Midterm Exam, Math 231

28 February, 2007
Name: Solutions

ID:

Instructions: Put away all electronic devices, calculators, cell phones, et cetera. Write
only on the paper provided. Please box the final result of calculations.

1. (20 points): A nitric acid solution flows at a constant rate of 6 L/min into a large
tank that initially held 200 L of 0.5% nitric acid solution. The solution inside the
tank is kept well stirred and flows out of the tank at a rate of 6 L/min. If the
solution entering the tank is 20% nitric acid, determine the volume of nitric acid
in the tank after t minutes.

Solution: (See problem 3, page 98.) Let V (t) be the volume of solution (water and
nitric acid) measured in liters after t minutes. Let x(t) be the volume of nitric acid
measured in liters after t minutes, and let c(t) be the concentration (by volume) of
nitric acid in solution after t minutes.

The volume of solution V (t) doesn’t change over time since the inflow and outflow
of solution is equal. Thus V = 200 L. The concentration of nitric acid c(t) is
x(t) x(t)
c(t) = = .
V (t) 200

We model this problem as

dx
= I(t) − O(t),
dt
where I(t) is the input rate of nitric acid and O(t) is the output rate of nitric acid,
both measured in liters of nitric acid per minute. The input rate is
6 Lsol. 20 Lnit. 120 Lnit.
I(t) = · = = 1.2 Lnit. /min.
1 min 100 Lsol. 100 min
The output rate is
6 Lsol. x(t) Lnit. 3x(t) Lnit.
O(t) = (6 Lsol. /min)c(t) = · = = 0.03 x(t) Lnit. /min.
1 min 200 Lsol. 100 min
The equation is then
dx
= 1.2 − 0.03x,
dt

1
or
dx
+ 0.03x = 1.2, (1)
dt
which is a linear equation. The initial condition condition is found in the following
way:
5 Lnit. x(0) Lnit.
c(0) = 0.5% = = .
1000 Lsol. 200 Lsol.
Thus x(0) = 1.

In Eq. (1) we let P (t) = 0.03 and Q(t) = 1.2. The integrating factor for Eq. (1) is
Z   Z 
µ(t) = exp P (t) dt = exp 0.03 dt = e0.03t .

The solution is
Z 
1
x(t) = µ(t)Q(t) dt + C
µ(t)
Z
= Ce−0.03t
+ 1.2e−0.03t
e0.03t dt
1.2 −0.03t 0.03t
= Ce−0.03t + e e
0.03
1.2
= Ce−0.03t +
0.03
−0.03t
= Ce + 40.

The constant is found using x(t) = 1:

x(0) = Ce−0.03(0) + 40 = C + 40 = 1.

Thus C = −39, and the solution is

x(t) = −39e−0.03t + 40.

2
2. (20 points): Solve the following equation:

x2 y 3 + y dx + xdy = 0.

Solution: (See problem 25, page 79.) This is a Bernoulli type equation with n = 3,
P (x) = 1/x, and Q(x) = −x:

dy 1
+ y = −xy 3 .
dx x
Set v = y 1−n = y 1−3 = y −2 . Then the equation becomes
1 dv
+ P (x)v = Q(x),
1 − n dx
or
1 dv 1
+ v = −x,
−2 dx x
or
dv −2
+ v = 2x. (2)
dx x
Equation (2) is a linear equation, which we solve using an integrating factor:
Z  Z   Z 
µ(x) = exp P (x) dx = exp −2/x dx = exp −2 1/x dx

= exp {−2 ln |x|} = exp ln(1/x2 ) = 1/x2 .



The solution is
Z 
1
v(x) = µ(x)Q(x) dx + C
µ(x)
Z
2 2
= Cx + x 2x/x2 dx
Z
2 2
= Cx + 2x 1/x dx

= Cx2 + 2x2 ln |x|.

Thus
y −2 = Cx2 + 2x2 ln |x|.

3
3. (20 points): Solve the following equation:

2xy 3 + 1 dx + 3x2 y 2 − 1/y dy = 0.

Solution: (See problem 12, page 71.) This equation is exact. Set M(x, y) =
2xy 3 + 1, N(x, y) = 3x2 y 2 − 1/y. Then

∂M ∂N
= 6xy 2 = .
∂y ∂x

The solution is of the form F (x, y) = C, where

∂F (x, y)
= M(x, y)
∂x
and
∂F (x, y)
= N(x, y).
∂y
Thus
Z Z
2xy 3 + 1 dx + g(y)


F (x, y) = M(x, y) dx + g(y) =

= x2 y 3 + x + g(y).

And,

∂F (x, y) ∂
3x2 y 2 − 1/y = N(x, y) = x2 y 3 + x + g ′(y) = 3x2 y 2 + g ′ (y).


=
∂y ∂y
Thus
g ′ (y) = −1/y,
or
g(y) = − ln |y|.
Hence, the solution is

F (x, y) = x2 y 3 + x − ln |y| = C.

4
4. (20 points): If the following equation is exact, solve it directly. If not, make it
exact using a special integrating factor, then solve it.

y 2 + 2xy dx − x2 dy = 0.

Solution: (See problem 11, page 71.) Note immediately that y ≡ 0 is a solution.

