Sample Exam 2 - Solutions
MAT 2150 - Winter 2016
February 19, 2016 Friday
(1) [Sec. 3.2: 21] A snowball melts in such a way that the rate of change in its volume is proportional
to its surface area. If the snowball was initially 4 in. in diameter, and after a half hour its
diameter is 3 in.
(a) When will its diameter be 2 in.?
(b) Mathematically speaking, when will the snowball disappear?
Solution: The governing equation is
dV
= kS
dt
where
4
V = V (t) = r3 ,
S = S(t) = 4r2
3
with the understanding that r = r(t) is also a function of time. Let us measure time in hours.
The minus sign in the model comes from the fact that the volume is decreasing and hence we
expect k to be a positive constant which we will compute using the given data in the problem.
Inserting the expressions for V and S into the governing equation we obtain
4 d(r3 )
1
dr
dr
= k 4r2 = 3r2 = kr2 =
= k.
3 dt
3
dt
dt
Solving this simple first order differential equations we get
r(t) = kt + C.
Initially (i.e. at t = 0) the diameter of the snowball is 4 in. which means that the radius is 2
in. Hence
r(0) = 2 = C = 0 = r(t) = 2 kt.
It is also given that the diameter after half an hour (i.e. at time t = 1/2) is 3 in. and hence
the radius is 3/2 in. when t = 1/2. Thus
r(1/2) =
3
1
3
= 2 k =
= k = 1 = r(t) = 2 t.
2
2
2
We are now ready to answer the questions.
(a) The diameter will be 2 in. when the radius is 1 in. Thus
r(T ) = 1 = 2 T = 1 = T = 1.
Hence the diameter will be 2 in. in one hour.
(b) The snowball will disappear when r = 0 i.e.
r(T ) = 2 T = 0 = T = 2.
That is, the snowball will disappear in two hours.
(2) [Sec. 4.2: 19] Solve the initial value problem
y 00 + 2y 0 + y = 0,
y(0) = 1,
y 0 (0) = 3.
Solution: The associated auxiliary equation is
r2 + 2r + 1 = 0
which has the repeated root r1,2 = 1. Hence two linearly independent solutions are
y1 (t) = et and y2 (t) = tet .
A general solution is given by
y(t) = c1 et + c2 tet .
Upon differentiation y 0 (t) = c1 et + c2 (1 t)et . The initial value
y(0) = 1 = c1 = 1.
Hence
y 0 (0) = 3 = 1 + c2 = 3 = c2 = 2.
Consequently, the solution of the IVP is
y(t) = (1 2t)et .
(3) [Sec. 4.3: 21] Solve the IVP
y 00 + 2y 0 + 2y = 0,
y(0) = 2,
y 0 (0) = 1.
Solution: The auxiliary equation is r2 + 2r + 2 = 0 whose roots are
p
2 22 4(1)(2)
2 2i
=
= 1 i.
r1,2 =
2
2
Hence a general solution to the DE is
y(t) = c1 et cos t + c2 et sin t
and hence
y(0) = 2 = c1 = 2.
The derivative of y(t) is
y 0 (t) = c1 [et cos t et sin t] + c2 [et sin t + et cos t]
and hence
y 0 (0) = 1 = c1 + c2 = 1 = c2 = 3.
Thus the desired solution is
y(t) = 2et cos t + 3et sin t.
y 00 y = sin t e2t ,
(4) [Sec. 4.5: 29] Solve the IVP
y(0) = 1,
y 0 (0) = 1.
Solution: The auxiliary equation
r2 1 = 0 = r1,2 = 1 = yh (t) = c1 et + c2 et .
We need to find two particular solutions, one for the sin t part and one for the e2t part of the
right hand side function. For the sin t part we set
yp (t) = A cos t + B sin t = yp0 (t) = A sin t + B cos t = yp00 (t) = A cos t B sin t.
Inserting into the DE
yp00 yp = sin t
yields
A cos t B sin t (A cos t + B sin t) = sin t = 2A cos t 2B sin t = sin t
= 2A = 0, 2B = 1
1
= A = 0, B = .
2
Hence,
1
yp (t) = sin t.
2
For the e2t part,
yp (t) = Ae2t = yp0 (t) = 2Ae2t = yp00 (t) = 4Ae2t .
Inserting into the DE
yp00 yp = e2t
yields
1
4Ae2t Ae2t = e2t = 3Ae2t = e2t = 3A = 1 = A = .
3
Hence,
1
yp (t) = e2t .
3
Hence a general solution to the DE given in the problem is
y(t) = c1 et + c2 et
1
1
sin t e2t .
2
3
The initial condition
y(0) = 1 = c1 + c2
1
4
= 1 = c1 + c2 = .
3
3
Also,
y 0 (t) = c1 et c2 et
1
2
cos t e2t .
2
3
Hence the other initial condition
y 0 (0) = 1 = c1 c2
1 2
1
= 1 = c1 c2 = .
2 3
6
Thus,
3
c1 = ,
4
Thus, the desired solution to the IVP is
c2 =
7
.
12
7
1
1
3
y(t) = et + et sin t e2t .
4
12
2
3
y 00 + 2y 0 + y = et
(5) Find a particular solution to
(a) by the method of undetermined coefficients.
(b) by the method of variation of parameters.
Solution:
(a) The auxiliary equation is
r2 + 2r + 1 = 0 = (r + 1)2 = 0 = r1,2 = 1.
Hence, the trial solution is
yp (t) = At2 et = yp0 = Aet (2t t2 ) = yp00 = Aet (t2 4t + 2).
Inserting these into the DE gives
yp00 + 2yp0 + y + p = Aet [t2 4t + 2 + 2(2t t2 ) + t2 ] = et
1
= 2Aet = et = 2A = 1 = A = .
2
Hence, a particular solution is
1
yp (t) = t2 et .
2
(b) Since r1,2 = 1, the complimentary solution is
yh (t) = c1 et + c2 tet .
Hence, a variation of parameter solution is
yp (t) = v1 (t)et + v2 (t)tet .
Differentiating yp gives,
yp0 = v10 et v1 et + v20 tet + v2 (tet )0
= v10 et + v20 tet v1 et + v2 (1 t)et
= v1 et + v2 (1 t)et
where we assumed that
v10 et + v20 tet = 0
to avoid second order derivatives of v1 and v2 . Multiplying both sides of this equality by
et gives
v10 + v20 t = 0.
Differentiating once more we obtain
yp00 = v10 et + v1 et + v20 (1 t)et + v2 [(1 t)et ]0
= v10 et + v1 et + v20 (1 t)et + v2 [et (1 t)et ]
= et [v10 + v1 + v20 (1 t) + v2 (t 2)].
Inserting these into the DE yields
yp00 + 2yp0 + yp = et [v10 + v1 + v20 (1 t) + v2 (t 2) + 2v2 (1 t) 2v1 + v1 + tv2 ]
= et [v10 + v20 (1 t)] = et
after cancelations. Comparing two sides of this equality gives
v10 + v20 (1 t) = 1.
Hence we have the following system of equations for v10 and v20 :
v20 = 0
v10 + t
v10 + (1 t)v20 = 1
The first equation gives v10 = tv20 . Inserting this into the second equations we obtain
tv20 + (1 t)v20 = 1 = v20 = 1 = v2 = t
where we set the constant of integration to be zero. Then,
1
v10 = tv20 = v10 = t = v1 = t2
2
where we again set the constant of integration to zero. Thus, a particular solution is
1
1
1
yp (t) = v1 (t)et + v2 (t)tet = t2 + t tet = (t2 t2 )et = t2 et .
2
2
2
The same as the one we found in (a).
