Question

A ladder 25 feet long is leaning against the wall of a house. The base of the ladder is pulled away from the wall at a rate of 2 feet per second. (a) What is the velocity of the top of the ladder when the base is given below? 15 feet away from the wall ft/sec 20 feet away from the wall ft/sec 24 feet away from the wall ft/sec (b) Consider the triangle formed by the side of the house, ladder, and the ground. Find the rate at which the area of the triangle is changing when the base of the ladder is 24 feet from the wall. ft2/sec (c) Find the rate at which the angle between the ladder and the wall of the house is changing when the base of the ladder is 24 feet from the wall. rad/sec

Answer 1

As the ladder is pulled away from the wall, the area and the height with the

wall are decreasing while the angle formed with the wall increases.

The correct response are;

• (a) The velocity of the top of the ladder = 1.5 m/s downwards

• (b) The rate the area formed by the ladder is changing is approximately -75.29 ft.²/sec

• (c) The rate at which the angle formed with the wall is changing is approximately 0.286 rad/sec.

Reasons:

The given parameter are;

Length of the ladder, l = 25 feet

Rate at which the base of the ladder is pulled, $\displaystyle \frac{dx}{dt}$ = 2 feet per second

(a) Let y represent the height of the ladder on the wall, by chain rule of differentiation, we have;

$\displaystyle \frac{dy}{dt} = \mathbf{\frac{dy}{dx} \times \frac{dx}{dt}}$

25² = x² + y²

y = √(25² - x²)

$\displaystyle \frac{dy}{dx} = \frac{d}{dx} \sqrt{25^2 - x^2} = \frac{x \cdot \sqrt{625-x^2} }{x^2- 625}$

Which gives;

$\displaystyle \frac{dy}{dt} = \frac{x \cdot \sqrt{625-x^2} }{x^2- 625}\times \frac{dx}{dt} = \frac{x \cdot \sqrt{625-x^2} }{x^2- 625}\times2$

$\displaystyle \frac{dy}{dt} = \mathbf{ \frac{x \cdot \sqrt{625-x^2} }{x^2- 625}\times2}$

When x = 15, we get;

$\displaystyle \frac{dy}{dt} = \frac{15 \times \sqrt{625-15^2} }{15^2- 625}\times2 = \mathbf{-1.5}$

The velocity of the top of the ladder = 1.5 m/s downwards

When x = 20, we get;

$\displaystyle \frac{dy}{dt} = \frac{20 \times \sqrt{625-20^2} }{20^2- 625}\times2 = -\frac{8}{3} = -2.\overline 6$

The velocity of the top of the ladder = $\underline{-2.\overline{6} \ m/s \ downwards}$

When x = 24, we get;

$\displaystyle \frac{dy}{dt} = \frac{24 \times \sqrt{625-24^2} }{24^2- 625}\times2 = \mathbf{-\frac{48}{7}} \approx -6.86$

The velocity of the top of the ladder ≈ -6.86 m/s downwards

(b) $\displaystyle The \ area\ of \ the \ triangle, \ A =\mathbf{\frac{1}{2} \cdot x \cdot y}$

Therefore;

$\displaystyle The \ area\ A =\frac{1}{2} \cdot x \cdot \sqrt{25^2 - x^2}$

$\displaystyle \frac{dA}{dx} = \frac{d}{dx} \left (\frac{1}{2} \cdot x \cdot \sqrt{25^2 - x^2}\right) = \mathbf{\frac{(2 \cdot x^2- 625)\cdot \sqrt{625-x^2} }{2\cdot x^2 - 1250}}$

$\displaystyle \frac{dA}{dt} = \mathbf{ \frac{dA}{dx} \times \frac{dx}{dt}}$

Therefore;

$\displaystyle \frac{dA}{dt} = \frac{(2 \cdot x^2- 625)\cdot \sqrt{625-x^2} }{2\cdot x^2 - 1250} \times 2$

When the ladder is 24 feet from the wall, we have;

x = 24

$\displaystyle \frac{dA}{dt} = \frac{(2 \times 24^2- 625)\cdot \sqrt{625-24^2} }{2\times 24^2 - 1250} \times 2 \approx \mathbf{ -75.29}$

The rate the area formed by the ladder is changing, $\displaystyle \frac{dA}{dt}$ ≈ -75.29 ft.²/sec

(c) From trigonometric ratios, we have;

$\displaystyle sin(\theta) = \frac{x}{25}$

$\displaystyle \theta = \mathbf{arcsin \left(\frac{x}{25} \right)}$

$\displaystyle \frac{d \theta}{dt} = \frac{d \theta}{dx} \times \frac{dx}{dt}$

$\displaystyle\frac{d \theta}{dx} = \frac{d}{dx} \left(arcsin \left(\frac{x}{25} \right) \right) = \mathbf{ -\frac{\sqrt{625-x^2} }{x^2 - 625}}$

Which gives;

$\displaystyle \frac{d \theta}{dt} = -\frac{\sqrt{625-x^2} }{x^2 - 625}\times \frac{dx}{dt}= \mathbf{ -\frac{\sqrt{625-x^2} }{x^2 - 625} \times 2}$

When x = 24 feet, we have;

$\displaystyle \frac{d \theta}{dt} = -\frac{\sqrt{625-24^2} }{24^2 - 625} \times 2 \approx \mathbf{ 0.286}$

Rate at which the angle between the ladder and the wall of the house is changing when the base of the ladder is 24 feet from the wall is $\displaystyle \frac{d \theta}{dt}$ ≈ 0.286 rad/sec

Learn more about the chain rule of differentiation here:

brainly.com/question/20433457