CAMBRIDGE SCHOOL NOIDA

APPLICATION OF DERIVATIVES CLASS XII CHAPTER 6

DERIVATIVE AS RATE OF MEASURE

3
Q1. A balloon which always remains spherical, has a variable diameter given by ( 2 x+3 ). Determine
2
27 2
the rate of change of volume with respect to x. Ans: π ( 2 x +3 )
8

Q2. A spherical ball of salt is dissolving in water in such a manner that the rate of change of decrease of
the volume at any instant is proportional to the surface area. Prove that the radius is decreasing at a
constant rate.

Q3. A ladder 13 m long leans against a wall. The foot of the ladder is pulled along the ground away from
the wall at the rate of 1.5m/sec. How fast is the angle between the ladder and the ground changing when
the foot of the ladder is 12 m away from the wall? Ans: −0.3 radius/sec

Q4. Water is dripping out from a conical funnel at a uniform rate of 4 cm3 /sec through a tiny hole at the
vertex in the bottom. When the slant height of the water is 3 cm, find the rate of decrease in the slant
32 cm
height of the water cone. Given that the vertical angle of the funnel is 1200 . Ans: .
27 π sec

Q5. The two equal sides of an isosceles triangle with fixed base b are decreasing at the rate of 3 cm/sec.
How fast is the area decreasing when the two equal sides are equal to the base. Ans: −√ 3 b

Q6. The median of an equilateral triangle is increasing at the rate of 2 √ 3 cm/sec. Find the rate at which
its side is increasing. Ans: 4 cm/sec

Q7. A kite is moving horizontally at a height of 151.5 meters. If the speed of the kite is 10 m/sec. How
fast is the string being let out when the kite is 250 m away from the boy who is flying the kite? The height
of the boy is 1.5 m. Ans: 8 m/sec
3
cm
Q8. Water is dripping into a conical vessel, 15 cm deep and 5 cm in radius, at the rate of 0.1 . When
sec
the water is 6 cm deep, find at what rate is

1
a) The water level rising? Ans:
40 π
1
b) The water surface area rising? Ans:
30
c) The wetted surface area of the vessel increasing? Ans:
√10
30
Q9. The relation between the height of the plant ( y cm) with respect to its exposure to the sunlight is
1 2
governed by the equation y=4 x− x , where x is the number of days exposed to the sunlight, for x ≤ 3.
2
Based on the given information, answer the following questions :

a) Find the rate of growth of the plant with respect to the number of days exposed to the sunlight.
b) Does the rate of growth of the plant increases or decreases in the first 3 days? What will be the
height of the plant after 2 days? Ans : 4−x , decreases , 6 cm

Q10. The traffic police has installed over speed violation detection (OSVD) system at various locations in
a city. These cameras can capture a speeding vehicle from a distance of 300 m and even function in the
dark. A camera is installed on a pole at a height of 5 m. It detects a car travelling away from the pole at
the speed of 20 m/sec. At the point, x m away from the base of the pole, the angle of elevation of the
speed camera from the car is θ .

Based on the above given information answer the following questions:

a) Express θ in terms of height of the camera installed on the pole and x.

dθ
b) Find .
dx
c) Find the rate of change of angle of elevation with respect to the time at an instant when the car is
50 m away from the pole.
OR

If the rate of change of angle of elevation with respect to time of another car at a distance of 50m
3 rad
from the base of the pole is . then find the speed of the car.
101 sec

INCREASING AND DECREASING

Q1. Show that the function f ( x )=x 3−3 x 2 +3 x , x ∈ R is increasing on R.

Q2. For what value of k , the function f ( x )=¿ x 3−9 k x 2 +27 x+ 30 is strictly increasing on R.

Q3. Show that the function f ( x )=tan −1 ( sinx+cosx ) is decreasing for all x ∈ ( π4 , π2 ).
3 1
Q4. Find the interval in which the function f ( x )=x + 3
, x ≠ 0 is strictly increasing or decreasing.
x

Q5. Find the interval in which the function f ( x )=2 log ( x−2 )−x 2+ 4 x +1is increasing or decreasing.

Q6. Find the interval in which f ( x )=sin3 x−cos 3 x , 0< x < π , is strictly increasing or strictly
decreasing.

log x
Q7. Find the interval in which the function f ( x )= is strictly increasing or strictly decreasing.
x
Q8. Show that for all a ≥ 1 ,the function f ( x )= √ 3 sinx−cosx−2 ax +b is decreasing on R.

( π2 ), is strictly increasing or strictly

Q9. Find the interval in which the function f ( x )=tanx−4 x , x ∈ 0 ,

decreasing.

Q10. The use of electric vehicles will curb air pollution in the long run. The use of electric vehicles is
increasing every year and estimated number of electric vehicles in use at any time t is given by the
function v ( t )=t 3−3 t 2+3 t−100 where t represents time and t=1 , 2, 3 , … .. correspond to year 2021,
2022, 2023,........ respectively.

Based on the above information answer the following questions:

a) Can the above function be used to estimate number of vehicles in the year 2020? Justify.
b) Find the estimated number of vehicles in the year 2040.
c) Prove that the function v (t) is an increasing function.

