solve for.
 
  • #3

Homework Statement


An inverted conical container has a diameter of 42 in and a depth of 15 in. If water is flowing out of the vertex at a rate of 35 [tex]\pi[/tex] in^3 / sec, how fast is the depth of the water dropping when the height is 5 in?


Homework Equations


v= (1/3) [tex]\pi[/tex] r^2 * h


The Attempt at a Solution


What I know:
D=42 in
R=21 in
h=15 in
(dV/dT)=35 [tex]\pi[/tex] in^3/min
(dH/dT)=? When h=5.

(r1/h1)=(r2/h2) ... (21/15)= (r2/5) ...r2=7

plugging in 7 for r, I get...[/v= (1/3) [tex]\pi[/tex] (49) * h

Taking the derivative in terms of T, I get...

(dV/dT)=(49 [tex]\pi[/tex] /3) (dH/dT)
Here is your error- you are treating r as if it were a constant. Since (r/h)= (21/7), r= (21/7)h and [itex]V= (1/3)\pi r^2 h= (1/3)\pi(21/7)^2 h^3[/itex]. differentiate both sides of that with respect to h.

35 [tex]\pi[/tex] = (49 [tex]\pi[/tex] / 3) (dH/dT)



I get (dH/dT) to = 15/7 in/sec, but the back of my book says 5/7 in/sec. Is it just supposed to be the ratio of height to radius? Thanks in advance.
 
  • #4
Thank you very much. I felt iffy when I used r as a constant..
:)
 

1. How do you determine the related rates in a problem?

The related rates in a problem are determined by identifying the changing quantities in the problem and finding the relationships between them using derivatives.

2. What is the difference between related rates and ordinary rates?

Related rates involve the change of two or more variables with respect to time, while ordinary rates involve the change of a single variable with respect to time.

3. Can you provide an example of a related rates problem?

One example of a related rates problem is a water tank being filled at a constant rate while a hole in the bottom of the tank drains the water at a decreasing rate. The related rates in this problem would be the changing water levels and the flow rates of water in and out of the tank.

4. How do you solve a related rates problem?

To solve a related rates problem, you must first identify the changing quantities and their relationships, then use the chain rule to find the derivatives of each variable with respect to time. Finally, you can substitute in the given values and solve for the unknown rate.

5. What are some real-world applications of related rates?

Related rates are commonly used in fields such as physics, engineering, and economics to model and solve problems involving changing quantities. Some real-world applications include determining the speed of a moving object, predicting population growth, and analyzing the flow rate of fluids in a system.

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