Q.A stone is dropped into a quiet lake and waves move in circles at a speed of 4 cm per second. At the instant, when the radius of the circular wave is 10 cm, how fast is the enclosed area increasing?
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Related Rates
The idea: quantities that change together
Many real situations involve two or more quantities that all vary with time, linked by a fixed relationship. Inflate a balloon and its radius and volume both grow; slide a ladder down a wall and the top's height and the foot's distance both change. A related-rates problem gives you the rate at which one quantity is changing and asks for the rate of another, at some instant.
The key insight: if the quantities are tied together by an equation, then their rates are tied together too. We uncover that link by differentiating the equation with respect to time t.
The core mechanism: differentiate with respect to time
Every variable is a function of t, so differentiating brings in the chain rule — each variable's derivative picks up a factor of its own rate. For example, if the volume of a sphere is V=34πr3, then differentiating both sides with respect to t gives
dtdV=4πr2dtdr.
This single equation connects the rate the volume grows, dtdV, to the rate the radius grows, dtdr. Knowing one (and the current r) gives the other.
The standard procedure
Solving a related-rates problem
- Identify the quantities that change with time and the rate you want.
- Write an equation relating those quantities (geometry, a formula, etc.).
- Differentiate both sides with respect to t, treating every variable as a function of t.
- Substitute the known values and the known rate at the given instant.
- Solve for the unknown rate.
Worked example
Air is pumped into a spherical balloon at dtdV=100 cm3/s. How fast is the radius increasing when r=5 cm?
From dtdV=4πr2dtdr, substitute dtdV=100 and r=5:
100=4π(5)2dtdr=100πdtdr⟹dtdr=π1 cm/s. …
The key idea is Related Rates: we connect the rate of change of the radius dtdr to the rate of change of the area dtdA using the formula for the area of a circle.
Step 1: Area of a circle: A=πr2.
Step 2: Differentiate both sides with respect to time t:
dtdA=2πr⋅dtdr …
The problem is a classic related rates application: we know dtdr=4 cm/s and need dtdA when r=10 cm. Using A=πr2 and differentiating with respect to time gives dtdA=2πrdtdr=2π(10)(4)=80π cm²/s.
When a stone hits still water, it creates a circular ripple that expands outward. The speed given — 4 cm per second — is the rate at which the radius of that circle grows. The question asks: at the moment the radius is 10 cm, how fast is the area inside the circle increasing?
This is a related rates problem. The key idea: the area A and the radius r are linked by a geometric formula. If we know how fast r changes, we can find how fast A changes by differentiating that formula with respect to time t. Both A and r are functions of time, so we use the chain rule.
Let’s work through it step by step.
- Write the relationship between area and radius. For a circle,
A=πr2.
This is the static formula. But here, r is changing with time, so A changes too.
- Differentiate both sides with respect to time t. Since r is a function of t, we apply the chain rule:
dtdA=dtd(πr2)=2πr⋅dtdr.
This is the core related rates equation. It tells us: the rate of change of area depends on the current radius and the rate of change of the radius.
-
Plug in the known values.
We are given:
- dtdr=4 cm/s (the speed at which the radius increases),
- at the instant of interest, r=10 cm.
Substituting:
dtdA=2π(10)(4)=80π.
- Interpret the result. The units: r is in cm, dtdr in cm/s, so dtdA comes out in cm²/s. …
Method: The Standard Related-Rates Recipe — Differentiate Before You Substitute
This method is the general five-step recipe for any related-rates problem where a single geometric formula links two quantities that both change with time — here, a circle's radius and its enclosed area.
Steps
Step 1: Identify the quantities changing with time and the rate wanted
Here the radius r of the ripple grows with a known rate dtdr, and the question wants dtdA at the instant r takes a specific value.
Step 2: Write the static formula linking the quantities
A=πr2.
Step 3: Differentiate both sides with respect to time, treating every variable as a function of t
dtdA=2πrdtdr.
This is the crucial ordering: differentiate the general relation first, while r is still a variable — this is what produces the dtdr factor at all.
