DIFFERENTIAL CALCULUS (LIMITS AND DERIVATIVES)

Problem 1: CE Board November 1997

Evaluate the Limit:
𝑥2 − 1
𝐸𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑒: lim 2
𝑥→1 𝑥 + 3𝑥 − 4
A. 1/5
B. 2/5
C. 3/5
D. 4/5
Problem 2: ECE Board April 1998
Evaluate the Limit:
𝑥−4
𝐸𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑒: lim 2
𝑥→4 𝑥 − 𝑥 − 12
A. undefined
B. 0
C. Infinity
D. 1/7
Problem 3: ME Board April 1998
Evaluate the Limit:
𝑥 2 − 16
𝐸𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑒: lim
𝑥→4 𝑥 − 4
A. 0
B. 1
C. 8
D. 16
Problem 4: ECE Board April 1993
Evaluate the Limit:
𝑥2 − 4
𝐸𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑒: 𝑀 = lim
𝑥→2 𝑥 − 2
A. 0
B. 2
C 4
D. 6
Problem 5: EE Board April 1995
Evaluate the Limit:

1 − cos 𝑥
𝐸𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑒: lim
𝑥→0 𝑥2
A. 0
B. 1/2
C. 2
D. -1/2
Problem 6: ME Board October 1997
Compute the following limit:
𝑥+4
lim
𝑥→∞ 𝑥 − 4
A. 1
B. 0
C. 2
D. Infinite
Problem 7: EE Board October 1994
Evaluate the Limit:
3𝑥 4 − 2𝑥 2 + 7
𝐸𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑒: lim
𝑥→∞ 5𝑥 3 + 𝑥 − 3
A. Undefined
B. 3/5
C. Infinity
D. Zero
Problem 8: ECE Board November 1991
Evaluate the Limit:
𝐸𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑒: lim 𝑥 2 + 3𝑥 − 4
𝑥→4
A. 24
B. 26
C. 28
D. 30
Problem 9: ECE Board November 1994
Evaluate the Limit:
𝜋𝑥
𝐸𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑒: lim (2 − 𝑥)tan 2
𝑥→1
A. e2π
B. e2/π
C. 0
D. α
Problem 10: EE Board October 1997
Differentiate y = ex cos x2
A. –ex sin x2
B. ex (cos x2 – 2x sin x2)
C. ex cos x2 – 2x sin x2
D. -2xex sin x
Problem 11: EE Board October 1997
Differentiate y = sec (x2 + 2)
A. 2x cos (x2 + 2)
B. –cos (x2 + 2) cot (x2 + 2)
C. 2x sec (x2 + 2) tan (x2 + 2)
D. cos (x2 +2)
Problem 12: CE Board October 1994
What is the derivative with respect to x of (x + 1)3 – x3?
A. 3x + 6
B. 3x – 3
C. 6x – 3
D. 6x + 3
Problem 13: EE Board October 1997
Differentiate y = log10 (x2 + 1)2
A. 4x (x2 + 1)
B. (4x log10 e) / (x2 + 1)
C. log e(x) (x2 + 1)
D. 2x (x2 + 1)
Problem 14: EE Board October 1997
Differentiate (x2 + 2)1/2
A. ((x2 + 2)1/2) / 2
 B. x / (x2 + 2)1/2
C. (2x) / (x2 + 2)1/2
D. (x2 + 2)3/2
Problem 15: EE Board October 1997
If y = (t2 + 2)2 and t = x1/2, determine dy/dx
A. 3/2
B. (2x2 + 2x) / 3
C. 2(x + 2)
D. x5/2 + x1/2
Problem 16: ME Board April 1997
What is the first derivative of the expression (xy)x = e?
A. 0
B. x/y
C. –y [(1 + ln xy) / x)]
D. –y [(1 – ln xy) / x2)]
Problem 17: ME Board April 1998
Find the derivative with respect to x function √(2 – 3x2)
A. (-2x2) / √(2 – 3x2)
B. (-3x) / √(2 – 3x2)
C. (-3x2) / √(2 – 3x2)
D. (3x) / √(2 – 3x2)
Problem 18: EE Board April 1995
Find y’ if y = arcsin cos x
A. -1
B. -2
C. 1
D. 2
Problem 19: CE Board May 1997
Find the derivative of arccos 4x.
A. -4 / (1 – 16x2)0.5
B. 4 / (1 – 16x2)0.5
C. -4 / (1 – 4x2)0.5
D. 4 / (1 – 4x2)0.5
Problem 20: CE Board November 1996
Find the derivative of (x + 1)3 / x
A. ((x + 1)2 / x) – ((x + 1)3 / x)
B. (4(x + 1)2 / x) – (2(x + 1)3 / x)
C. (2(x + 1)3 / x) – ((x + 1)3 / x3)
D. (3(x + 1)2 / x) – ((x + 1)3 / x2)
Problem 21: ECE Board November 1991
Differentiate the equation y = x2 / (x +1)
A. (x2 + 2x) / (x + 1)2
B. x / (x + 1)
C. 2x
D. (2x2) / (x + 1)
Problem 22: CE Board November 1995
The derivative with respect to x of 2cos2 (x2 + 2) is
A. 2sin (x2 + 2) cos (x2 + 2)
B. -2sin (x2 + 2) cos (x2 + 2)
C. 8x sin (x2 + 2) cos (x2 + 2)
 D. -8x sin (x2 + 2) cos (x2 + 2)
Problem 23: CE Board November 1993
Find the second derivative of y by implicit differentiation from the equation 4x2 + 8y2 = 36
A. 64x2
B. (– 9/4) y3
C. 32xy
D. (- 16/9) y3
Problem 24: ME Board April 1998
Find the partial derivative with respect to x of the function xy2 – 5y + 6.
