MHB What is the rate of change, in radians p/s

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The discussion focuses on calculating the rates of change of angles x and y in a semicircle as point P moves from M to N. The rate of change of angle x with respect to time is determined to be π/30 radians per second, as P travels a constant distance over 30 seconds. For angle y, it is derived that its rate of change is -π/60 radians per second, reflecting the relationship between x and y in the triangle formed. The conversation also touches on the relevance of arc length and the Law of Cosines for further calculations. Overall, the thread emphasizes the application of related rates in the context of angular motion along a semicircle.
karush
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Point $$P$$ moves at $a$ constant rate along the semicircle centered at $$O$$ from $$M$$ to $$N$$.
The radius of the semicircle is $10cm$, and it takes $30s$ for $P$ to move from $M$ to $N$. $∠POM$ has measure $x$ radians, $∠OPM$ has measure $y$ radians, and $MP=S$ cm as indicated in the figure.

$a.$ What is the rate of change, in radians $p/s$, of $x$ with respect to time?

$b.$ What is the rate of change, in radians $p/s$ of $y$ with respect to time?

there is $c$ and $d$ but will do $a$ and $b$ first

Not real sure how to set this up, but by observation $P$ moves at a constant rate of

$\frac{10cm}{30s}$ and x is increasing and y is decreasing as $P$ moves from $M$ to $N$.
I don't think s is relevant for questions a and b.
 
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a) Since $P$ moves at a constant rate, then so too must $x$ and we may state:

$$\frac{dx}{dt}=\frac{\Delta x}{\Delta t}$$

What are the initial and final measures of $x$ and $t$?
 
Work in radians/second not cm/second.
 
MarkFL said:
What are the initial and final measures of $x$ and $t$?

well for $x$ the initial measure would be $0\pi$ or just $0$ and the final value would be $\pi$ as $t$ goes from $0$ to $30s$

so presume that $P=10x$ in radians.
So if x is $\frac{\pi}{4}$ then $P$ is $\frac{5\pi}{2}$

I guess we are relating the arc length of $MN$ to $x$ and $y$ is $\pi - x$

frankly I have hard time with related rates ...(Wasntme)
 
First write down the rate of change of x specified in radians/second. Note that x and y are not Cartesian coordinates but angles. The problem statement has told you the rate of change of x; it is a constant value, you do not have to calculate it.

It is unfortunate that the problem statement uses x and y for angles when those variables are usually used to represent Cartesian coordinates. The problem is not very difficult but many things were done to obscure that.

If you drop a perpendicular line from point P to the line MN and call the point of intersection Q then you can use trig functions to calculate the length of PQ.

When the problem statement says "radians p/s", what does "p/s" mean?
 
Last edited:
sorry I took so long to reply to this but need to get back to it.

my understanding of question a is

$$\displaystyle$$
$$\frac{dx}{dt}=\frac{\pi}{30}\text{radians per second}$$
 
Last edited:
karush said:
sorry I took so long to reply to this but need to get back to it.

my understanding of question a is

$$\displaystyle$$
$$\frac{dx}{dt}=\frac{\pi}{30}\text{radians per second}$$

Yes that is correct.
 
Now as for part b), since the triangle is isosceles, that means the remaining angle is also equal to y, and since angles in a triangle add to $\displaystyle \begin{align*} 180^{\circ} \end{align*}$ or $\displaystyle \begin{align*} \pi ^C \end{align*}$, that means

$\displaystyle \begin{align*} x + 2y &= \pi \\ 2y &= \pi - x \\ y &= \frac{1}{2} \left( \pi - x \right) \\ \frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}t} \left( y \right) &= \frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}t} \left[ \frac{1}{2} \left( \pi - x \right) \right] \\ \frac{\mathrm{d}y}{\mathrm{d}t} &= \frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}x} \left[ \frac{1}{2} \left( \pi - x \right) \right] \, \frac{\mathrm{d}x}{\mathrm{d}t} \\ \frac{\mathrm{d}y}{\mathrm{d}t} &= -\frac{1}{2} \cdot \frac{\pi}{30} \\ \frac{\mathrm{d}y}{\mathrm{d}t} &= -\frac{\pi}{60} \end{align*}$
 
here is $c$
$s$ and $x$ are related by the Law of Cosines;
What is the rate of change of s with respect to time when $\frac{\pi}{2}$ radians? Indicate units of measure.

$\displaystyle
s^2 = 10^2 + 10^2 - 2\cdot 10 \cdot10\cdot \cos{x}
$

$\displaystyle
s^2 = 200 - 200 \cdot \cos{\frac{\pi}{30}\cdot t}
$

$\displaystyle
s = \sqrt{200 - 200 \cdot \cos{\frac{\pi}{30}\cdot t}}
$

just seeing if I am going in the right direction...
 
  • #10
karush said:
here is $c$
$s$ and $x$ are related by the Law of Cosines;
What is the rate of change of s with respect to time when $\frac{\pi}{2}$ radians? Indicate units of measure.

$\displaystyle
s^2 = 10^2 + 10^2 - 2\cdot 10 \cdot10\cdot \cos{x}
$

$\displaystyle
s^2 = 200 - 200 \cdot \cos{\frac{\pi}{30}\cdot t}
$

$\displaystyle
s = \sqrt{200 - 200 \cdot \cos{\frac{\pi}{30}\cdot t}}
$

just seeing if I am going in the right direction...

Yes that is correct, but the s^2 equation will be easier to work with when you differentiate to find ds/dt.
 
  • #11
I am going to come back to this with a new thread, also in $c$ it should read
"when $y=\frac{\pi}{2}$
 

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