Step 4: Substitute the known numerical values only after differentiating …
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Substituting r=10 into A=πr2 before differentiating
A student computes A=100π first and then tries to differentiate that number, getting zero. Why it's wrong: once a specific numerical value is substituted for r, it is no longer a variable, so its rate of change dtdr vanishes from the expression entirely — the derivative describes behaviour at an instant, not a static snapshot. Correct approach: differentiate the general formula A=πr2 with respect to t first to get dtdA=2πrdtdr, and only then substitute the specific r=10 and dtdr=4.
Mistake 2: Confusing the given wave speed with the rate of change of area …
Showing the 12 most recent of 30 on this concept.
- TG EAPCET 2021Set eng-2021-08-05-AN1 markMCQQ.The volume of a spherical balloon is increasing at the rate of 2 cm3/sec. When its radius is 4 cm, the rate of change of its surface area (in cm2/sec) is (A) 1 (B) 2 (C) 3 (D) 4
›Reveal solutionSolution
We use related rates to connect the given rate of change of volume to the rate of change of surface area via the radius. The rate of change of the surface area is 1 cm2/sec.
This problem asks us to find the rate of change of the surface area of a spherical balloon, given the rate of change of its volume at a specific instant. This is a classic application of "related rates" in differential calculus. The core idea is that if two or more quantities are related by an equation, and they are all changing with respect to a common variable (usually time), then their rates of change are also related. We use the chain rule to establish these relationships.
For a sphere, both its volume (V) and surface area (S) depend on its radius (r). If the radius changes over time, then both the volume and surface area will also change over time.
- The volume of a sphere is given by V=34πr3.
- The surface area of a sphere is given by S=4πr2.
We are given dtdV and need to find dtdS. Both these rates depend on dtdr, the rate at which the radius is changing. So, our strategy will be:
- Use the given rate of change of volume (dtdV) and the volume formula to calculate dtdr at the specified radius.
- Use this calculated dtdr and the surface area formula to find dtdS at that same radius.
Here's the step-by-step solution:
-
Identify the given information and what needs to be found.
We are given:
- The rate at which the volume of the spherical balloon is increasing: dtdV=2 cm3/sec.
- The radius of the balloon at the specific instant we are interested in: r=4 cm. We need to find:
- The rate of change of its surface area, dtdS, at that instant.
-
Write down the formulas for the volume and surface area of a sphere.
The volume of a sphere with radius r is V=34πr3.
The surface area of a sphere with radius r is S=4πr2.
-
Differentiate the volume formula with respect to time (t) to find dtdr.
Since V is a function of r, and r is a function of t, we apply the chain rule to differentiate V with respect to t:
dtdV=dtd(34πr3)
dtdV=34π⋅(3r2)⋅dtdr
dtdV=4πr2dtdr
Now, substitute the given values: $\frac{dV}{dt} = 2\ \text{cm}^3/\text{sec}$ and $r = 4\ \text{cm}$.2=4π(4)2dtdr
2=4π(16)dtdr
2=64πdtdr
Solving for $\frac{dr}{dt}$:dtdr=64π2=32π1 cm/sec
This is the rate at which the radius is increasing at the instant when $r=4\ \text{cm}$.4. Differentiate the surface area formula with respect to time (t) to find dtdS.
Similarly, S is a function of r, and r is a function of t. We use the chain rule to differentiate S with respect to t:
dtdS=dtd(4πr2) …
- TG EAPCET 2021Set eng-2021-08-04-AN1 markMCQQ.If the radius of a spherical balloon is increasing at the rate of 5 inch per minute, then the rate at which the volume increases (in cube inches per minute) when the radius is 10 inches is (A) 100π (B) 1000π (C) 2000π (D) 25000π
›Reveal solutionSolution
The rate of change of volume is found by differentiating the volume formula V=34πr3 with respect to time, using the chain rule. When r=10 inches and dtdr=5 in/min, the answer is 2000π cubic inches per minute.