A. y2 – 5
B. y2
C. xy – 5y
D. 2xy
Problem 25: ME Board October 1997
Find the second derivative of x3 – 5x2 + x = 0
A. 10x – 5
B. 6x – 10
C. 3x + 10
D. 3x2 – 5x
Problem 26: ME Board April 1998
Given the function f(x) = x to the 3rd power – 6x + 2. Find the first derivative at x = 2.
A. 6
B. 7
C. 3x2 – 5
D. 8
Problem 27: CE Board May 1996
Find the slope of the ellipse x2 + 4y2 – 10x – 16y + 5 = 0 at the point where y = 2 + 80.5 and x
= 7.
A. -0.1463
B. -0.1538
C. -0.1654
D. -0.1768
Problem 28: EE Board October 1997
If y = 4cos x + sin 2x, what is the slope of the curve when x = 2 radians?
A. -2.21
B. -4.94
C. -3.95
D. 2.21
Problem 29: ECE Board November 1991
Find the slope of the line tangent to the curve y = x3 – 2x + 1 at x = 1.
A. 1
B. 1/2
C. 1/3
D. 1/4
Problem 30: ECE Board November 1991
Given the slope of the curve at the point (1, 1): y = (x3/4) – 2x + 1
A. 1/4
B. -1/4
C. 1 1/4
D. -1 1/4
Problem 31: ECE Board November 1998
Find the slope of x2y = 8 at the point (2, 2)
A. 2
B. -1
C. -1/2
D. -2
Problem 32: CE Board May 1998
Find the slope of the curve x2 + y2 – 6x + 10y + 5 + 0 at point (1, 0).
A. 1/5
B. 2/5
C. 1/4
D. 2
Problem 33: CE Board May 1996
Find the slope of the tangent to the curve, y = 2x – x2 + x3 at (0, 2).
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
Problem 34: ECE Board April 1999
Find the coordinates of the vertex of the parabola y = x2 – 4x + 1 by making use of the fact
that at the vertex, the slope of the tangent is zero.
A. (2, -3)
B. (3, -2)
C. (-1, -3)
D. (-2, -3)
Problem 35: ECE Board April 1999
Find the equation of the normal to x2 + y2 = 5 at the point (2, 1)
A. y = 2x
B. x = 2y
C. 2x + 3y = 3
D. x + y = 1
Problem 36: CE Board May 1995
What is the equation of the normal to the curve x2 + y2 = 25 at (4, 3)?
A. 5x + 3y = 0
B. 3x – 4y = 0
C. 3x + 4y = 0
D. 5x – 3y = 0
Problem 37: EE Board April 1997
Locate the points of inflection of the curve y = f(x) = x2 ex.
A. -2 ± √3
B. 2 ± √2
C. -2 ± √2
D. 2 ± √3
Problem 38: ECE Board November 1991
In the curve 2 + 12x – x3, find the critical points.
A. (2, 18) and (-2, -14)
B. (2, 18) and (2, -14)
C. (-2, 18) and (2, -14)
D. (-2, 18) and (-2, 14)
Problem 39: CE Board November 1997
Find the radius of curvature of a parabola y2 – 4x = 0 at point (4, 4).
A. 22.36 units
B. 25.78 units
C. 20.33 units
D. 15.42 units
Problem 40: ECE Board November 1996
Find the radius of curvature at any point in the curve y + ln cos x = 0.
A. cos x
B. 1.5707
C. sec x
D. 1

