Rate of Change

𝛿𝑦
𝛿y ≈ × 𝛿x
𝛿𝑥

Example 1

Variables x and y are connected by the equation y = x3 + x2.

Find the approximate increase in y as x increases from 2 to 2.05.

Solution
+ 0.05
2 2.05

(original x) (new x)

𝛿x = 0.05
𝑑𝑦
= 3x2 + 2x
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑦
When x = 2 , = 3(2)2 + 2(2)
𝑑𝑥
= 16
𝛿𝑦 Always substitute original value of x
𝛿y ≈ × 𝛿x
𝛿𝑥
𝛿y ≈ 16 × 0.05

≈ 0.8 Answer
Example 2
4
The volume, V cm3, of a sphere with radius r cm is V = 𝜋r3.
3
Find, in terms of p, the approximate change in V as r increases from 10 to 10 + p , where p is small.

Solution
+p
10 10 + p

𝛿r = p
4
V= 𝜋r3
3
𝑑𝑉 4
= × 3𝜋r2
𝑑𝑟 3
= 4𝜋r2
𝑑𝑉
When r = 10, = 4𝜋(10)2
𝑑𝑟
= 400 𝜋 Always substitute original value of x

𝛿𝑉
𝛿V ≈ × 𝛿r
𝛿𝑟
𝛿V ≈ 400 𝜋 × 𝑝

≈ 400 𝜋𝑝 Answer

Exercise 1

1. Variables x and y are connected by the equation y = 2x3 – 3x.

Find the approximate change in y as x increases from 2 to 2.01.

8
2. Variables x and y are connected by the equation y = 5x2 - .
𝑥3
Find the approximate change in y as x increases from 1 to 1.02.

3. Variables x and y are connected by the equation x2y = 400.

Find, in terms of p, the approximate change in y as x increases from 10 to 10 + p, where p is

small.
 1
4. Variables x and y are connected by the equation y = ( x – 2)6
3

Find, in terms of p, the approximate change in y as x increases from 9 to 9 + p, where p is small.

5. A curve has equation y = (x + 1)(2x – 3)4.

Find, in terms of p, the approximate change in y as x increases from 2 to 2 + p when p is small.

6. A curve has equation y = (x – 2)√2𝑥 + 1.

Find, in terms of p, the approximate change in y as x increases from 4 to 4 + p, where p is small.

𝐿
7. The periodic time, T seconds, for a pendulum of length L cm is T = 2𝜋 √
10

Find the approximate increase in T as L increases from 40 to 41.

8.

y cm

x cm
2x cm

The volume of the solid cuboid is 360 cm3 and the surface area is A cm2.

(a) Express y in terms of x.

1080
(b) Show that A = 4x2 + .
𝑥
(c) Find, in terms of p, the approximate change in A as x increases from 2 to 2 + p, where p is small.

State whether the change is an increase or decrease.

 Example 3

b Variables V and t are connected by the equation V = 5t2 – 8t + 3.

Find the rate of change of V with respect to t when t = 4.

Solution

V = 5t2 – 8t + 3
𝑑𝑉
= 10t – 8
𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑉
When r = 4, = 10 (4) – 8
𝑑𝑡
= 32 Answer

𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑥
= ×
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑡

𝑑𝑥 1
= 𝑑𝑦
𝑑𝑦
𝑑𝑥

Example 4

Variables x and y are connected by the equation y = x3 – 5x2 + 15.

Given that x increases at a rate of 0.1 units per second, find the rate of change of y when x = 4.

Solution

y = x3 – 5x2 + 15
𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑥
= 3x2 – 10x , = 0.1 , 𝛿y = ?
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑦
When x = 4, = 3(4)2 – 10(4)
𝑑𝑥
=8
𝛿𝑦 𝛿𝑦 𝑑𝑥
≈ ×
𝛿𝑡 𝛿𝑥 𝑑𝑡
≈ 8 × 0.1

≈ 0.8 Answer
Example 5

h
120 cm

The diagram shows a water container in the shape of a triangular prism of length 120 cm.

The vertical cross-section is an equilateral triangle.

Water is poured into the container at a rate of 24 cm3s-1.

(a) Show that the volume of water in the container V cm3, is given by V = 40√3 h2,

where h cm is the height of the water in the container.

(b) Find the rate of change of h where h = 12.

Solution 𝑑𝑉 𝑑𝑉
(b) = 80√3h and = 24
𝑑ℎ 𝑑𝑡
ℎ
(a) Length of side of triangle = 𝑑𝑉
sin(60) When h = 12, = 80√3 (12)
𝑑ℎ
2√3ℎ
= = 960√3
3
𝑑ℎ 𝑑ℎ 𝑑𝑉
12√3ℎ Using the chain rule, = ×
Area of triangle = × ×h 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑉 𝑑𝑡
2 3
1
√3 ℎ 2 = × 24
= 960√3
3
√3
Vol: = area of triangle × 120 =
120
√3 ℎ 2 √3
= × 120 Rate of change of h is cm per second.
3 120
= 40√3h2 (Shown)
Exercise 2

1. Variables x and y are connected by the equation y = x2 – 5x.

Given that x increases at a rate of 0.05 units per second, find the rate of change of y when x = 4.

2. Variables x and y are connected by the equation y = x + √𝑥 − 5.

Given that x increases at a rate of 0.1 units per second, find the rate of change of y when x = 9.

3. Variables x and y are connected by the equation y = (x – 3)(x + 5)3.

Given that x increases at a rate of 0.2 units per second, find the rate of change of y when x = -4.

5
4. Variables x and y are connected by the equation y = .
2𝑥−1
Given that y increases at a rate of 0.1 units per second, find the rate of change of x when x = -2.