The core idea here is related rates — a classic application of the chain rule in calculus. When a quantity changes over time, and another quantity depends on it, their rates of change are linked through differentiation. For a sphere, volume depends on radius, so if the radius grows at a known speed, the volume’s growth speed follows directly.
The trap many students fall into is forgetting that dtdV is not just the derivative of V with respect to r — you must multiply by dtdr because both are functions of time. Let’s walk through it cleanly.
- Write the relationship. The volume of a sphere of radius r is
V=34πr3.
- Differentiate both sides with respect to time t. Since r itself changes with t, use the chain rule:
dtdV=dtd(34πr3)=34π⋅3r2⋅dtdr=4πr2dtdr.
Notice how the 3 cancels with the 34, leaving a clean 4πr2 — that’s the surface area of the sphere. Makes intuitive sense: the volume grows like the surface area times the radial speed.
- Plug in the given values. We know dtdr=5 inches per minute, and we want the rate when r=10 inches: dtdV=4π(10)2⋅5=4π⋅100⋅5=2000π. …
- TG EAPCET 2024Set eng-2024-05-11-FN1 markMCQQ.If Water is poured into a cylindrical tank of radius 3.5 ft at the rate of 1 cu ft/min, then the rate at which the level of the water in the tank increases (in ft/min) is (A) 1541 (B) 778 (C) 772 (D) 111
›Reveal solutionSolution
The water level rises at a constant rate because the tank’s cross‑sectional area is constant; the rate is the inflow divided by the area. The answer is 772 ft/min, option (C).
Concept & Intuition
When you pour water into a cylinder, the volume added is directly proportional to the increase in height, because the cross‑sectional area doesn’t change with depth. So the rate of change of height is simply the volumetric flow rate divided by the area of the base. No calculus chain‑rule gymnastics needed — just a straightforward division.
- Identify the relationship The volume of water in a cylinder of radius r and height h is
V=πr2h.
Here r=3.5 ft, so the base area is
A=π(3.5)2=π×12.25=449π ft2.
- Differentiate with respect to time Since r is constant,
dtdV=πr2dtdh=Adtdh.
We are given dtdV=1 cu ft/min.
- Solve for dtdh
dtdh=A1=449π1=49π4.
- Simplify numerically Use π≈722 (common in such problems):
- TG EAPCET 2022Set eng-2022-07-18-AN1 markMCQQ.If an error of 0.02 sq.cm is found in the surface area of a sphere when its radius is measured as 10 cm, then the approximate error that occurs in the volume of the sphere, in cubic centimetres, is (A) 0.2 (B) 0.01 (C) 0.3 (D) 0.1
›Reveal solutionSolution
The error in volume is found by relating differentials: dV=2rdS. With r=10 cm and dS=0.02 sq.cm, the approximate error in volume is 0.1 cubic cm.
The key idea here is that when a small error is made in measuring a quantity (here, the radius), that error propagates into any other quantity calculated from it. We are not asked for the exact error — only an approximate error, which is exactly what differentials give us. The surface area and volume of a sphere are both functions of the radius, so a small change Δr in radius produces small changes ΔS and ΔV that are well approximated by the differentials dS and dV.
We are told the error in surface area (dS=0.02) and the measured radius (r=10). We need the corresponding error in volume (dV). The direct link is through the radius: find dr from dS, then use that dr to find dV.
- Relate surface area error to radius error. Surface area of a sphere: S=4πr2. Differentiate: dS=8πrdr. With r=10 and dS=0.02:
0.02=8π(10)dr=80πdr
So
dr=80π0.02=π0.00025
This is the approximate error in the radius measurement.