MAXIMA AND MINIMA (CASE BASED QUESTIONS)

Q1. In an elliptical sport field the authority wants to design a rectangular soccer field with the maximum
2 2
x y
possible area. The sport field is given by the graph of 2
+ 2 =1.
a b

a) If the length and breadth of the rectangular field be 2 x and 2 y respectively. Then find the area
function in terms of x .
b) Find the critical point of the function.
c) Use first derivative test to find the length 2 x and width 2 y of the soccer field (in terms of a and
b) that maximise its area.
OR
d) Use second derivative test to find the length 2 x and width 2 y of the soccer field (in terms of a
and b) that maximise its area.

Q2. An architect designs a building for a multi-national company. The floor consists of a rectangular
region with semi circular ends having a perimeter of 200 m.

a) If x∧ y represents the length and breadth of the rectangular region, then find the relation between
the variables.
b) Write the area of the rectangular region, expressed as a function of x .
c) Find the maximum value of area of the rectangular region. Use second derivative test.
OR
The CEO of the multinational company is interested in finding the area of the whole floor including the
ds
semi circular ends. Obtain an expression in terms of x , representing the area S. Also find for
dx
maximum value of the area.

Q3. The fuel cost per hour for running a train is proportional to the square of the speed it generated in
kilometre per hour. If the fuel cost rs 48 per hour at the speed of 16 km per hour and the fixed charges to
run the train amount to rs 1200 per hour. Assume the speed of the train as v km/hour.

i) Given the fuel cost per hour is k times the square of the speed the train generates in km/h then,
find the value of k.
ii) If the train has travelled a distance of 500 km, then find the total cost function of running the
train.
iii) Fin the most economical speed to run the train. Use derivatives
OR

Find the fuel cost for the train to travel 500 km at the most economical speed.

Q4. Governing council of a local public development authority of Delhi decided to build an adventurous
playground, which will have a plain area and a dedicated space for parking.

After survey, it was decide to build rectangular playground, with a semi circular area allotted for parking
at one end of the playground. The total perimeter of the field is measured as 1000 m.

i) Obtain an expression in terms of x ,for the area (A) of the playground alone.
ii) Using second derivative test, find the maximum area (A) of the playground alone.

Q5. Kishore Sharma runs a company which deals in production of electric shavers for men. The manager
2
x
of company proposes to produce x shavers in a day at a cost of Rs +35 x+25 the electronic shavers
4
produced in the company are distributed to the sellers at a price of (x
Rs 50− each.
2 )
i) Write an expression for the profit function P ( x ) .
ii) Write an expression of marginal profit function.
iii) How many units of electronic shavers must be produced to have maximum profit? Also write the
maximum profit using second derivative test.

Q6. A fighter jet of enemy is flying along the parabolic path y=x 2 +7.A soldier is assigned duty to shoot
down the fighter jet.

i) Assume that the soldier has located himself safely at the point ( 3 , 7 ) . if he decides to shoot down
the fighter jet when it is nearest to him, then obtain a function f (x) which determines the distance
between the soldier and the fighter jet.
ii) When the soldier shoots the fighter jet, then find the least distance between him and the fighter jet
at that instant. Use differentiation.
 OR
What will be the position (coordinates) of fighter jet on the parabolic path, when the soldier shoots it
down? Use second derivative.

Q7. A housing society wants to commission a swimming pool for its residents. For this, they have to
purchase a square piece of land and dig this to such a depth that its capacity is 250 cubic meters. Cost of
land is Rs 500 per square meter. The cost of digging increases with the depth and the cost for the whole
pool is Rs 4000 (dept h)2 .

Suppose the side of the square plot is x meters and depth is h meters. On the basis of above information,
answer the following questions.

i) Write cost C ( h ) as a function in terms of h .

ii) Find critical point.
iii) Use second derivative test to find the value of h for which cost of constructing the pool is
minimum. What is the minimum cost of construction of the pool?

Q8. Following is the description for a particular page, selected by a school administration for printing
purposes.

The total area of the page is 150 cm2. The combined width of the margin at the top and bottom is 3 cm
and at the sides it is 2 cm.

i) Obtain an expression for area of the page where printing can be done ( express in terms of x and y
both). Assume that the total length and width of the page is x∧ y .
ii) Find the area of the printing page in terms of x only.
ds ds
iii) Find , also find the value of x for which =0. also write the corresponding value of y.
dx dx

OR

For what values of x and y the area of the printing region is maximum?

Q9. An electrician used resistors in electronic circuits to reduce current flow, while installing some
electronic instruments in an office.

He knows that the combined resistance R of two resisters in parallel combination is given by the
1 1 1
expression: = + ,where R1∧R 2 are the respective resistance of two resisters with the condition
R R1 R2
R1 + R2=k , where k is a constant.

i) Write the value of R in terms of R1 only.

ii) Write the value of R in terms of R2 only.
iii) For what value of R1( in terms of k), the maximum value of R is obtained? Use derivatives.
OR
What is the relation between R1 and R2, if R is maximum ? write the maximum value of R.