51. Evaluate
1
𝐸𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑒 lim (1 − sin2 𝜃)2
𝜃→0
A. 0
B. 1
C. 2
D. 3
52. Simplify the expression:
𝑥 2 − 16
𝑆𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 ∶ lim
𝑥→4 𝑥 − 4
A. 1
B. 8
C. 0
D. 16
53. Evaluate the following limit:
𝑥2 − 1
𝐸𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡: lim 2
𝑥→1 𝑥 + 3𝑥 − 4
A. 2/5
B. infinity
C. 0
D. 5/2
54. Evaluate the limit ( x – 4 ) / (x2 – x – 12) as x approaches 4.
A. 0
B. undefined
C. 1/7
D. infinity
55. Evaluate the limit (1n x ) / x as x approaches positive infinity.
A. 1
B. 0
C. e
D. infinity
56. Evaluate the following limit:
𝑥+4
𝐸𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑒: lim
𝑥→∞ 𝑥 − 4
A. 1
B. Indefinite
C. 0
D. 2
57. Evaluate:
 1 − cos 𝑥
𝐸𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑒: lim
𝑥→0 𝑥2
A. 0
B. ½
C. 2
D. -1/2
58. Evaluate the following:
𝜋𝑥
𝐸𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑒: lim (2 − 𝑥)tan 2
𝑥→1
A. Infinity
B. eπ
C. 0
D. e2/π
59. Find dy/dx if y = 52x-1
A. 52x-1 ln 5
B. 52x-1 ln 25
C. 52x-1 ln 10
D. 52x-1 ln 2
60. Find dy/dx if y = e√x
A. e√x / 2√x
B. e√x / √x
C. ex / √x
D. e√x - 2√x
61. Find dy/dx if y = x2 + 3x + 1 and x = t2 + 2.
A. 4t3 + 14t2
B. t3 + 4t
C. 4t3 + 14t
D. 4t3 + t
62. Evaluate the first derivative of the implicit function: 4x2 + 2xy + y2 = 0
A. (4x + y) / (x + y)
B. –[(4x + y) / (x + y)]
C. (4x – y) / (x + y)
D. –[(4x + y) / (x –y)]
63. Find the derivative of (x + 5) / (x2 – 1) with respect to x.
A. DF(x) = (-x2 – 10x – 1) / (x2 – 1)2
B. DF(x) = (x2 + 10x – 1) / (x2 – 1)2
C. DF(x) = (x2 –10x – 1) / (x2 – 1)2
D. DF(x) = (-x2 –10x + 1) / (x2 – 1)2
64. If a simple constant, what is the derivative of y = xa?
A. a xa-1
B. (a – 1)x
C. xa-1
D. ax
65. Find the derivative of the function 2x2 + 8x + 9 with respect to x.
A. Df(x) = 4x – 8
B. Df(x) = 2x + 9
C. Df(x) = 2x + 8
D. Df(x) = 4x + 8
66. What is the first derivative dy/dx of the expression (xy)x = e?
A. – y(1 + ln xy) / x
B. 0
 C. – y(1 – ln xy) / x2
D. y/x
67. find the derivative of (x + 1)3 / x
3(𝑥+1)2 (𝑥+1)3
A. 𝑥
+ 𝑥2
𝟑(𝒙+𝟏)𝟐 (𝒙+𝟏)𝟑
B. 𝒙
− 𝒙𝟐
2(𝑥+1)2 (𝑥+1)3
C. 𝑥
− 𝑥2
3(𝑥+1)2 2(𝑥+1)3
D. 𝑥
+ 𝑥2
68. Given the equation: y = (e ln x)2, find y’.
A. ln x
B. 2 (ln x) / x
C. 2x
D. 2 e ln x
69. Find the derivatives with respect to x of the function √(2 – 3x2)
A. -2x2 / √(2 – 3x2)
B. -3x / √(2 – 3x2)
C. -2x2 / √(2 + 3x2)
D. -3x / √(2 + 3x2)
70. Differentiate ax2 + b to the ½ power.
A. -2ax
B. 2ax
C. 2ax + b
D. ax + 2b
71. Find dy/dx if y = ln √x
A. √x / ln x
B. x / ln x
C. 1 / 2x
D. 2 / x
72. Evaluate the differential of tan Ѳ.
A. ln sec Ѳ dѲ
B. ln cos Ѳ dѲ
C. sec Ѳ tan Ѳ dѲ
D. sec2 Ѳ dѲ
73. If y = cos x, what is dy/dx?
A. sec x
B. –sec x
C. sin x
D. –sin x
74. Find dy/dx: y = sin (ln x2).
A. 2 cos (ln x2)
B. 2 cos (ln x2) / x
C. 2x cos (ln x2)
D. 2 cos (ln x2) / x2
75. The derivative of ln (cos x) is:
A. sec x
B. –sec x
C. –tan x
D. tan x
76. Find the derivative of arcos 4x with respect to x.
 A. -4 / [1 – (4x)^2]^2
B. -4 / [1 – (4x)]^0.5
C. 4 / [1 – (4x)^2]^0.5
D. -4 / [(4x)^2 - 1]^0.5
77. What is the first derivative of y = arcsin 3x.
A. –[3 / (1 + 9x2)]
B. 3 / (1 + 9x2)
C. –[3 / √(1 – 9x2)]
D. 3 / √(1 – 9x2)
78. If y = x (ln x), find d2y / dx2.
A. 1 / x2
B. -1 / x
C. 1 / x
D. -1 / x2
79. Find the second derivative of y = x-2 at x = 2.
A. 96
B. 0.375
C. -0.25
D. -0.875
80. Given the function f(x) = x3 – 5x + 2, find the value of the first derivative at x = 2, f’ (2).
A. 7
B. 3x2 – 5
C. 2
D. 8
81. Given the function f(x) = x to the 3rd power – 6x + 2, find the value of the first derivative at
x = 2, f’(2)
A. 6
B. 3x2 – 5
C. 7
D. 8
82. Find the partial derivatives with respect to x of the function: xy2 – 5y + 6.
A. y2 – 5
B. xy – 5y
C. y2
D. 2xy
83. Find the point in the parabola y2 = 4x at which the rate of change of the ordinate and
abscissa are equal.
A. (1, 2)
B. (2, 1)
C. (4, 4)
D. (-1, 4)
84. Find the slope of the line tangent to the curve y = x3 – 2x + 1 at x = 1.
A. 1
B. ½
C. 1/3
D. ¼
85. Determine the slope of the curve x2 + y2 – 6x – 4y – 21 = 0 at (0, 7).
A. 3/5
B. -2/5
C. -3/5
 D. 2/5
86. Find the slope of the tangent to a parabola y = x2 at a point on the curve where x = ½.
A. 0
B. 1
C. ¼
D. -1/2
87. Find the slope of the ellipse x2 + 4y2 – 10x + 16y + 5 = 0 at the point where y = -2 +
80.5 and x = 7.