- Relate volume error to the same radius error. Volume of a sphere: V=34πr3. Differentiate: dV=4πr2dr. Substitute r=10 and the dr we found:
dV=4π(100)⋅π0.00025=400π⋅π0.00025
The π cancels:
dV=400×0.00025=0.1 …
- TG EAPCET 2026Set eng-2026-05-11-FN1 markMCQQ.If the base of an isosceles triangle is 32 feet and the two equal sides of it are increasing at the rate of 1 ft/s, then the rate of increase of its area (in sq.ft/sec) when the angle between the equal sides is a right angle is (A) 33 (B) 3 (C) 9 (D) 3
›Reveal solutionSolution
The area of an isosceles triangle is expressed in terms of the equal side length and the included angle. Using the given rate of change of the side and the fact that the angle is fixed at the instant of interest, the rate of increase of area is found to be 3 sq.ft/sec.
The problem gives an isosceles triangle with base 32 feet and equal sides that are increasing at 1 ft/s. We need the rate of increase of its area at the moment when the angle between the equal sides is a right angle.
The key is to choose a formula for area that directly involves the changing quantity (the equal side length) and the angle. For any triangle, area is 21absinC. Here, the two equal sides are the ones forming the included angle, so that formula is perfect.
- Set up the variables. Let the equal sides each have length s feet, and let θ be the angle between them. The area A of the triangle is
A=21⋅s⋅s⋅sinθ=21s2sinθ.
- What is given and what is wanted? We know dtds=1 ft/s. We want dtdA at the instant when θ=90∘=2π radians. But note: the base is fixed at 32 feet. Does that give a relation between s and θ? Yes — by the law of cosines, the base b satisfies
b2=s2+s2−2s2cosθ=2s2(1−cosθ).
So b=32 is constant, meaning s and θ are not independent — as s increases, θ must change to keep the base fixed. However, we only need the rate at a specific instant, not a full functional relation.
- Differentiate the area with respect to time. Since both s and θ can change with time,
dtdA=21(2sdtdssinθ+s2cosθ⋅dtdθ)=sdtdssinθ+21s2cosθdtdθ.
- Find s and dtdθ at the required instant. At θ=2π, sinθ=1, cosθ=0. The law of cosines gives
(32)2=2s2(1−cos2π)=2s2(1−0)=2s2.
So 18=2s2, hence s2=9 and s=3 feet (positive length).
Now we need dtdθ at that instant. Differentiate the law of cosines relation with respect to time. From b2=2s2(1−cosθ), since b is constant,
0=dtd[2s2(1−cosθ)]=4sdtds(1−cosθ)+2s2sinθdtdθ.
At θ=2π, cosθ=0, sinθ=1, s=3, dtds=1: …
- TG EAPCET 2025Set eng-2025-05-04-FN1 markMCQQ.The height of a cone with semi vertical angle π/3 is increasing at the rate of 2 units/min. The rate at which the radius of the cone is to be decreased so as to have a fixed volume always is (A) 3 (B) 21 (C) 31 (D) 2
›Reveal solutionSolution
For a cone of fixed volume, the radius must shrink at a rate that exactly compensates the growth in height. Using the relation V=31πr2h and differentiating with respect to time gives dtdr=−2hrdtdh. With semi-vertical angle π/3, we have r/h=tan(π/3)=3, so dtdr=−23⋅2=−3 units/min. The required rate of decrease is 3 units/min, so the correct option is (A).
The key idea is that "fixed volume" ties the radius and height together through a constraint. When one changes, the other must change in a specific way to keep the product r2h constant. The semi-vertical angle gives the instantaneous ratio of radius to height at the moment we are considering — that ratio is not constant over time (since the cone's shape changes), but at the instant we care about, it is fixed by the given angle.
Let’s work through it step by step.
- Write the volume constraint. For a cone, V=31πr2h. Since the volume is fixed, V is constant. Differentiating both sides with respect to time t:
dtdV=31π(2rdtdr⋅h+r2dtdh)=0.
Multiply through by 3/π (non-zero):
2rhdtdr+r2dtdh=0.
- Solve for dtdr. Rearranging:
2rhdtdr=−r2dtdh.
Assuming r=0, divide both sides by r:
2hdtdr=−rdtdh.
Hence:
dtdr=−2hrdtdh.
The negative sign tells us that if height increases, radius must decrease — exactly what we expect.
