CHAPTER 6

APPLICATIONS OF DERIVATIVES

VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (1 MARK)

1. The side of a square is increasing at the rate of 0.2 cm/sec. Find the rate
of increase of perimeter of the square.

2. The radius of the circle is increasing at the rate of 0.7 cm/sec. What is
the rate of increase of its circumference?

1
3. If the radius of a soap bubble is increasing at the rate of cm sec. At
2
what rate its volume is increasing when the radius is 1 cm.

4. A stone is dropped into a quiet lake and waves move in circles at a speed
of 4 cm/sec. At the instant when the radius of the circular wave is 10 cm,
how fast is the enclosed area increasing?

5. The total revenue in rupees received from the sale of x units of a product
is given by

R(x) = 13x2 + 26x + 15. Find the marginal revenue when x = 7.

6. Find the maximum and minimum values of function f(x) = sin 2x + 5.

7. Find the maximum and minimum values (if any) of the function

f(x) = – |x – 1| + 7  x  R.

8. Find the value of a for which the function f(x) = x2 – 2ax + 6, x > 0 is
strictly increasing.
9. Write the interval for which the function f(x) = cos x, 0  x  2 is
decreasing.

log x
10. What is the interval on which the function f  x   , x  0,   is
x
increasing?

4 3
11. For which values of x, the functions y  x 4  x is increasing?
3
 1
12. Write the interval for which the function f  x   is strictly decreasing.
x

13. Find the sub-interval of the interval (0, /2) in which the function
f(x) = sin 3x is increasing.

14. Without using derivatives, find the maximum and minimum value of
y = |3 sin x + 1|.

15. If f (x) = ax + cos x is strictly increasing on R, find a.

16. Write the interval in which the function f(x) = x9 + 3x7 + 64 is increasing.

17. What is the slope of the tangent to the curve f = x3 – 5x + 3 at the point
whose x co-ordinate is 2?

18. At what point on the curve y = x2 does the tangent make an angle of 45°
with positive direction of the x-axis?

19. Find the point on the curve y = 3x2 – 12x + 9 at which the tangent is
parallel to x-axis.

20. What is the slope of the normal to the curve y = 5x2 – 4 sin x at x = 0.

21. Find the point on the curve y = 3x2 + 4 at which the tangent is perpendicular
1
to the line with slope  .
6
22. Find the point on the curve y = x2 where the slope of the tangent is equal
to the y – co-ordinate.

23. If the curves y = 2ex and y = ae–x intersect orthogonally (cut at right
angles), what is the value of a?

1
24. Find the slope of the normal to the curve y = 8x2 – 3 at x  .
4
25. Find the rate of change of the total surface area of a cylinder of radius
r and height h with respect to radius when height is equal to the radius
of the base of cylinder.

26. Find the rate of change of the area of a circle with respect to its radius.
How fast is the area changing w.r.t. its radius when its radius is 3 cm?

27. For the curve y = (2x + 1)3 find the rate of change of slope at x = 1.

28. Find the slope of the normal to the curve

 
x = 1 – a sin  ; y = b cos2 at  
2
29. If a manufacturer’s total cost function is C(x) = 1000 + 40x + x2, where
x is the out put, find the marginal cost for producing 20 units.

30. Find ‘a’ for which f (x) = a (x + sin x) is strictly increasing on R.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (4 MARKS)

31. A particle moves along the curve 6y = x3 + 2. Find the points on the curve
at which the y co-ordinate is changing 8 times as fast as the x co-
ordinate.

32. A ladder 5 metres long is leaning against a wall. The bottom of the ladder
is pulled along the ground away from the wall at the rate of 2 cm/sec.
How fast is its height on the wall decreasing when the foot of the ladder
is 4 metres away from the wall?

33. A balloon which always remain spherical is being inflated by pumping in

900 cubic cm of a gas per second. Find the rate at which the radius of
the balloon increases when the radius is 15 cm.

34. A man 2 meters high walks at a uniform speed of 5 km/hr away from a
lamp post 6 metres high. Find the rate at which the length of his shadow
increases.

35. Water is running out of a conical funnel at the rate of 5 cm3/sec. If the
radius of the base of the funnel is 10 cm and altitude is 20 cm, find the
rate at which the water level is dropping when it is 5 cm from the top.

36. The length x of a rectangle is decreasing at the rate of 5 cm/sec and the
width y is increasing as the rate of 4 cm/sec when x = 8 cm and y = 6 cm.
Find the rate of change of

(a) Perimeter (b) Area of the rectangle.

37. Sand is pouring from a pipe at the rate of 12c.c/sec. The falling sand
forms a cone on the ground in such a way that the height of the cone is
always one-sixth of the radius of the base. How fast is the height of the
sand cone increasing when height is 4 cm?

38. The area of an expanding rectangle is increasing at the rate of 48 cm2/

sec. The length of the rectangle is always equal to the square of the
breadth. At what rate is the length increasing at the instant when the
breadth is 4.5 cm?

