Solving a Calculus Question: Cone with Radius 5 ft & Height 10 ft

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A calculus problem involving a cone with a radius of 5 ft and height of 10 ft requires finding the rate of change of water height when the height is 7 ft, given a filling rate of 3 ft³/min. Initial calculations yield a height change rate of approximately 0.1146 ft/min, but alternative methods suggest a different rate of about 0.08 ft/min. The discrepancy arises from using different volume formulas and relationships between the cone's dimensions. The problem emphasizes the importance of applying similar triangles to relate the cone's radius and height. Ultimately, the correct approach leads to a consistent rate of height change around 0.08 ft/min.
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Calculus question...

I had this on a test yesterday, and for some reason it seems like it was way too simple.

A cone with a radius of 5 ft and height of 10 ft is being filled with water at a rate of 3 ft^3/min. Find the rate at which the height of the water is changing when the height is 7 ft.

So I have V=1/3 B * H, with the base being 25 pi, and dv/dt being 3 ft^3/min.

dv/dt=1/3(25 * pi * dh/dt)
3=1/3(25 * pi * dh/dt)
9=25 * pi * dh/dt
9/(25pi)=dh/dt
dh/dt=0.1146 ft/min
Is this correct? This is what I got the first time I did the problem, but I remember writing down my answer as 1.14 ft/min because that was the answer I got the second time I did it. It seems too simple, especially because this was worth twice as many points as any other problems on the test.
 
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The volume of a cone is:

v = 1/3 * pi * x^2 * y.
v = 1/12 * pi * y^3

dv/dt = 3 ft^3 / min.
We want to find dy/dt when y = 7.

dv/dt = 1/4* pi * y^2 * dy/dt

Hence dy/dt = (4/ pi*y^2 ) * dv/dt

When dv/dt = 3 and y = 7 gives

12/ 49pi whuch is approx 0.08 ft^2 / min

This may have been worth twice as much as the other problems because you had to use similar triangles to obtain x in terms of y. In this case,

x / y = 1/2

x = 1/2y.
 
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V(t)=\frac{1}{3}\pi r^{2}(t)h(t) (1)
Diff.wrt to time:

\frac{dV(t)}{dt}=\frac{\pi}{3}[2r(t)\frac{dr(t)}{dt}h(t)+r^{2}(t)\frac{dh(t)}{dt}] (2)

At the moment "t":
h=7;\tan\alpha=1/2 \Rightarrow r=7\tan\alpha=3.5(3)
r=h\tan\alpha \Rightarrow \frac{dr(t)}{dt}=\frac{1}{2}\frac{dh(t)}{dt}(4)

Plug (3) and (4) in (2) and find
\frac{dV(t)}{dt}=\frac{\pi}{3}[2\cdot (3.5)\cdot 7\cdot\frac{1}{2}\frac{dh(t)}{dt}+(3.5)^{2}\frac{dh(t)}{dt}]\Rightarrow \frac{dh(t)}{dt}=\frac{3\frac{dV(t)}{dt}}{\pi[7\cdot (3.5)+(3.5)^{2}]}
=\frac{3\cdot 3}{\pi(24.5+12.25)}=\frac{9}{\pi\cdot 36.75}\sim 0.08ft.s^{-1} (5)

Daniel.
 
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