Differentiate both sides with respect to t

In summary, the person is trying to solve for dh/dt but doesn't understand what d/dx means. They need help with differentiation and understanding properties of derivatives.
  • #1
bobsmith76
336
0

Homework Statement



Screenshot2012-01-28at83636AM.png

The Attempt at a Solution



I really need some help here. I've been able to get through about 50 pages of calculus without really understanding what it means to differentiate both sides with respect to t, now I've run out of space to hide and I can't succeed any more without understanding this concept. I don't see why here

33.png


differentiating both sides with respect to t forces me to take the inverse of (pi(h^2))/4. any help would be really appreciated.

If you want me to differentiate (pi(h^2))/4, then to me is

simply h, because pi as a number turns to zero, 4 turns to zero and h squared turns to h.
 
Last edited:
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  • #2
This is what you have:

[tex]
V=\frac{\pi}{12} \cdot h^{3}
[/tex]

The constant-multiple rule says that if you have a constant multiplying a variable, then the derivative is the same constant times the derivative of the variable. This is:

[tex]
\frac{d}{dx} c\cdot x = c\cdot \frac{d}{dx}x

[/tex]

Your constant here is simply [tex] \frac{\pi}{12} [/tex]

Can you try it now? You should really review the properties of derivatives.
 
  • #3
I still can't figure it out because I don't know what d/dx refers to, nor what x refers to.

I understand how to get from

(pi/12)h^3 to (pi/4)h^2

I do not understand how to get from

(pi/4)h^2 to 4/((pi)h^2)
 
  • #4
bobsmith76 said:

Homework Statement



Screenshot2012-01-28at83636AM.png

The Attempt at a Solution



I really need some help here. I've been able to get through about 50 pages of calculus without really understanding what it means to differentiate both sides with respect to t, now I've run out of space to hide and I can't succeed any more without understanding this concept. I don't see why here

33.png


differentiating both sides with respect to t forces me to take the inverse of (pi(h^2))/4. any help would be really appreciated.

If you want me to differentiate (pi(h^2))/4, then to me is

simply h, because pi as a number turns to zero, 4 turns to zero and h squared turns to h.

They're skimming over steps.

They start with this:

[tex]V = \frac{\pi}{12}h^3[/tex]

Then they differentiate both sides wrt t. But the RHS is in terms of h, not t. So you have to use Chain Rule to differentiate it.

[tex]\frac{dV}{dt} = (\frac{dV}{dh})(\frac{dh}{dt})[/tex]

You should already know how to differentiate a simple polynomial expression, so:

[tex]\frac{dV}{dh} = \frac{\pi}{12}(3h^2) = \frac{\pi}{4}h^2[/tex]

Hence,

[tex]\frac{dV}{dt} = \frac{\pi}{4}h^2{\frac{dh}{dt}}[/tex]

And the next part is only an algebraic rearrangement.

[tex]\frac{dh}{dt} = \frac{4}{{\pi}h^2}\frac{dV}{dt}[/tex]

Hope it's clear now. :smile:
 
Last edited:
  • #5
I still think you need to freshen up your properties of derivatives. If you don't understand what d/dx means then you're in trouble. But I'll take your word that you understand how to take the derivative of [tex] \frac{\pi}{12}h^{3} [/tex]
For the second line, we have:
[tex]
\frac{dV}{dt} = \frac{\pi}{4}h^{2}\frac{dh}{dt}
[/tex]
What they did is just solve for [tex] \frac{dh}{dt} [/tex]
So we divide both sides by [tex] \frac{\pi}{4}h^{2} [/tex] to get:

[tex]
\frac{dh}{dt} = \frac{dV}{dt}\frac{4}{\pi}h^{2}
[/tex]

Does this make sense to you? All that really happened is that to divide both sides by [tex] \frac{\pi}{4}h^{2} [/tex]
we just multiply by the reciprocal:
[tex] \frac{4}{\pi * h^{2}} [/tex]
 
  • #6
ok, it looks like in order to get dh/dt by itself I just multiply both sides of the equation by the inverse. I didn't know that that's what differentiating both sides with respect to t meant, but now I do, thanks.
 
  • #7
bobsmith76 said:
ok, it looks like in order to get dh/dt by itself I just multiply both sides of the equation by the inverse. I didn't know that that's what differentiating both sides with respect to t meant, but now I do, thanks.

NO!

That's just algebraic rearrangement. Differentiation is something else entirely. Did you see and understand my post?
 

1. What does it mean to differentiate both sides with respect to t?

Differentiating both sides with respect to t means finding the rate of change of both sides of an equation with respect to the variable t. This process is used in calculus to solve equations involving multiple variables.

2. Why do we differentiate both sides with respect to t?

We differentiate both sides with respect to t to find the derivative of an equation or function. This helps us understand how the equation or function changes as the variable t changes.

3. Can we differentiate both sides with respect to any variable?

Yes, we can differentiate both sides with respect to any variable. However, it is important to use the same variable on both sides of the equation to properly apply the rules of differentiation.

4. What are the rules for differentiating both sides with respect to t?

The basic rules for differentiating both sides with respect to t include the power rule, product rule, quotient rule, and chain rule. These rules help us find the derivative of different types of equations and functions.

5. How is differentiating both sides with respect to t related to finding the slope of a line?

The process of differentiating both sides with respect to t is closely related to finding the slope of a line. The derivative of an equation or function at a specific point represents the slope of the tangent line at that point. By finding the derivative, we can determine the slope of a line at a specific point on the curve.

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