39. Find a point on the curve y = (x – 3)2 where the tangent is parallel to the
line joining the points (4, 1) and (3, 0).
40. Find the equation of all lines having slope zero which are tangents to the
1
curve y  2
.
x  2x  3
41. Prove that the curves x = y2 and xy = k cut at right angles if 8k2 = 1.

42. Find the equation of the normal at the point (am2, am3) for the curve
ay2 = x3.

43. Show that the curves 4x = y2 and 4xy = k cut as right angles if k2 = 512.

44. Find the equation of the tangent to the curve y  3x  2 which is parallel
to the line 4x – y + 5 = 0.

45. Find the equation of the tangent to the curve x  y  a at the point
 a2 a2 
 ,  .
4 4
16
46. Find the points on the curve 4y = x3 where slope of the tangent is .
3

x y
47. Show that   1 touches the curve y = be–x/a at the point where the
a b
curve crosses the y-axis.

48. Find the equation of the tangent to the curve given by x = a sin3t,

y = b cos3 t at a point where t  .
2

x
49. Find the intervals in which the function f(x) = log (1 + x) – , x  1
1 x
is increasing or decreasing.

50. Find the intervals in which the function f(x) = x3 – 12x2 + 36x + 17 is

(a) Increasing (b) Decreasing.

51. Prove that the function f(x) = x2 – x + 1 is neither increasing nor decreasing
in [0, 1].
 x
52. Find the intervals on which the function f  x   2
is decreasing.
x 1

x3
53.  x 2  9 x, x  1, 2 is strictly increasing. Hence find
Prove that f  x  
3
the minimum value of f (x).


54. Find the intervals in which the function f(x) = sin4x + cos4x, 0  x  is
2
increasing or decreasing.

55. Find the least value of 'a' such that the function f(x) = x2 + ax + 1 is strictly
increasing on (1, 2).

3 5
56. Find the interval in which the function f x   5x 2  3x 2 , x  0 is strictly
decreasing.

57. Show that the function f(x) = tan–1 (sin x + cos x), is strictly increasing on
 
the interval  0,  .
4

 
58. Show that the function f x   cos  2x   is strictly increasing on
 4
 3 7 
 , .
8 8
sin x  
59. Show that the function f  x   is strictly decreasing on  0,  .
x 2

Using differentials, find the approximate value of (Q. No. 60 to 64).

1 1
60. 0.009  3 . 61. 255  4 .

1
62. 0.0037  2 . 63. 0.037.
64. 25.3 .

65. Find the approximate value of f (5.001) where f(x) = x3 – 7x2 + 15.

66. Find the approximate value of f (3.02) where f (x) = 3x2 + 5x + 3.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS (6 MARKS)

67. Show that of all rectangles inscribed in a given fixed circle, the square
has the maximum area.

68. Find two positive numbers x and y such that their sum is 35 and the
product x2y5 is maximum.

69. Show that of all the rectangles of given area, the square has the smallest
perimeter.

70. Show that the right circular cone of least curved surface area and given
volume has an altitude equal to 2 times the radium of the base.

71. Show that the semi vertical angle of right circular cone of given surface
 1
area and maximum volume is sin1   .
 3

72. A point on the hypotenuse of a triangle is at a distance a and b from the

sides of the triangle. Show that the minimum length of the hypotenuse is
3

 2
a3
2 2
b3 .
73. Prove that the volume of the largest cone that can be inscribed in a
8
sphere of radius R is of the volume of the sphere.
27
74. Find the interval in which the function f given by f(x) = sin x + cos x,
0  x  2 is strictly increasing or strictly decreasing.

75. Find the intervals in which the function f(x) = (x + 1)3 (x – 3)3 is strictly
increasing or strictly decreasing.

76. Find the local maximum and local minimum of f(x) = sin 2x – x,
 
 x  .
2 2
77. Find the intervals in which the function f(x) = 2x3 – 15x2 + 36x + 1 is
strictly increasing or decreasing. Also find the points on which the tangents
are parallel to x-axis.

78. A solid is formed by a cylinder of radius r and height h together with two
hemisphere of radius r attached at each end. It the volume of the solid
1
is constant but radius r is increasing at the rate ofmetre min. How
2
fast must h (height) be changing when r and h are 10 metres.

79. Find the equation of the normal to the curve

x = a (cos  +  sin ) ; y = a (sin  –  cos ) at the point  and show

that its distance from the origin is a.

80. For the curve y = 4x3 – 2x5, find all the points at which the tangent passes
through the origin.

81. Find the equation of the normal to the curve x2 = 4y which passes
through the point (1, 2).

82. Find the equation of the tangents at the points where the curve 2y = 3x2
– 2x – 8 cuts the x-axis and show that they make supplementary angles
with the x-axis.
x2 y2
83. Find the equations of the tangent and normal to the hyperbola  1
a2 b 2
at the point (x0, y0).
84. A window is in the form of a rectangle surmounted by an equilateral
triangle. Given that the perimeter is 16 metres. Find the width of the
window in order that the maximum amount of light may be admitted.