- Use the semi-vertical angle to find r/h. The semi-vertical angle is the angle between the axis and the slant height. In a right circular cone, tan(semi-vertical angle)=heightradius. Given the angle is π/3:
hr=tan3π=3.
So r=3h at the instant under consideration.
- Plug in the given rate. …
- TG EAPCET 2023Set eng-2023-05-14-AN1 markMCQQ.A ladder of length 13 mts has one end resting against a vertical wall and the other on the ground. If the lower end moves away from the wall at a speed of 2 mts/minute, then the speed (in mts/min) at which upper end falls when the bottom is 5 mts away from the wall is (A) 56 (B) 512 (C) 65 (D) 125
›Reveal solutionSolution
This is a classic related-rates problem: use the Pythagorean theorem to relate the ladder’s height and base distance, then differentiate with respect to time. The upper end falls at 65 m/min when the bottom is 5 m from the wall.
We have a ladder of fixed length 13 m leaning against a vertical wall. The bottom slides away from the wall at a constant speed of 2 m/min. We need the speed at which the top slides down the wall at the instant the bottom is 5 m from the wall.
Concept & Intuition
The ladder, wall, and ground form a right triangle: the ladder is the hypotenuse (always 13 m), the distance from the wall to the bottom is one leg, and the height of the top along the wall is the other leg. As the bottom moves, both legs change, but the hypotenuse stays fixed. This gives a relationship between the rates of change of the two legs — a classic related rates problem. Differentiating the Pythagorean relation with respect to time lets us connect the known speed (bottom moving away) to the unknown speed (top moving down).
- Set up variables and the fixed relation Let x = distance from the wall to the bottom of the ladder (in m). Let y = height of the top of the ladder on the wall (in m). The ladder length is constant:
x2+y2=132=169.
- Differentiate with respect to time Both x and y change with time t. Differentiate implicitly:
2xdtdx+2ydtdy=0.
Divide by 2:
xdtdx+ydtdy=0.
-
Identify known and unknown rates
We are given dtdx=2 m/min (positive because x increases).
We want dtdy when x=5 m.
Note: dtdy will be negative because y decreases (top falls). The problem asks for the speed (magnitude), so we will take the absolute value at the end.
-
Find y when x=5
From x2+y2=169:
- TG EAPCET 2025Set eng-2025-05-04-AN1 markMCQQ.The height of a cone with semi vertical angle 3π is increasing at the rate of 2 units/min. The rate at which the radius of the cone is to be decreased so as to have a fixed volume always is (A) 31 (B) 21 (C) 3 (D) 2
›Reveal solutionSolution
The problem uses related rates with the cone’s volume fixed. Differentiating V=31πr2h and using dtdh=2 gives dtdr=−2hr⋅2. With semi-vertical angle π/3, hr=tan(π/3)=3, so dtdr=−3 units/min. The rate of decrease is 3.
Concept & Intuition
We have a cone whose height is increasing, but we want its volume to stay constant. That means the radius must shrink to compensate. The key is to relate the radius and height through the fixed semi-vertical angle — this gives a constant ratio r/h=tan(π/3)=3. Then we use calculus (related rates) to find how fast the radius must change when the height changes at 2 units/min.
Step-by-step solution
-
Volume of a cone
The volume is V=31πr2h. Since the volume is fixed, V is constant, so dtdV=0.
-
Differentiate implicitly with respect to time
Using the product rule:
dtdV=31π(2rdtdr⋅h+r2dtdh)=0.
Multiply through by 3/π (nonzero):
2rhdtdr+r2dtdh=0.
- Solve for dtdr
2rhdtdr=−r2dtdh⇒dtdr=−2hrdtdh.