The equation is not exact. Set M(x, y) = y 2 + 2xy and N(x, y) = −x2 . Then
∂M ∂N
= 2y + 2x 6= −2x = .
∂y ∂x
Consider
∂N/∂x − ∂M/∂y −2x − 2y − 2x −2y − 4x (−2)(y + 2x) −2
= 2
= 2 = = .
M y + 2xy y + 2xy (y)(y + 2x) y
Since this is only a function of y, we may construct an integrating factor µ(y) that
makes the equation exact:
Z   Z 
µ(y) = exp −2/y dy = exp −2 1/y dy

= exp {−2 ln |y|} = exp ln(1/y 2) = y −2 .



Thus the equation

y −2 y 2 + 2xy dx − y −2 x2 dy = 0,

or
(1 + 2x/y) dx − (x/y)2 dy = 0
is exact.

Set M̃ = 1 + 2x/y and Ñ = −(x/y)2 . Then

∂ M̃ −2x ∂ Ñ
= 2 = .
∂y y ∂x
Thus the solution is of the form F (x, y) = C, where
∂F (x, y)
= M̃ (x, y)
∂x
and
∂F (x, y)
= Ñ(x, y).
∂y
Thus
Z Z
F (x, y) = M̃ (x, y) dx + g(y) = (1 + 2x/y) dx + g(y)

= x + x2 /y + g(y).

5
And,

∂F (x, y) ∂
−(x/y)2 = Ñ (x, y) = x + x2 /y + g ′ (y) = −(x/y)2 + g ′ (y).


=
∂y ∂y
Thus
g ′(y) = 0
and
g(y) = 0.
Hence, the solution is
F (x, y) = x + x2 /y = C ,

and, recall, y ≡ 0 is also a solution.

6
5. (20 points): Determine the equation for the displacement y(t) for a mass spring
system where m = 36 kg, b = 12 kg/sec (equivalently, b = 12 N · sec/m) , k =
37 kg/sec2 , and Fext = 0. Suppose the initial displacement is y(0) = 1 m, and the
initial velocity is y ′ (0) = 0 m/sec.

Solution: (See example 3, page 173.) The model for a damped mass-spring oscil-
lator is
my ′′ (t) + by ′ (t) + ky(t) = Fext .
Thus, plugging in the numbers,

36y ′′(t) + 12y ′(t) + 37y(t) = 0.

The auxiliary equation is

36r 2 + 12r + 37 = 0.
The solutions to the auxiliary equation are
p √
−12 ± 122 − 4(36)(37) −12 ± −5184 −12 ± 72i
r= = = = −1/6 ± i.
2(36) 72 72

Thus the solution is

y(t) = e−t/6 (A cos(t) + B sin(t)) .
The initial conditions are y(0) = 1 and y ′ (0) = 0. Hence

1 = y(0) = e−(0)/6 (A cos(0) + B sin(0)) = A,

which implies A = 1. Also

0 = y ′(0) = (−1/6)e−(0)/6 (A cos(0) + B sin(0)) + e−(0)/6 (−A sin(0) + B cos(0))

= −A/6 + B = −1/6 + B.

Hence B = 1/6. The complete solution is

y(t) = e−t/6 (cos(t) + (1/6) sin(t)) .

7
6. (20 points): Solve the following equation:
p
dy y 2 + x x2 + y 2
= .
dx xy

Solution: (See problem 13, page 79.) This equation is homogeneous. Set v = y/x,
then
p p
dy x2 y 2 + x x2 + y 2 (y/x)2 + (1/x) x2 + y 2
= 2· =
dx x xy y/x
p
(y/x)2 + (1/x2 ) (x2 + y 2 )
=
y/x
p
(y/x)2 + 1 + (y/x)2
=
y/x
2
√
v + 1 + v2
= = G(v).
v
The transformed equation is
dv
v+x = G(v),
dx
or
dv G(v) − v
= ,
dx x
which is separable. Simplifying, we have
√ √
dv v2 + 1 + v2 − v2 1 + v2
= = .
dx xv xv
The solution may be found by integrating:
v dv dx
Z Z
√ = = ln |x| + C
1 + v2 x
Z
v dv 1
Z √
√ = u−1/2 du = u1/2 = 1 + v 2 .
1 + v2 2
Thus, the solution is √
1 + v 2 = ln |x| + C,
or p
1 + (y/x)2 = ln |x| + C.

8
7. (20 points): Solve the following equation:

dy
− x3 (1 − y) = 0, y(0) = 3.
dx

Solution: (See problem 17, page 46.) This equation is separable:

dy
= x3 (1 − y).
dx
The solution may be found by integrating
dy
Z Z
= x3 dx. = x4 /4 + C.
1−y
dy −du
Z Z
= = − ln |u| = − ln |1 − y|.
1−y u
Thus
− ln |1 − y| = x4 /4 + C,
or
ln |1 − y| = −x4 /4 + C1 .
Hence
exp {ln |1 − y|} = exp −x4 /4 + C1 ,


or, equivalently,
4 /4
|1 − y| = C2 e−x .
The sign from the absolute values may be absorbed in the constant, so that
4 /4
1 − y = C3 e−x ;

thus
4 /4
y(x) = 1 − C3 e−x .
Using the initial condition y(0) = 3, we have
4 /4
3 = y(0) = 1 − C3 e−(0) = 1 − C3 ,

which impliese that C3 = −2. The solution is, finally,

4 /4
y(x) = 1 + 2e−x .