A. -0.1654
B. -0.1538
C. -0.1768
D. -0.1463
88. Find the slope of the tangent to the curve y = x4 – 2x2 + 8 through point (2, 16).
A. 20
B. 1/24
C. 24
D. 1/20
89. Find the slope of the tangent to the curve y2 = 3x2 + 4 through point (-2, 4)
A. -3/2
B. 3/2
C. 2/3
D. -2/3
90. Find the slope of the line whose parametric equations are x = 4t + 6 and y = t – 1.
A. -4
B. ¼
C. 4
D. -1/4
91. What is the slope of the curve x2 + y2 – 6x + 10y + 5 = 0 at (1, 0).
A. 2/5
B. 5/2
C. -2/5
D. -5/2
92. Find the slope of the curve y = 6(4 + x) ½ at (0, 12).
A. 0.67
B. 1.5
C. 1.33
D. 0.75
93. Find the acute angle that the curve y = 1 – 3x2 cut the x-axis.
A. 77°
B. 75°
C. 79°
D. 120°
94. Find the angle that the line 2y – 9x – 18 = 0 makes with the x-axis.
A. 74.77°
B. 4.5°
C. 47.77°
D. 77.47°
95. Find the equation of the tangent to the curve y = x + 2x1/3 through point (8, 12)
A. 7x – 6y + 14 = 0
B. 8x + 5y + 21 = 0
 C. 5x – 6y – 15 = 0
D. 3x – 2y – 1 = 0
96. What is the radius of curvature at point (1, 2) of the curve 4x – y2 = 0?
A. 6.21
B. 5.21
C. 5.66
D. 6.66
97. Find the radius of curvature at any point of the curve y + ln (cos x) = 0.
A. cos x
B. 1.5707
C. sec x
D. 1
98. Determine the radius of curvature at (4, 4) of the curve y2 – 4x = 0.
A. 24.4
B. 25.4
C. 23.4
D. 22.4
99. Find the radius of curvature of the curve x = y3 at (1, 1)
A. 4.72
B. 3.28
C. 4.67
D. 5.27
100. The chords of the ellipse 64x2 + 25y2 = 1600 having equal slopes of 1/5 are bisected by
its diameter. Determine the equation of the diameter of the ellipse.
A. 5x – 64y = 0
B. 64x – 5y = 0
C. 5x + 64y = 0
D. 64x + 5y = 0

DIFFERENTIAL CALCULUS (MAXIMA/MINIMA AND TIME RATES)

Problem 1: ECE Board April 1999

Find the minimum distance from the point (4, 2) to the parabola y2 = 8x.
A. 4√3
B. 2√2
C. √3
D. 2√3
Problem 2: EE Board April 1990
The sum of two positive numbers is 50. What are the numbers if their product is to be the
largest possible.
A. 24 and 26
B. 28 and 22
C. 25 and 25
D. 20 and 30
Problem 3: EE Board March 1998
A triangle has variable sides x, y, z subject to the constraint such that the perimeter is fixed
to 18 cm. What is the maximum possible area for the triangle?
A. 15.59 cm2
B. 18.71 cm2
C. 17.15 cm2
 D. 14.03 cm2
Problem 4: EE Board October 1997
A farmer has enough money to build only 100 meters of fence. What are the dimensions of
the field he can enclose the maximum area?
A. 25 m x 25 m
B. 15 m x 35 m
C. 20 m x 30 m
D. 22.5 m x 27.5 m
Problem 5: CE Board May 1997
Find the minimum amount of tin sheet that can be made into a closed cylinder having a
volume of 108 cu. inches in square inches.
A. 125.50
B. 127.50
C. 129.50
D. 123.50
Problem 6: ME Board April 1998
A box is to be constructed from a piece of zinc 20 sq. in by cutting equal squares from each
corner and turning up the zinc to form the side. What is the volume of the largest box that
can be constructed?
A. 599.95 cu in.
B. 592.59 cu in.
C. 579.50 cu in.
D. 622.49 cu in.
Problem 7: EE Board April 1997
A poster is to contain 300 (cm square) of printed matter with margins of 10 cm at the top and
bottom and 5 cm at each side. Find the overall dimensions if the total area of the poster is
minimum.
A. 27.76 cm, 47.8 cm
B. 20.45 cm, 35.6 cm
C. 22.24 cm, 44.5 cm
D. 25.55 cm, 46.7 cm
Problem 8: CE Board November 1996
A normal window is in the shape of a rectangle surmounted by a semi-circle. What is the
ratio of the width of the rectangle to the total height so that it will yield a window admitting the
most light for a given perimeter?
A. 1
B. 1/2
C. 2
D. 2/3
Problem 9: CE Board November 1996
Determine the diameter of a closed cylindrical tank having a volume of 11.3 cu m. to obtain
minimum surface area.
A. 1.22
B. 1.64
C. 2.44
D. 2.68
Problem 10: EE Board April 1997
The cost fuel in running a locomotive is proportional to the square of the speed and is $25
per hour for a speed of 25 miles per hour. Other costs amount to $100 per hour, regardless
of the speed. What is the speed which will make the cost per mile a minimum?
 A. 40 mph
B. 55 mph
C. 50 mph
D. 45 mph
Problem 11: ME Board April 1996
The cost of C of a product is a function of the quantity x of the product: C(x) = x2 – 400x +
50. Find the quantity for which the cost is minimum.
A. 1000
B. 1500
C. 2000
D. 3000
Problem 12:
An open top rectangular tank with square bases is to have a volume of 10 cu. m. The
materials for its bottom is to cost P15 per square meter and that for the sides, P6 per square
meter. Find the most economical dimensions for the tank.
A. 1.5 m x 1.5 m x 4.4 m
B. 2 m x 2 m x 2.5 m
C. 4 m x 4 m x 0.6 m
D. 3 m x 3 m x 1.1 m
Problem 13: ME Board October 1996
What is the maximum profit when the profit-versus-production function is as given below? P
is profit and x is unit of production.
1.1
𝑃 = 200.00 − 𝑥 − (𝑥+1)8
A. 285,000
B. 200,000
C. 250,000
D. 305,000
Problem 14: EE Board October 1993
A boatman is at A which is 4.5 km from the nearest point B on a straight shore BM. He
wishes to reach in minimum time at point C situated on the shore 9 km from B. How far from
C should he land if he can row at the rate of 6 kph and can walk at the rate of 7.5 kph.
A. 4.15 km
B. 3.0 km
C. 3.25 km
D. 4.0 km
Problem 15: EE Board March 1998
A fencing is limited to 20 ft. length. What is the maximum rectangular area that can be
fenced in using two perpendicular corner sides of an existing wall?
