A 15-foot plank leans against a vertical pole. The top of the plank begins to slide down the pole at a steady speed of 2 inches per second. How fast is the bottom of the plank moving away from the pole when it is 8 feet away from the base of the pole (in inches per second)?
Table of contents
- 0. Functions4h 53m
- 1. Limits and Continuity2h 2m
- 2. Intro to Derivatives1h 33m
- 3. Techniques of Differentiation2h 18m
- 4. Derivatives of Exponential & Logarithmic Functions1h 16m
- 5. Applications of Derivatives2h 19m
- 6. Graphical Applications of Derivatives6h 0m
- 7. Antiderivatives & Indefinite Integrals48m
- 8. Definite Integrals4h 36m
- 9. Graphical Applications of Integrals1h 43m
- 10. Integrals of Inverse, Exponential, & Logarithmic Functions21m
- 11. Techniques of Integration2h 7m
- 12. Trigonometric Functions6h 54m
- Angles29m
- Trigonometric Functions on Right Triangles1h 8m
- Solving Right Triangles23m
- Trigonometric Functions on the Unit Circle1h 19m
- Graphs of Sine & Cosine46m
- Graphs of Other Trigonometric Functions32m
- Trigonometric Identities52m
- Derivatives of Trig Functions42m
- Integrals of Basic Trig Functions28m
- Integrals of Other Trig Functions10m
- 13: Intro to Differential Equations2h 23m
- 14. Sequences & Series2h 8m
- 15. Power Series2h 19m
- 16. Probability & Calculus45m
5. Applications of Derivatives
Related Rates
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Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first videoMultiple Choice
A sphere is growing at a rate of 50scm3. At what rate is the radius of the sphere increasing when the radius is 5cm?
A
1.57scm
B
0.637scm
C
0.159scm
D
0.318scm

1
Step 1: Recall the formula for the volume of a sphere, which is V = (4/3)πr³, where V is the volume and r is the radius.
Step 2: Differentiate both sides of the volume formula with respect to time t to relate the rate of change of volume (dV/dt) to the rate of change of the radius (dr/dt). This gives dV/dt = 4πr²(dr/dt).
Step 3: Substitute the given rate of change of volume, dV/dt = 50 cm³/s, into the differentiated equation.
Step 4: Substitute the given radius, r = 5 cm, into the equation. This will allow you to solve for dr/dt, the rate at which the radius is increasing.
Step 5: Rearrange the equation to isolate dr/dt, and solve for it. The final expression will be dr/dt = (dV/dt) / (4πr²). Substitute the known values to compute dr/dt.
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