More Examples on Separation of Variables
prof-desk.com
Matthew Suan
Before anything else, the reader is encouraged to read the article on Differential Equation - Separation of Variables by the same author found on
prof-desk.com. The underlying principles, methods and techniques used here
to solve differential equations by separation of variables is discussed in the
said article. Enjoy solving!
Example 1 Solve the following Differential Equation using separation of
variables.
2y
dy
=
(1)
dx
3x
Solution:
dy
dx
dy
3
y
Z
dy
3
y
3 ln y
3 ln y
y3
2y
3x
dx
2
x
Z
dx
2
x
2 ln x + c
2 ln x + ln c
cx2
=
=
=
=
=
=
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
(7)
Example 2 Solve the following Differential Equation using separation of
variables.
y 0 = xy 2
(8)
1
Solution:
y0
dy
dx
dy
y2
Z
dy
y2
1
y
2
x +c y
= xy 2
(9)
= xy 2
(10)
= xdx
Z
=
xdx
(11)
1 2
x +c
2
= 2.
=
(12)
(13)
(14)
Example 3 Solve the following Differential Equation using separation of
variables.
y 0 = y sec x
(15)
Solution:
y0
dy
dx
dy
y
Z
dy
y
ln y
ln y
ln y
eln y
y
= y sec x
(16)
= y sec x
(17)
= sec xdx
Z
=
sec xdx
(18)
=
=
=
=
=
(20)
(21)
(22)
(23)
(24)
ln (sec x + tan x) + c
ln (sec x + tan x) + ln c
ln c (sec x + tan x)
eln c(sec x+tan x)
c (sec x + tan c) .
(19)
Example 4 Solve the following Differential Equation using separation of
variables.
dy
1 + ln x
=
(25)
1 + ln y
dx
2
Solution:
dy
1 + ln x
=
1 + ln y
dx
(1 + ln x) dx = (1 + ln y) dy
Z
Z
(1 + ln x) dx = (1 + ln y) dy
Z
Z
x + ln xdx = y ln ydy
x + x ln x x + c = y (y ln y y)
x ln x + c = y ln y.
(26)
(27)
(28)
(29)
(30)
(31)
Example 5 Solve the following Differential Equation using separation of
variables.
x cos2 ydx + tan ydy = 0
(32)
Solution:
x cos2 ydx + tan ydy
tan y
dy
xdx +
cos2 y
Z
Z
tan y
dy
xdx +
cos2 y
1 2 1
x + sec2 x
2
2
x2 + sec2 x = c.
= 0
(33)
= 0
(34)
= 0
(35)
= c
(36)
(37)
Example 6 Solve the following Differential Equation using separation of
variables.
xy 3 dx + (y + 1) ex dy = 0
(38)
Solution:
xy 3 dx + (y + 1) ex dy
y+1
xex dx + 3 dy
y
Z
Z
1
x
2
xe dx +
y + 3 dy
y
1
1
ex (x 1) 2 + c
y 2y
= 0
(39)
= 0
(40)
= 0
(41)
= 0
(42)
ex (x 1) + c =
1
1
+ 2.
y 2y
(43)
Example 7 Solve the following Differential Equation using separation of
variables.
x2 dx = y (1 x) dy
(44)
Solution:
x2 dx = y (1 x) dy
(45)
x
dx = ydy
(1 x)
Z
Z
x2
dx =
ydy
(1 x)
1
1 2
y +c
x2 2x + 3 ln |1 x| =
2
2
x2 2x + 3 2 ln |1 x| = y 2 + c.
(46)
(47)
(48)
(49)
Example 8 Solve the following Differential Equation using separation of
variables.
t 1 + t2 sec2 xdt = dx
(50)
Solution:
t 1 + t2 sec2 xdt
t 1 + t2 dt
t + t3 dt
Z
t + t3 dt
= dx
dx
=
sec2 x
= cos2 xdx
Z
=
cos2 xdx
1 2 1 4
1
t + t =
(x + sin x cos x) + c
2
4
2
2t2 + t4 = 2 (x + sin x cos x) + c.
(51)
(52)
(53)
(54)
(55)
(56)
Example 9 Using separation of variables, find the particular solution of the
following Differential Equation given that when x = xo , v = vo
dv
g
=
dx
v
(57)
Solution:
dv
g
=
dx
v
vdv = gdx
Z
Z
vdv =
gdx
1 2
v = gx + c.
2
(58)
(59)
(60)
(61)
But given the initial condition that when x = xo , v = vo , we can therefore
solve for c as
1 2
v = gxo + c
2 o
1 2
c =
v gxo .
2 o
(62)
(63)
Substituting this value of c to Equation (61), we get
1 2
v = gx + c
(64)
2
1 2
1
v = gx + vo2 gxo
(65)
2
2
1 2 1 2
v vo = gx gxo
(66)
2
2
1 2 1 2
v vo = g(x xo ).
(67)
2
2
This is just one of the four kinematics equations describing the motion of a
particle or system of particle with acceleration g.
Example 10 Using separation of variables, find the particular solution of
the following Differential Equation given that when t = 0, r = ro .
dr
= 4rt
(68)
dt
Solution:
dr
dt
dr
Z r
dr
r
ln r
= 4rt
(69)
= 4tdt
Z
=
4tdt
(70)
= 2t2 + c.
(72)
(71)
But again, we have the initial condition that when t = 0, r = ro , our value
for the constant c is
ln r = 2t2 + c
c = ln ro .
(73)
(74)
Substituting this value of c to Equation (72), we get
ln r = 2t2 + c
ln r = 2t2 + ln ro
ln r ln ro = 2t2
r
e ro
= e2t
2t2
r = ro e
6
(75)
(76)
(77)
(78)
(79)
Example 11 Using separation of variables, find the general solution of the
following Differential Equation
2xy 0 = 1 + y 2
(80)
Solution:
2xy 0
dy
2x
dx
2dy
1 + y2
Z
2dy
1 + y2
2 tan1 y
= 1 + y2
(81)
= 1 + y2
(82)
dx
x
Z
(83)
dx
x
= ln x.
=
(84)
(85)