A. 120 ft2
B. 100 ft2
C. 140 ft2
D. 190 ft2
Problem 16: EE Board October 1992
The cost per hour of running a motor boat is proportional to the cube of the speed. At what
speed will the boat run against a current of 8 km/hr in order to go a given distance most
economically?
A. 10 kph
B. 13 kph
C. 11 kph
D. 12 kph
Problem 17: ECE Board November 1998
Given a cone of diameter x and altitude of h. What percent is the volume of the largest
cylinder which can inscribed in the cone to the volume of the cone?
A. 44%
B. 46%
C. 56%
D. 65%
Problem 18: EE Board October 1993
At any distance x from the source of light, the intensity of illumination varies directly as the
intensity of the source and inversely as the square of x. Suppose that there is a light at A,
and another at B, the one at B having an intensity 8 times that of A. The distance AB is 4 m.
At what point from A on the line AB will the intensity of illumination be least?
A. 2.15 m
B. 1.33 m
C. 1.50 m
D. 1.92 m
Problem 19: CE Board May 1995
A wall “h” meters high is 2 m away from the building. The shortest ladder that can reach the
building with one end resting on the ground outside the wall is 6 m. How high is the wall in
meters?
A. 2.34
B. 2.24
C. 2.44
D. 2.14
Problem 20: EE Board April 1997
The coordinates (x, y) in feet of a moving particle P are given by x = cost – 1 and y = 2sint –
1, where t is the time in seconds. At what extreme rates in fps is P moving along the curve?
A. 3 and 2
B. 3 and 1
C. 2 and 0.5
D. 2 and 1
Problem 21: ECE Board April 1998
A statue 3 m high is standing on a base of 4 m high. If an observer’s eye is 1.5 m above the
ground, how far should he stand from the base in order that the angle subtended by the
statue is a maximum?
A. 3.41 m
B. 3.51 m
C. 3.71 m
D. 4.41 m
Problem 22:
A man walks across a bridge at the rate of 5 fps as a boat directly beneath him at 10 fps. If
the bridge is 10 feet above the boat, how fast are the man and the boat separating 1 second
later?
A. 8 fps
B. 8.25 fps
C. 8.33 fps
D. 8.67 fps
Problem 23:
An LRT train 6 m above the ground crosses a street at 9 m/s at the instant that a car
approaching at a speed of 4 m/s is 12 m up the street. Find the rate of the LRT train and the
car separating one second later.
A. 3.64 m/s
B. 3.94 m/s
C. 4.24 m/s
D. 4.46 m/s
Problem 24: EE Board October 1993
Water is flowing into a conical cistern at the rate of 8 m3/min. If the height of the inverted
cone is 12 m and the radius of its circular opening is 6 m. How fast is the water level rising
when the water is 4 m deep?
A. 0.64 m/min
B. 0.56 m/min
C. 0.75 m/min
D. 0.45 m/min
Problem 25: CE Board November 1998
Water is pouring into conical vessel 15 cm deep and having a radius of 3.75 cm across the
top. If the rate at which the water rises is 2 cm/sec, how fast is the water flowing into the
conical vessel when the water is 4 cm deep?
A. 2.37 m3/sec
B. 5.73 m3/sec
C. 6.28 m3/sec
D. 4.57 m3/sec
Problem 26: ME Board October 1996
Water is pouring into a swimming pool. After t hours, there are t + √t gallons in the pool. At
what rate is the water pouring into the pool when t = 9 hours?
A. 7/6 gph
B. 8/7 gph
C. 6/5 gph
D. 5/4 gph
Problem 27:
A helicopter is rising vertically from the ground at a constant rate of 4.5 meters per second.
When it is 75 m off the ground, a jeep passed beneath the helicopter traveling in a straight
line at a constant rate of 80 kph. Determine how fast the distance between them changing
after 1 second.
A. 12.34 m/sec
B. 11.10 m/sec
C. 10.32 m/sec
D. 9.85 m/sec
Problem 28: ECE Board November 1991
A balloon is released from the ground 100 meters from an observer. The balloon rises
directly upward at the rate of 4 meters per second. How fast is the balloon receding from the
observer 10 seconds later?
A. 1.68 m/sec
B. 1.36 m/sec
C. 1.55 m/sec
D. 1.49 m/sec
Problem 29: ECE Board April 1998
A balloon is rising vertically over a point A on the ground at the rate of 15 ft./sec. A point B
on the ground level with and 30 ft. from A. When the balloon is 40 ft. from A, at what rate is
its distance from B changing?
A. 13 ft/sec
B. 15 ft/sec
C. 12 ft/sec
D. 10 ft/sec
Problem 30: CE Board May 1997
Car A moves due East at 30 kph at the same instant car B is moving S 30° E , with a speed
of 60 kph. The distance from A to B is 30 km. Find how fast is the distance between them
separating after one hour.
A. 36 kph
B. 38 kph
C. 40 kph
D. 45 kph
Problem 31: CE Board November 1996
A car starting at 12:00 noon travels West at a speed of 30 kph. Another car starting from the
same point at 2:00 PM travels North at 45 kph. Find how (in kph) fast the two are separating
at 4:00 PM?
A. 49 kph
B. 51 kph
C. 53 kph
D. 55 kph
Problem 32: CE Board May 1996
Two railroad tracks are perpendicular to each other. At 12:00 PM there is a train at each
track approaching the crossing at 50 kph, one being 100 km and the other 150 km away
from the crossing. How fast in kph is the distance between the two trains changing at 4:00
PM?
A. 67.08 kph
B. 68.08 kph
C. 69.08 kph
D. 70.08 kph
Problem 33: CE Board May 1995
Water is running into a hemispherical bowl having a radius of 10 cm at a constant rate of 3
cm3/min. When the water x cm. deep, the water levels is rising at the rate of 0.0149 cm/min.