2𝑥
5. Variables x and y are connected by the equation y = .
𝑥 2 +3
Given that x increases at a rate of 2 units per second, find the rate of increase of y when x = 1.

2𝑥−5
6. Variables x and y are connected by the equation y = .
𝑥−1
Given that x increases at a rate of 0.02 units per second, find the rate of change of y when y = 1.

1 1 2
7. Variables x and y are connected by the equation = - .
𝑦 8 𝑥

Given that x increases at a rate of 0.01 units per second, find the rate of change of y when x = 8.

8. A square has sides of length x cm and area A cm2.

The area is increasing at a constant rate of 0.2 cm2s-1.

Find the rate of increase of x when A = 16.

9. A cube has sides of length x cm and volume V cm3.

The volume is increasing at a rate of 2 cm3s-1.

Find the rate of increase of x when V = 512.

10. A sphere has radius r cm and volume V cm3.
1
The radius is increasing at a rate of cms-1.
𝜋
Find the rate of increase of the volume when V = 972𝜋.

11. A solid metal cuboid has dimensions x cm by x cm by 5x cm.

The cuboid is heated and the volume increases at a rate of 0.5 cm3s-1.

Find the rate of increase of x when x = 4.

12. A cone has base radius r cm and a fixed height 18 cm.

The radius of the base is increasing at a rate of 0.1 cms-1.

Find the rate of change of the volume when r = 10.

13. Water is poured into the conical container at a rate of 5 cm3s-1.

After t seconds, the volume of water in the container, V cm3, is given by

1
V= 𝜋h3, where h cm is the height of the water in the container.
12
(a) Find the rate of change of h when h = 5.
h
(b) Find the rate of change of h when h = 10.

14. Water is poured into the hemispherical bowl at a rate of 4𝜋cm3s-1.

After t seconds, the volume of water in the bowl, V cm3, is given by

1
V = 8𝜋h2 - 𝜋h3, where h cm is the height of the water in the bowl.
3
(a) Find the rate of change of h when h= 2.

(b) Find the rate of change of h when h = 4.

 Edexcel Past Paper Question (Further Pure Maths)

1. The volume of liquid in a container is V cm3 when the depth of the liquid is h cm.

Liquid is added to the container at a rate of 36 cm3/s.

Given that V = 4h3, find the rate at which the depth of the liquid is increasing when V = 500.

Edexcel, June 2013 (Further Pure Maths), P1, No. 5

2. The volume of a right circular cone is increasing at a constant rate of 12 cm3/s.

The radius of the base of the cone is always half the height of the cone.

Find, in cm/s, the exact value of the rate of increase of the height of the cone when the height is 4 cm.

Edexcel, Jan 2014 (Further Pure Maths), P2, No. 2

3. The volume of a right circular cone is increasing at the rate of 72 cm3/s.

The height of the cone is always four times the radius of the base of the cone.

Find the rate of increase of the radius of the base, in cm/s to 3 significant figures, when the height of the

cone is 12 cm.

Edexcel, June 2014 (Further Pure Maths), P1, No. 5

4. An equilateral triangle has sides of length x cm.

√3 2
(a) Show that the area of the triangle is x cm2.
4
The length of each side of the equilateral triangle is increasing at a rate of 0.1 cm/s.

(b) Find the length of each side of the triangle when the area of the triangle is increasing at

√3
a rate of cm2/s.
10

Edexcel, Jan 2015 (Further Pure Maths), P1, No. 1

5. The volume, V cm3, of a sphere of radius r cm is increasing at the rate of 60 cm3/s.

Find the rate of increase of the radius, in cm/s correct to 2 significant figures, when the volume is

36000𝜋 cm3.

Edexcel, Jan 2016 (Further Pure Maths), P1, No. 3

*6. A conical container is fixed with its axis of symmetry vertical. Oil is dripping into the container at a constant

rate of 0.4 cm3/s. At time t seconds after the oil starts to drip into the container, the depth of the oil is h cm.

The vertical angle of the container is 60°, as shown in Figure 1.

When t = 0, the container is empty.

18𝑡
*(a) Show that h3 =
5𝜋
Given that the area of the top surface of the oil is A cm2.
60° h cm
𝑑𝐴 4
*(b) Show that =
𝑑𝑡 5ℎ
(c) Find, in cm2/s to 3 significant figures, the rate of change of the area of the top surface of the oil when

t = 10.

Edexcel, Jun 2016 (Further Pure Maths), P2, No. 10

7. The radius of a circular pool of oil is increasing at a constant rate of 0.5 cm/s.

Find, in cm2/s to 3 significant figures, the rate at which the area of the pool is increasing when

the radius of the pool is 200 cm.

Edexcel, Jan 2017 (Further Pure Maths), P2, No. 3

8. Sand is poured onto horizontal ground at a rate of 50 cm3/s.

Then sand forms a right circular cone with its base on the ground.

The volume of the cone increases in such a way that the radius of the base is always three times the

height of the cone.

Find the rate of change, in cm/s to 3 significant figures, of the radius of the cone when the radius is 10 cm.

Edexcel, Jun 2017 (Further Pure Maths), P1, No. 2

9. The volume of a right circular cone is increasing at a constant rate of 27 cm3/s.

The radius of the base of the cone is always 1.5 times the height of the cone.

Calculate the rate of change of the height of the cone, in cm/s to 3 significant figures, when the height of the

cone is 4 cm.

Edexcel, Jan 2018 (Further Pure Maths), P1, No. 3

10. The volume of liquid in a container is V cm3 when the depth of the liquid is h cm.

Liquid is leaking from the container at a rate of 24 cm3/s.

Given that V = 5h3, find the rate, in cm/s, at which the depth of the liquid is decreasing when V = 800.

Give your answer to 2 significant figures.

Edexcel, Jan 2018 (Further Pure Maths), P2, No. 3