Two cars leave the same intersection and drive in perpendicular directions. Car A travels east at a speed of , Car B travels north at a speed of . Car A leaves the intersection at , while Car B leaves at . Determine the rate at which the distance between the two cars is changing at .
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 right tringle has a base of 10cm and a height of 12cm. The height of the right triangle is decreasing at a rate of 0.4scm, at what rate is the area of the triangle decreasing?
A
−2.4scm2
B
−1scm2
C
−2scm2
D
−4scm2

1
Step 1: Recall the formula for the area of a triangle, which is given by A = (1/2) * base * height. Here, the base is constant at 10 cm, and the height is changing over time.
Step 2: Differentiate the area formula with respect to time (t) to find the rate of change of the area. Using the chain rule, we get dA/dt = (1/2) * (base * dh/dt), where dh/dt is the rate of change of the height.
Step 3: Substitute the given values into the differentiated formula. The base is 10 cm, and dh/dt (the rate at which the height is decreasing) is -0.4 cm/s. Note that the negative sign indicates a decrease in height.
Step 4: Simplify the expression for dA/dt by performing the multiplication. Be careful with the negative sign, as it will affect the final result.
Step 5: Interpret the result. Since dA/dt represents the rate of change of the area, a negative value indicates that the area is decreasing over time. Match the calculated value to the provided options to identify the correct answer.
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