Water Tank Rate of Change Problem: Find the Rate at Which Water Level is Rising

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves a water tank shaped like a circular cone, where water is being pumped in at a specified rate. The objective is to determine the rate at which the water level is rising when the water reaches a certain depth.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the relationship between the volume of the cone and its dimensions, questioning how to express height as a function of volume. There is an emphasis on relating the radius and height due to the conical shape of the tank.

Discussion Status

Participants are actively exploring the relationships between the variables involved, with some suggesting the use of similar triangles to connect the radius and height. There is a focus on clarifying the relationships needed to progress toward finding the desired rate of change.

Contextual Notes

The original poster expresses uncertainty about how to proceed after identifying the rate of volume change, indicating a need for further clarification on the relationships between the variables.

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Homework Statement



A water tank is built in the shape of a circular cone with a height of 6 m and a diameter of 10 m at the top. Water is being pumped into the tank at a rate of 2m[tex]^{3}[/tex]
per minute. Find the rate at which the water level is rising when the water is 2 m deep.

Homework Equations



Volume of a cone - [tex]\frac{1}{3}[/tex] [tex]\Pi[/tex] r[tex]^{2}[/tex] h

Surface area of a cone - [tex]\Pi[/tex] r s + [tex]\Pi[/tex] r[tex]^{2}[/tex]

The Attempt at a Solution



[tex]\frac{dV}{dt}[/tex] = 2m[tex]^{3}[/tex]/min

I think I have to find [tex]\frac{dh}{dt}[/tex] but other than that I'm completely lost.
 
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what is h as a function of v?
 
I'm not sure I understand.
 
Can you relate r and h with the knowledge that the tank is a cone?
 
What both ice109 and TMM are trying to say is that you have two variables since

[tex]V = \frac{1}{3}{\pi}r^2h[/tex]

Both the radius and height are effecting the volume. So before you can find dh/dt you need to find a way to relate r in terms of h.
 
Draw a triangle, vertex at the bottom, base horizontal, with height 6 and base length 10, representing the water tank. Draw a horizontal line representing the water line in the tank, with length 2r (since the diameter is twice the radius) and height above the vertex h. Use "similar triangles" to connect h and r.
 

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