85. A jet of an enemy is flying along the curve y = x2 + 2. A soldier is placed

at the point (3, 2). What is the nearest distance between the soldier and
the jet?

86. Find a point on the parabola y2 = 4x which is nearest to the point (2,
–8).

87. A square piece of tin of side 18 cm is to be made into a box without top
by cutting a square from each cover and folding up the flaps to form the
box. What should be the side of the square to be cut off so that the
volume of the box is the maximum.

88. A window in the form of a rectangle is surmounted by a semi circular

opening. The total perimeter of the window is 30 metres. Find the
dimensions of the rectangular part of the window to admit maximum light
through the whole opening.

89. An open box with square base is to be made out of a given iron sheet of
area 27 sq. meter, show that the maximum value of the box is 13.5 cubic
metres.

90. A wire of length 28 cm is to be cut into two pieces. One of the two pieces
is to be made into a square and other in to a circle. What should be the
length of two pieces so that the combined area of the square and the
circle is minimum?

91. Show that the height of the cylinder of maximum volume which can be
2R
inscribed in a sphere of radius R is . Also find the maximum volume.
3
92. Show that the altitude of the right circular cone of maximum volume that
4r
can be inscribed is a sphere of radius r is .
3
93. Prove that the surface area of solid cuboid of a square base and given
volume is minimum, when it is a cube.

94. Show that the volume of the greatest cylinder which can be inscribed in
4
a right circular cone of height h and semi-vertical angle  is h 3 tan2 .
27

95. Show that the right triangle of maximum area that can be inscribed in a
circle is an isosceles triangle.

96. A given quantity of metal is to be cast half cylinder with a rectangular box
and semicircular ends. Show that the total surface area is minimum when
the ratio of the length of cylinder to the diameter of its semicircular ends
is  : ( + 2).

ANSWERS
1. 0.8 cm/sec. 2. 4.4 cm/sec.

3. 2 cm3/sec. 4. 80 cm2/sec.

5. Rs. 208.

6. Minimum value = 4, maximum value = 6.

7. Maximum value = 7, minimum value does not exist.

8. a  0. 9. [0, ]

10. (0, e] 11. x  1

 
12. (– , 0) U (0, ) 13.  0,  .
6

14. Maximum value = 4, minimum valve = 0. 15. a > 1.

16. R 17. 7

 1 1
18.  ,  . 19. (2, – 3)
2 4

1
20. 21. (1, 7)
4
 1
22. (0, 0), (2, 4) 23. .
2

1
24. – . 25. 6r
4

26. 2  cm2/cm 27. 72

a
28.  . 29. Rs. 80.
2b

30. a > 0.

 31 8
31. 4, 11 and  4,   .

32.  cm sec.
3 3

1
33. cm sec. 34. 2.5 km/hr.


4
35. cm sec. 36. (a) –2 cm/min, (b) 2 cm2/min
45

1
37. cm sec. 38. 7.11 cm/sec.
48

 7 1 1
39.  ,  . 40. y  .
2 4 2

42. 2x + 3my = am2 (2 + 3m2) 44. 48x – 24y = 23

 8 128   8 128 
45. 2x + 2y = a2 46.  , ,  ,  .
3 27   3 27 

48. y = 0

49. Increasing in (0, ), decreasing in (–1, 0).

50. Increasing in (– , 2)  (6, ), Decreasing in (2, 6).

 25
52. (– , –1) and (1, ). 53. .
3

   
54. Increasing in  ,  Decreasing in  0, .
4 2 4

55. a = – 2. 56. Strictly decreasing in (1, ).

60. 0.2083 61. 3.9961

62. 0.06083 63. 0.1925

64. 5.03 65. –34.995

66. 45.46

68. 25, 10

    5 
74. Strictly increasing in 0,    , 2 
 4 4 

  5 
Strictly decreasing in  , .
 4 4 

75. Strictly increasing in (1, 3)  (3, )

Strictly decreasing in (–, –1)  (–1, 1).


76. Local maxima at x 
6

3 
Local max. value  
2 6


Local minima at x  
6

 3 
Local minimum value  
2 6
77. Strictly increasing in (–, 2]  [3, )

Strictly decreasing in (2, 3).

 Points are (2, 29) and (3, 28).

3
78.  metres min.

79. x + y tan – a sec = 0.

80. (0, 0), (–1, –2) and (1, 2).

81. x + y = 3

82. 5x – y – 10 = 0 and 15x + 3y + 20 = 0

xx 0 yy 0 y  y0 x  x0
83.   1, 2
  0.
a 2
b 2 a y0 b2x 0

16
84. 85. 5
6 3

86. (4, –4) 87. 3cm

60 30 112 28
88. , . 90. cm, cm.
4 4 4 4