What is the value of x?
A. 3
B. 2
C. 4
D. 5
Problem 34: ECE Board November 1998
What is the allowable error in measuring the edge of the cube that is intended to hold 8 cu.
m., if the error of the computed volume is not to exceed 0.03 cu. m?
A. 0.002 m
B. 0.003 m
C. 0.0025 m
D. 0.001 m
Problem 35: EE Board October 1993
A standard cell has an emf “E” of 1.2 volts. If the resistance “R” of the circuit is increasing at
the rate of 0.03 ohm/sec, at what rate is the current “I” changing at the instant when the
resistance is 6 ohms? Assume Ohm’s law E = IR.
A. -0.002 amp/sec
B. 0.004 amp/sec
C. -0.001 amp/sec
D. 0.003 amp/sec
36. A function is given below, what x value maximizes y?
y2 + y + x2 – 2x = 5
A. 2.23
B. -1
C. 5
D. 1
37. The number of newspaper copies distributed is given by C = 50 t2 – 200 t + 10000, where
t is in years. Find the minimum number of copies distributed from 1995 to 2002.
A. 9850
B. 9800
C. 10200
D. 7500
38. Given the following profit-versus-production function for a certain commodity:
P = 200000 – x – [1.1 / (1 + x)] 8
Where P is the profit and x is unit of production. Determine the maximum profit.
A. 190000
B. 200000
C. 250000
D. 550000
39. The cost C of a product is a function of the quantity x of the product is given by the
relation: C(x) = x2 – 4000x + 50. Find the quantity for which the cost is a minimum.
A. 3000
B. 2000
C. 1000
D. 1500
40. If y = x to the 3rd power – 3x. find the maximum value of y.
A. 0
B. -1
C. 1
D. 2
41. Divide 120 into two parts so that product of one and the square of the other is maximum.
Find the numbers.
A. 60 & 60
B. 100 & 20
C. 70 & 50
D. 80 & 40
42. If the sum of two numbers is C, find the minimum value of the sum of their squares.
A. C2 / 2
B. C2 / 4
C. C2 / 6
D. C2 / 8
43. A certain travel agency offered a tour that will cost each person P 1500.00 if not more
than 150 persons will join, however the cost per person will be reduced by P 5.00 per person
in excess of 150. How many persons will make the profit a maximum?
A. 75
B. 150
C. 225
D. 250
44. Two cities A and B are 8 km and 12 km, respectively, north of a river which runs due
east. City B being 15 km east of A. a pumping station is to be constructed (along the river) to
supply water for the two cities. Where should the station be located so that the amount of
pipe is a minimum?
A. 3 km east of A
B. 4 km east of A
C. 9 km east of A
D. 6 km east of A
45. A boatman is at A, which is 4.5 km from the nearest point B on a straight shore BM. He
wishes to reach, in minimum time, a point C situated on the shore 9 km from B. How far from
C should he land if he can row at the rate of 6 Kph and walk at the rate of 7.5 Kph?
A. 1 km
B. 3 km
C. 5 km
D. 8 km
46. The shortest distance from the point (5, 10) to the curve x2 = 12y is:
A. 4.331
B. 3.474
C. 5.127
D. 6.445
47. A statue 3 m high is standing on a base of 4 m high. If an observer’s eye is 1.5 m above
the ground, how far should he stand from the base in order that the angle subtended by the
statue is a maximum?
A. 3.41 m
B. 3.51 m
C. 3.71 m
D. 4.41 m
48. An iron bar 20 m long is bent to form a closed plane area. What is the largest area
possible?
A. 21.56 square meter
B. 25.68 square meter
C. 28.56 square meter
D. 31.83 square meter
49. A Norman window is in the shape of a rectangle surmounted by a semi-circle. What is
the ratio of the width of the rectangle to the total height so that it will yield a window admitting
the most light for a given perimeter?
A. 1
B. 2/3
C. 1/3
D. ½
50. A rectangular field is to be fenced into four equal parts. What is the size of the largest
field that can be fenced this way with a fencing length of 1500 feet if the division is to be
parallel to one side?
 A. 65,200
B. 62,500
C. 64,500
D. 63,500
51. Find two numbers whose sum is 20, if the product of one by the cube of another is to be
the maximum.
a. 4 and 16
b. 10 and 10
c. 5 and 15
d. 8 and 12
52. The sum of two numbers is 12. Find the minimum value of the sum of their cubes.
a. 644
b. 432
c. 346
d. 244
53. A printed page must contain 60 sq.m. of printed material. There are to be margins of
5cm. on either side and the margins of 3 cm. on top and bottom. How long should the printed
lines be in order to minimize the amount of paper used?
a. 10
b. 18
c. 12
d. 15
54. A school sponsored trip will cost each student 15 pesos if not more than 150 students
make the trip. However, the cost will be reduced by 5 centavos for each student in excess of
150. How many students should make the trip in order for the school to receive the largest
group income?
a. 250
b. 225
c. 200
d. 195
55. A rectangular box with square base and open at the top is to have a capacity of 16823
cu.cm. Find the height of the box that requires minimum amount of material required.
a. 16.14cm
b. 14.12cm
c. 12.14cm
d. 10.36cm
56. A closed cylindrical tank has a capacity of 576.56 cubic meters. Find the minimum
surface area of the tank.
a. 218.60 cubic meters
b. 412.60 cubic meters
c. 516.32 cubic meters
d. 383.40 cubic meters
For Problems 57-59:
Two vertices of a rectangle are on the x axis. The other two vertices are on the lines whose
equations are y = 2x and 3x + y = 30.
