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Application Examples

 

If it is not already on your hard drive, you will need to download the free DPGraph Viewer to view some of the pictures linked to on this web site.   QuickTime free download.

 

Video for Section 5.6, Example 7, Maximizing an Angle  (5 point bonus if you can find the error I made--I changed the name of the measure of an angle and forgot to change it one place in the presentation.)  PowerPoint Only

 

Quicktime Movie for 5.6#'s 89, 90  (97, 98 in the 9th edition)

 

Maple Worksheet for Section 5.7 #71  (79 in the 9th edition)

 


 

Solving a Separable Differential Equation

 

First Order DE Solution Grapher

Another One Using Euler's Method

         

The graph of the solution is shown above.  Click on the left graph to see an animation of the direction field vectors moving across the screen for increasing values of x along with an animated solution point.  Solutions corresponding to initial conditions y(0) = -1, -0.4, 0.4, 1 are shown below along with the direction field.  Click on the picture to see an enlargement.

Here are more examples of solutions to first order separable differential equations from my Differential Equations course web site.

 


 

             Exponential Population Growth

The population of a country is growing at a rate that is proportional to the population of the country.  The population in 1990 was 20 million and in 2000 the population was 22 million.  Estimate the population in 2020.

Solution

 


Extra Credit  A population of mice has been accidentally introduced onto a fairly large island in the Pacific.  Researchers have estimated that the island is capable of supporting a population of up to 100,000 mice and that the growth of the mouse population would be accurately represented by a logistic growth model.  The researchers have also estimated that the growth factor (b) in the logistic growth model will be 1 if time (t) is measured in years.  Thus they are predicting that the rate of change (dP/dt) of the mouse population on the island will be

             (1)

where b is the growth factor, C is the largest sustainable mouse population, and P is the mouse population (as a function of time).  In this example

One hundred mice (about equal numbers of male and female mice) were initially introduced onto the island.  Assign t = 0 as the time the 100 mice were initially introduced onto the island.  In our logistic population growth model

and thus we have

Solve differential equation (1) above to show that

                   Hint

Substitute in the appropriate values for a, b, and C to construct the logistic growth function P(t) for this example.  From your P(t) function estimate the mouse population on the island (to the nearest whole mouse) one year after the 100 mice were first first introduced onto the island (i.e., find P(1)).  Also estimate the mouse population on the island 2 years, 5 years, 10 years, and 20 years after the original 100 mice were introduced onto the island.

Draw a graph of the mouse population (P) as a function of time (t in years) for the first 20 years after the mouse population is introduced onto the island.

How long (to the nearest tenth of a year) does it take for the mouse population on the island to grow from 100 to 50,000?

 


 
NEWTON'S LAW OF COOLING PROBLEM:  A pot of liquid is put on the stove to boil.  The temperature of the liquid reaches 170oF and then the pot is taken off the burner and placed on a counter in the kitchen.  The temperature of the air in the kitchen is 76oF.  After two minutes the temperature of the liquid in the pot is 123oF.  How long before the temperature of the liquid in the pot will be 84oF?  Click here for more on Newton's Law of Cooling. Solution Function Graph

 


 

Differential Equations Sailing Application Example   (Same type DE as in Newton's Law of Cooling)

 


 

Work Pumping Water

 

The water in a large horse watering trough weighs 62.4 pounds per cubic foot.  The ends of the trough are isosceles triangles with a base of length 10 feet, equal length sides 13 feet, height 12 feet, with the base up as shown in the picture.  The trough is 30 feet long and held in an upright position by supports on the sides.  The trough is completely filled with water.  How much work is done in pumping the water over the edge of the trough to completely empty it?

 

 

 

 


 

Work Lifting a Chain and Weight

 

How much work is done against gravity in lifting the chain and the weight attached to the end of it up to the ceiling?  animation (see the picture on the right)  The chain weighs one pound per foot.  After the "oops" the weight comes loose and falls back to the floor. Extra Credit:  How fast is the weight traveling (neglecting air resistance) when it hits the floor?

Solution Below

 


 

Spring Stretching Example

A force of 100 pounds will stretch a spring 2 feet beyond its equilibrium length of 5 feet.  Find the work done in stretching the spring from a length of 5 feet to a length of 8 feet.  Click here to see an animation and click here to see an animation with scales.

100 = 2k so the spring constant is 50. The work done would be

How much additional work would be done in stretching the spring two more feet (assuming we are still within the elastic limits of the spring and Hooke's Law holds)?

 


 

Center of Mass

 

Find the center of mass of a planar lamina whose density is 3 units/square unit and whose boundaries are formed by the graphs of the functions given below.

 

 


 

Center of Mass

 

Find the center of mass of a planar lamina whose density is 2 units/square unit and whose boundaries are formed by the graphs of the functions given below.

 

 

Extra Credit:  Find the mass of a plate with the same boundaries but whose density is the function of x given below.  The plate is pictured at the right, colored to reflect the density function.  Here is a DPGraph picture of the plate colored based on the density function.

 

Maple Worksheet for the two center of mass examples

 


 

Fluid Force

Find the total fluid force on a vertical circular porthole of radius 2 feet whose center is 14 feet below the surface of water whose weight is 62.4 pounds per cubic foot.

 


 

Fluid Force

Find the total fluid force on one side of a vertical isosceles triangle whose base is 10 feet wide, height is 12 feet, and the base is resting on the bottom of a tank filled with water to a depth of 16 feet.  The weight of the water is 62.4 pounds per cubic foot.

 


 

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        Lane Vosbury, Mathematics, Seminole State College   email:  vosburyl@seminolestate.edu

        This page was last updated on 08/21/14          Copyright 2002          webstats