- Use the given rate and geometry We are told dtdh=2 units/min. The semi-vertical angle is π/3, so in a right triangle formed by the height, radius, and slant height:
-
- TG EAPCET 2025Set eng-2025-05-03-FN1 markMCQQ.There is a possible error of 0.03 cm in a scale of length 1 foot with which the height of a closed right circular cylinder and the diameter of a sphere are measured as 3.5 feet each. If the radii of both cylinder and sphere are same, then the approximate error in the sum of the surface areas of both cylinder and sphere is (in square feet) (A) 0.385 (B) 0.0962 (C) 0.77 (D) 0.1925
›Reveal solutionSolution
Propagating the length error through S=6πr2+2πrh gives dS=17.5πδ≈0.1925 sq ft — option (D).
Setup. The sphere's diameter and the cylinder's height are each measured as 3.5 ft, and both radii equal r=23.5=1.75 ft, h=3.5 ft. Total surface area:
S=closed cylinder2πr2+2πrh+sphere4πr2=6πr2+2πrh.
Error propagation. Let δ be the error in each measured length, so Δh=δ and Δr=2δ (radius from the diameter).
dS=∂r∂SΔr+∂h∂SΔh=(12πr+2πh)2δ+2πrδ.
With r=1.75, h=3.5: …
- TG EAPCET 2025Set eng-2025-05-03-FN1 markMCQQ.A man of 5 feet height is walking away from a light fixed at a height of 15 feet at the rate of K miles/hour. If the rate of increase of his shadow is 511 feet/sec, then K = (Take 1 mile = 5280 feet) (A) 2 (B) 3 (C) 5 (D) 4
›Reveal solutionSolution
K=3 miles/hour — option (B).
By similar triangles, if x is the man's distance from the pole and s his shadow's length, the tip of the shadow, the top of the lamp and the man's head are collinear:
15x+s=5s⇒5(x+s)=15s⇒5x=10s⇒s=2x.
Differentiating with respect to time:
dtds=21dtdx.
Given dtds=511 ft/sec, …
- TG EAPCET 2025Set eng-2025-05-03-AN1 markMCQQ.There is a possible error of 0.03 cm in a scale of length 1 foot with which the height of a closed right circular cylinder and the diameter of a sphere are measured as 3.5 feet each. If the radii of both cylinder and sphere are same, then the approximate error in the sum of the surface areas of both cylinder and sphere is (in square feet) (A) 0.385 (B) 0.0962 (C) 0.77 (D) 0.1925
›Reveal solutionSolution
With equal radii, the total surface area is S=πdh+23πd2; propagating the scale error by differentials gives ΔS=17.5πΔx≈0.1925 ft2. Answer: (D) 0.1925.
Surface areas (radii equal, cylinder closed). Let the common radius be r=2d with measured diameter d=3.5 ft and height h=3.5 ft.
S=closed cylinder(2πrh+2πr2)+sphere4πr2=2πrh+6πr2.
In terms of the measured quantities d and h (with r=d/2):
S=πdh+23πd2.
Differential error.
dS=∂d∂SΔd+∂h∂SΔh,∂d∂S=πh+3πd,∂h∂S=πd.
At d=h=3.5:
∂d∂S=π(3.5)+3π(3.5)=14π,∂h∂S=3.5π. …
- TG EAPCET 2025Set eng-2025-05-03-AN1 markMCQQ.A man of 5 feet height is walking away from a light fixed at a height of 15 feet at the rate of K miles/hour. If the rate of increase of his shadow is 511 feet/sec, then K = (Take 1 mile = 5280 feet) (A) 2 (B) 3 (C) 4 (D) 5
›Reveal solutionSolution
Using similar triangles the shadow length is s=2x, so dtds=21dtdx. From dtds=511 ft/s the man's speed is 522 ft/s =3 mph. Answer: (B) 3.
Setup (similar triangles). Let the lamp be at height 15 ft, the man (5 ft tall) at distance x ft from the lamp post, and s the length of his shadow. The lamp-ground-shadow-tip triangle and the man-feet-shadow-tip triangle are similar:
x+s15=s5⇒15s=5x+5s⇒10s=5x⇒s=2x.
Differentiate.
dtds=21dtdx.
Solve for the man's speed. Given dtds=511 ft/s,
dtdx=2⋅511=522 ft/s. …
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