57. If the area of the rectangle is maximum, find the value of y.
a. 8
b. 7
c. 9
d. 6
58. Compute the maximum area of the rectangle.
a. 30 sq. units
b. 70 sq. units
c. 90 sq. units
d. 40 sq. units
59. At what point from the intersection of the x and y axes will the farthest vertex of the
rectangle be located along the x axis so that its area is maximum.
a. 9 units
b. 7 units
c. 8 units
d. 6 units
60. A wall 2.245 m high, is “x” meters away from a building. The shortest ladder that can
reach the building with one end resting on the ground outside the wall is 6 m. What is the
value of x?
a. 2 m
b. 4 m
c. 6 m
d. 8 m
61. With only 381.7 square meter of materials, a closed cylindrical tank of maximum volume.
What is to be the height of the tank in m?
a. 7 m
b. 9 m
c. 11 m
d. 13 m
62. If the hypotenuse of a right triangle is known, what is the ratio of the base and the
altitude of the right triangle when its area is maximum?
a. 1:1
b. 1:2
c. 1:3
d. 1:4
63. What is the maximum length of the perimeter if the hypotenuse of a right triangle is 5 m
long?
a. 12.08 m
b. 15.09 m
c. 20.09 m
d. 8.99 m
64. An open top rectangular tank with square bases is to have a volume of 10 cubic meters.
The material for its bottom is to cost 15 cents per square meter and that for the sides 6 cents
per square meter. Find the most economical dimension for the tank.
a. 2 x 2 x 2.5
b. 2 x 5 x 2.5
c. 2 x 3 x 2.5
d. 2 x 4 x 2.5
65. A trapezoidal gutter is to be made from a strip of metal 22 m wide by bending up the
sides. If the base is 14 m, what width across the top gives the greatest carrying capacity?
a. 10
b. 22
c. 16
d. 27
66. Divide the number 60 into two parts so that the product P of one part and the square of
the other is the maximum. Find the smallest part.
a. 20
b. 10
c. 22
d. 27
67. The edges of a rectangular box are to be reinforced with narrow metal strips. If the box
will have a volume of 8 cubic meters, what would its dimension be to require the least total
length of strips?
a. 2 x 2 x 2
b. 4 x 4 x 4
c. 3 x 3 x 3
d. 2 x 2 x 4
68. A rectangular window surmounted by a right isosceles triangle has a perimeter equal to
54.14 m. Find the height of the rectangular window so that the window will admit the most
light.
a. 10
b. 22
c. 12
d. 27
69. A normal widow is in the shape of a rectangle surrounded by a semi-circle. If the
perimeter of the window is 71.416, what is the radius and the height of the rectangular
portion so that it will yield a window admitting the most light.
a. 12
b. 20
c. 22
d. 27
70. Find the radius of a right circular cone having a lateral area of 544.12 sq. m. to have a
maximum value.
a. 10
b. 20
c. 17
d. 19
71. A gutter with trapezoidal cross section is to be made from a long sheet of tin that is 15
cm. wide by turning up one third of its width on each side. What is the width across the top
that will give a maximum capacity?
a. 10
b. 20
c. 15
d. 13
72. A piece of plywood for a billboard has an area of 24 sq. feet. The margins at the top and
bottom are 9 inches and at the sides are 6 in. Determine the size of the plywood for
maximum dimensions of the painted area.
a. 3x8
b. 3x4
c. 4x8
d. 4x6
73. A manufacturer estimates that the cost of production of “x” units of a certain item is C =
40x – 0.02x2 – 600. How many units should be produced for minimum cost?
a. 10 units
 b. 100 units
c. 1000 units
d. 10000 units
74. If the sum of the two numbers is 4, find the minimum value of the sum of their cubes.
a. 10
b. 18
c. 16
d. 32
75. If x units of a certain item are manufactured, each unit can be sold for 200 – 0.01x
pesos. How many units can be manufactured for maximum revenue? What is the
corresponding unit price?
a. 10000,P100
b. 10500,P300
c. 20000,P200
d. 15000,P400
76. A certain spare parts has a selling price of P150 if they would sell 8000 units per month.
If for every P1.00 increase in selling price, 80 units less will be sold out per month. If the
production cost is P100 per unit, find the price per unit for maximum profit per month.
a. P150
b. P250
c. P175
d. P225
77. The highway department is planning to build a picnic area for motorist along a major
highway. It is to be rectangular with an area of 5000 sq. m. is to be fenced off on the three
sides not adjacent to the highway. What is the least amount of fencing that will be needed to
complete the job?
a. 200 m.
b. 300 m.
c. 400 m.
d. 500 m.
78. A rectangular lot has an area of 1600 sq. m. find the least amount of fence that could be
used to enclose the area.
a. 100 m.
b. 160 m.
c. 200 m.
d. 300 m.
79. A student club on a college campus charges annual membership dues of P10, less 5
centavos for each member over 60. How many members would give the club the most
revenue from annual dues?
a. 130 members
b. 420 members
c. 240 members
d. 650 members
80. A monthly overhead of a manufacturer of a certain commodity is P6000 and the cost of
the material is P1.0 per unit. If not more than 4500 units are manufactured per month, labor
cost is P0.40 per unit, but for each unit over 4500, the manufacturer must pay P0.60 for
labor per unit. The manufacturer can sell 4000 units per month at P7.0 per unit and
estimates that monthly sales will rise by 100 for each P0.10 reduction in price. Find the
number of units that should be produced each month for maximum profit.
a. 2600 units
 b. 4700 units
c. 6800 units
d. 9900 units
81. A company estimates that it can sell 1000 units per week if it sets the unit price at P3.00,
but it’s weekly sales will rise by 100 units for each P0.10 decrease in price. Find the number
of units sold each week and its unit price per maximum revenue.
a. 1500 ; P1.50
b. 1000 ; P3.00
c. 2500 ; P2.50
d. 2000 ; P2.00
82. In manufacturing and selling “x” units of a certain commodity, the selling price per unit is
P = 5 – 0.002x and the production cost in pesos is C = 3 + 1.10x. Determine the production
level that will produce the maximum profit and what would this profit be?
a. 975, P1898.25
b. 800, P1750.75
c. 865, P1670.50
d. 785, P1920.60
83. ABC company manufactures computer spare parts. With its present machines, it has an
output of 500 units annually. With the addition of the new machines, the company could
boost its yearly production to 750 units. If it produces “x: parts it can set a price of P = 200 –
0.15x pesos per unit and will have a total yearly cost of C = 6000 + 6x + 0.003x2 in pesos.
