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Exercise 6.1 · Q13

Q.A balloon, which always remains spherical, has a variable diameter 32(2x+1)\frac{3}{2} (2x+1). Find the rate of change of its volume with respect to xx.

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The problem asks for the rate of change of volume with respect to xx, given the diameter as a function of xx. Since volume depends on radius, and radius depends on diameter, we use the chain rule: differentiate the volume formula V=43πr3V = \frac{4}{3}\pi r^3 after substituting r=34(2x+1)r = \frac{3}{4}(2x+1). The final rate is dVdx=27π8(2x+1)2\frac{dV}{dx} = \frac{27\pi}{8}(2x+1)^2.

This is a classic related rates problem, but with a twist: instead of time, the independent variable is xx. The core idea is simple — when one quantity (here, the diameter) changes with xx, anything that depends on it (like volume) also changes. The chain rule is our bridge.

Let’s walk through it.


  1. Write what’s given. The diameter DD is:

D=32(2x+1)D = \frac{3}{2}(2x+1)

Since the balloon is spherical, the radius rr is half the diameter:

r=D2=34(2x+1)r = \frac{D}{2} = \frac{3}{4}(2x+1)

  1. Recall the volume of a sphere.

V=43πr3V = \frac{4}{3}\pi r^3

This is the fundamental relation. Our goal is dVdx\frac{dV}{dx}, not dVdr\frac{dV}{dr} — so we need to connect VV to xx through rr.

  1. Differentiate using the chain rule. We have VV as a function of rr, and rr as a function of xx. So:

dVdx=dVdr⋅drdx\frac{dV}{dx} = \frac{dV}{dr} \cdot \frac{dr}{dx}

First, dVdr\frac{dV}{dr}:

dVdr=4πr2\frac{dV}{dr} = 4\pi r^2

Next, drdx\frac{dr}{dx}:

r=34(2x+1)⇒drdx=34⋅2=32r = \frac{3}{4}(2x+1) \quad \Rightarrow \quad \frac{dr}{dx} = \frac{3}{4} \cdot 2 = \frac{3}{2}

  1. Multiply them.

dVdx=4πr2⋅32=6πr2\frac{dV}{dx} = 4\pi r^2 \cdot \frac{3}{2} = 6\pi r^2

But rr is still in terms of xx — we must substitute back:

r=34(2x+1)⇒r2=916(2x+1)2r = \frac{3}{4}(2x+1) \quad \Rightarrow \quad r^2 = \frac{9}{16}(2x+1)^2

So: …

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