MHB How Fast Does a Balloon's Radius Expand When Inflated?

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The discussion revolves around calculating the radius of a sphere-shaped balloon being inflated at a specific volume addition rate. The volume rate is given as 40 cm³/s, and the radius addition rate is 20 cm/s. Using the formula for the volume of a sphere and applying differentiation, the derived radius is found to be $$\frac{1}{\sqrt{2\pi}}$$ cm. The conversation also touches on the classification of the problem as a calculus topic, despite its appearance in high school exams. Overall, the focus is on the mathematical approach to solving the radius expansion of the balloon.
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Icha is going to blow a sphere-shaped rubber balloon. She uses a pump to infuse the air with the volume addition rate $$40cm^3/s$$. If the radius addition rate is 20 cm/s, the radius of the sphere after being blown is ...
A. $$\frac{1}{\sqrt\pi}$$ cm
B. $$\frac{1}{\sqrt{2\pi}}$$ cm
C. $$\frac{1}{2\sqrt\pi}$$ cm
D. $$\frac{1}{3\sqrt\pi}$$ cm
E. $$\pi$$ cm

Please give me some hints. Thanks.
 
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Monoxdifly said:
Icha is going to blow a sphere-shaped rubber balloon. She uses a pump to infuse the air with the volume addition rate $$40cm^3/s$$. If the radius addition rate is 20 cm/s, the radius of the sphere after being blown is ...
A. $$\frac{1}{\sqrt\pi}$$ cm
B. $$\frac{1}{\sqrt{2\pi}}$$ cm
C. $$\frac{1}{2\sqrt\pi}$$ cm
D. $$\frac{1}{3\sqrt\pi}$$ cm
E. $$\pi$$ cm

Please give me some hints. Thanks.

take the derivative of the sphere volume formula w/respect to time ...
 
$$40cm^3/s=4\pi r^2(20cm/s)$$
$$2cm^2=4\pi r^2$$
$$r^2=\frac{1cm^2}{2\pi}$$
$$r=\frac{1}{\sqrt{2\pi}}cm$$?
 
For a sphere of radius $r$, the volume is:

$$V=\frac{4}{3}\pi r^3$$

Differentiating w.r.t time $t$, we have:

$$\d{V}{t}=4\pi r^2\d{r}{t}\implies r=\frac{1}{2}\sqrt{\frac{\d{V}{t}}{\pi\d{r}{t}}}$$

Plugging in the given numbers, we have:

$$r=\frac{1}{2}\sqrt{\frac{40\frac{\text{cm}^3}{\text{s}}}{20\pi\frac{\text{cm}}{\text{s}}}}=\frac{1}{\sqrt{2\pi}}\text{ cm}\quad\checkmark$$

I will move this thread to our Calculus forum. :)
 
MarkFL said:
I will move this thread to our Calculus forum. :)

I thought this was pre-calculus because it was a question in high school graduation exam.
 
Monoxdifly said:
I thought this was pre-calculus because it was a question in high school graduation exam.

It is a related rate problem involving differential calculus (so that's why I moved it). Many places teach elementary calculus in high school. :)
 
What is the actual limit between pre-calculus and calculus, anyway?
 

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