National Junior College Mathematics Department 2016

National Junior College

2015 – 2016 H2 Mathematics
Revision Lectures: Differential Equations (Summary)

Name: _______________________________________ Class: 2ma2__ /2IPma21__ /2IPma22 __

Pre-requisite/Assumed Knowledge
Integration Techniques (including integration by parts)

§1 General and Particular Solutions of Differential Equations

A solution of a differential equation is an equation (NOT containing any derivatives)

which satisfies the differential equation.

Note that the general solution of a differential equation contains arbitrary constant(s), while a
particular solution contains only known constants.

Differentiate the following general and particular solutions to convince yourself that they satisfy the
differential equation. (We will see how to solve and obtain the solutions later.)

Form Differential The General A Particular Solution

equation Solution
dy dy y x2 C y x2 1 (When C 1)
f ( x) 2x
dx dx
dy dy 1 1 1 3 1 2 1 3 1 2
g( y ) x y y C x y y 2 (When C 2)
dx dx y 1 y 3 2 3 2
dy dy y y A x 3 y x 3 (When C 1 )
f ( x)g( y)
dx dx x 3
d2 y d2 y 1 1
f ( x) sin 2 x y sin 2 x Ax B y sin 2 x (When A 0, B 0 )
dx 2 dx 2 4 4

§2 Family of Solution Curves

A family of solution curves represents the graphs of the general solution of the differential
equation. The graph of a particular solution is a member of the family of solution curves.

The family of solution curves represented by y x 2 C is

y y x2 C , C > 0

y x2 C , C = 0

y x2 C , C < 0

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 National Junior College Mathematics Department 2016

§3 Solving Differential Equations of the following forms & Method of Substitution

Form Worked Example

st
1 Order dy Step 1: Integrate both sides with respect to x
Differential f ( x)
dx
Equation dy
2x
dx
y 2 x dx
y x2 C

dy Method of Variables Separable

g( y )
dx
Step 1: Bring g( y) to other side (by dividing)

dy 1 1
dx y 1 y
dy
y2 y 1
dx

Step 2: Integrate both sides with respect to x

dy
y2 y dx 1dx
dx
1 3 1 2
y y C x
3 2
1 3 1 2
x y y C
3 2

dy Method of Variables Separable

f ( x)g( y)
dx
Step 1: Bring g( y) to other side (by dividing)

dy y
dx x 3
1 dy 1
y dx x 3

Step 2: Integrate both sides with respect to x

1 dy 1
dx dx
y dx x 3
ln y ln x 3 C
y
eC
x 3
y eC x 3
y A x 3 where A eC
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 National Junior College Mathematics Department 2016
Using given Example (2011/RI/II/8b part)
substitution By using the substitution y vx , solve the differential equation
(to reduce to dy
one of the x y x2 .
dx
above forms)
Step 1: Differentiate the given substitution with respect to x.
(May need to apply implicit differentiation!)

Differntiate y vx with respect to x

dy dv
v x
dx dx

dy
Step 2 (Substitution): Replace ‘ ’ with the expression in
dx
Step 1 & replace all ‘y’ using the given substitution.

dv
x v x vx x 2
dx

Step 3: A differential equation of one of the above forms will

be obtained upon simplication. Solve the differential
equation.

dv
1
dx
v x c

Step 4: Replace the new variable, to give final answer in terms

of the original variables.

y
x c
x
y x 2 cx

2nd Order d2 y Step 1: Integrate both sides with respect to x TWICE

Differential f ( x)
dx 2
Equation
d2 y
sin 2 x
dx 2
dy
sin 2 x dx
dx
dy 1
cos 2 x A
dx 2
1
y sin 2 x Ax B
4
*Notice that there are 2 arbitrary constants.

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 National Junior College Mathematics Department 2016
§4 Formulation of Differential Equations

You will also need to know how to formulate a simple statement involving a rate of change as a
differential equation; or formulate differential equations based on physical interpretation and
modelling.

Exercise 4.1 (2009/SRJC/I/12b)

The rate at which a chemical evaporates at room temperature is proportional to the amount of
substance which has not yet evaporated. If the initial amount of chemical was 500g and the
amount which has evaporated at time t is x. Write down a differential equation involving x and t.

dx
a 500 x
dt

[Exercise: Show that x 500 Ae kt , where A and k are constants.

1
Show that the time taken for half the chemical to evaporate is ln 2 .]
k
1
dx a dt When x =250 (Half the chemical)
500 x
ln 500 x at C 250 500 500e kt
500e kt 250
ln 500 x at C
250 1
500 x e at C e kt
500 2
x 500 Ae at , A e C 1
kt kt ln
x 500 Ae , k a (Shown) 2
1 1
t ln
When t = 0, x = 0 k 2
0 500 A 1
A=500 t ln 2
k
x 500 500e kt

Exercise 4.2 (2013/NJC/I/9bi)

A water tank contains 500 litres of a solution with 15 kilograms of dissolved salt. Pure water
enters the tank at a rate of 20 litres per minute. The solution is drained from the tank at the same
rate. Let x kg be the amount of salt in the tank at time t minutes.
dx x
Show that .
dt 25

Since the in-flow and out-flow rates are the same, the volume of water in the tank remains
constant at 500 litres.

dx
the rate of salt entering the tank - the rate of salt leaving the tank
dt
x
=0 20
500
x
(Shown)
25

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