What production level maximizes total yearly profit?
a. 660 units
b. 237 units
c. 560 units
d. 243 units
84. The hypotenuse of a right triangle is 20 cm. What is the maximum possible area of the
triangle in square centimeters?
a. 100
b. 170
c. 120
d. 160
85. Sand is falling off a conveyor onto a conical pile at the rate of 15cm3/min. The base of
the cone is approximately twice the altitude. Find the height of the pile if the height of the pile
is changing at the rate 0.047746 cm/min.
a. 12 cm
b. 10 cm
c. 8 cm
d. 6 cm
86. A machine is rolling a metal cylinder under pressure. The radius of the cylinder is
decreasing at the rate of 0.05cm per second and the volume V is 128π cu.cm. At what rate
is the length “h” changing when the radius is 2.5 cm.
a. 0.8192 cm/sec
b. 0.7652 cm/sec
c. 0.6178 cm/sec
d. 0.5214 cm/sec
87. Two sides of a triangle are 15 cm and 20 cm long respectively. How fast is the third side
increasing if the angle between the given sides is 60º and is increasing at the rate of 2º/sec.
a. 3.60 cm/sec
b. 2.70 cm/sec
 c. 1.20 cm/sec
d. 0.05 cm/sec
88. Two sides of a triangle are 30 cm and 40 cm respectively. How fast is the area of the
triangle increasing if the angle between the given sides is 60º and is increasing at the rate of
4º/sec.
a. 20.94 m2/sec
b. 29.34 m2/sec
c. 14.68 m2/sec
d. 24.58 m2/sec
89. A man 6 ft. tall is walking toward a building at the rate of 5 ft/sec. If there is a light on the
ground 50 ft. from the building, how fast is the man/s shadow on the building growing shorter
when he is 30 ft. from the building?
a. -3.75 fps
b. -7.35 fps
c. -5.37 fps
d. -4.86 fps
90. The volume of the sphere is increasing at the rate of 6cm3/hr. At what rate is its surface
area increasing when the radius is 50 cm(in cm3/hr)
a. 20.94 m2/sec
b. 29.34 m2/sec
c. 14.68 m2/sec
d. 24.58 m2/sec
91. A particle moves in a plane according to the parametric equations of motions: x = t2, y =
t3. Find the magnitude of the acceleration when the t = 0.6667.
a. 6.12
b. 5.10
c. 4.90
d. 4.47
92. The acceleration of the particle is given by a = 2 + 12t in m/s2 where t is the time in
minutes. If the velocity of this particle is 11 m/s after 1 min, find the velocity after 2 mins.
a. 26 m/sec
b. 31 m/sec
c. 37 m/sec
d. 45 m/sec
93. A particle moves along a path whose parametric equations are x = t3 and y = 2t2 . What
is the acceleration when t = 3sec?
a. 15.93 m/sec2
b. 18.44 m/sec2
c. 23.36m/sec2
d. 10.59 m/sec2
94. A vehicle moves along a trajectory having coordinates given as x = t3 and y = 1 – t2. The
acceleration of the vehicle at any point of the trajectory is a vector, having magnitude and
direction. Find the acceleration when t = 2.
a. 13.20
b. 12.17
c. 15.32
d. 12.45
95. Y = x3 – 3x. Find the maximum value of y.
a. 2
b.1
 c. 0
d. 3
96. Find the radius of curvature of the curve y = 2x3 + 3x2 at (1,5).
a. 90
b. 84
c. 95
d. 97
97. Compute the radius of curvature of the curve x = 2y3 – 3y2 at (4, 2).
a. -99.38
b. - 97.15
c. -95.11
d. -84.62
98. Find the radius of curvature of a parabola y2 – 4x = 0 at point (4, 4).
a. 25.78
b. 22.36
c. 20.33
d. 15.42
99. Find the radius of curvature of the curve x = y3 at point (1, 1).
a. -1.76
b. -1.24
c. 2.19
d. 2.89
100. Find the point of inflection of the curve y = x3 – 3x2 + 6.
a. (0, 2)
b. (1,3)
c. (1, 4)
d. (2, 1)
101. Three sides of a trapezoid are each 8 cm long. How long is the 4th side, when the area
of the trapezoid has the greatest value?
A. 16 cm
B. 15 cm
C. 12 cm
D. 10 cm
102. An open top rectangular tank with square bases is to have a volume of 10 cubic meters.
The material for its bottom cost P 150.00 per square meter, and that for the sides is P 60.00
per square meter. The most economical height is:
A. 2 meters
B. 2.5 meters
C. 3 meters
D. 3.5 meters
103. A rectangular box having a square base and open at the top is to have a capacity of
16823 cc. Find the height of the box to use the least amount of material.
A. 16.14 cm
B. 32.28 cm
C. 18.41 cm
D. 28.74 cm
104. The altitude of a cylinder of maximum volume that can be inscribed in a right circular
cone of radius r and height h is:
A. h/3
B. 2h/3
C. 3h/2
D. h/4