implicit - rates [93 marks]

1. [Maximum mark: 5] 23M.1.AHL.TZ1.6

The side lengths, x cm, of an equilateral triangle are increasing at a
rate of 4 −1
cm s .

Find the rate at which the area of the triangle, A 2

cm , is increasing
when the side lengths are 5√3 cm.

[5]
2. [Maximum mark: 7] 22N.1.AHL.TZ0.7
Consider the curve with equation (x2 + y2)y2 = 4x
2
where
x ≥ 0 and −2 < y < 2.

Show that the curve has no local maximum or local minimum points
for x > 0. [7]
3. [Maximum mark: 6] 22N.2.AHL.TZ0.8
The following diagram shows liquid in a round-bottomed glass flask,
which is made of a sphere and a cylindrical neck.

Initially, the flask is empty. Liquid is poured into the flask at a rate of
2 cm s
3 −1
. You may assume that the liquid does not reach the
cylindrical neck.

The volume V cm
3
and the height h cm of the liquid in the flask
satisfy the equation

V = 5πh
2
−
1

3
πh3.

Find the rate of change of the height of the liquid in the flask at the
instant when the volume of the liquid is 200 cm3. [6]
4. [Maximum mark: 7] 21M.2.AHL.TZ1.9
Two boats A and B travel due north.

Initially, boat B is positioned 50 metres due east of boat A.

The distances travelled by boat A and boat B, after t seconds, are x metres and
y metres respectively. The angle θ is the radian measure of the bearing of boat B

from boat A. This information is shown on the following diagram.

(a) Show that y = x + 50 cot θ . [1]

(b) At time T , the following conditions are true.

Boat B has travelled 10 metres further than boat A.

Boat B is travelling at double the speed of boat A.
The rate of change of the angle θ is −0. 1 radians per second.
Find the speed of boat A at time T . [6]
5. [Maximum mark: 15] 20N.1.AHL.TZ0.H_11
Consider the curve C defined by y2 = sin (xy) , y ≠ 0.

(a) Show that

dy y cos (xy)
.
dx
=
2y−x cos (xy)
[5]

(b) Prove that, when

dy
= 0 , y = ±1. [5]
dx
(c) Hence find the coordinates of all points on C , for
dy
0 < x < 4π, where
dx
= 0. [5]
6. [Maximum mark: 9] 19M.1.AHL.TZ1.H_7
Find the coordinates of the points on the curve
dy
y
3
+ 3xy
2 3
− x = 27 at which
dx
= 0. [9]
7. [Maximum mark: 6] 18N.1.AHL.TZ0.H_7
Consider the curves C1 and C2 defined as follows

C1 : xy = 4, x > 0

= 2, x > 0
2 2
C2 : y − x

(a) Using implicit differentiation, or otherwise, find

dy
for each
dx

curve in terms of x and y. [4]

(b) Let P(a, b) be the unique point where the curves C1 and C2
intersect.

Show that the tangent to C1 at P is perpendicular to the

tangent to C2 at P. [2]
8. [Maximum mark: 8] 17N.1.AHL.TZ0.H_7
The folium of Descartes is a curve defined by the equation
− 3xy = 0, shown in the following diagram.
3 3
x + y

Determine the exact coordinates of the point P on the curve where the
tangent line is parallel to the y-axis. [8]
9. [Maximum mark: 30] 23M.3.AHL.TZ1.2
In this question, you will investigate the maximum product of positive real
numbers with a given sum.

Consider the two numbers x1, x2 ∈ R

+
, such that x1 + x2 = 12.

(a) Find the product of x1 and x2 as a function, f , of x1 only. [2]

(b.i) Find the value of x1 for which the function is maximum. [1]

(b.ii) Hence show that the maximum product of x1 and x2 is 36. [1]
Consider Mn(S) to be the maximum product of n positive real numbers with a
sum of S , where n ∈ Z
+
and S ∈ R
+
.

2
S
For n = 2, the maximum product can be expressed as M2(S) = (
2
) .

(c) S
2
Verify that M2(S) = (
2
) is true for S = 12.
[1]

Consider n positive real numbers, x1, x2, … , xn.

1

The geometric mean is defined as (x1 × x2 × … × xn) . It is given that then

geometric mean is always less than or equal to the arithmetic mean, so

1
(x1+x2+…+xn)
(x1 × x2 × … × xn) n
≤
n
.

(d.i) Show that the geometric mean and arithmetic mean are equal
when x1 = x2 = … = xn. [2]
(d.ii) S
n
Use this result to prove that Mn(S) = (
n
) . [4]

(e) Hence determine the value of

(e.i) M3(12); [1]

(e.ii) M4(12); [1]

(e.iii) M5(12). [1]

For n ∈ Z
+
, let P (S) denote the maximum value of Mn(S) across all
possible values of n.

(f ) Write down the value of P (12) and the value of n at which it

occurs. [2]

(g) Determine the value of P (20) and the value of n at which it

occurs. [3]
Consider the function g, defined by ln (g(x)) = x ln(
S

x
), where x ∈ R .
+

A sketch of the graph of y = g(x) is shown in the following diagram. Point A

is the maximum point on this graph.
(h) Find, in terms of S , the x-coordinate of point A. [6]
(i) Verify that g(x) = Mx(S), when x ∈ Z
+
. [2]

(j) Use your answer to part (h) to find the largest possible product
of positive numbers whose sum is 100. Give your answer in the
form a × 10k, where 1 ≤ a < 10 and k ∈ Z
+
. [3]

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