Math 21 HW7 solutions Spring 2010

Here are the solutions to the problems on the seventh homework. Please do not print unless necessary. 7.4# 15, 16,
18a, 22
7.5# 4, 9, 11, 19a
1. (7.4#15) When a cold drink is taken from a fridge its temperature is 5 degrees C. After 25 minutes in a 20
degree C room, its temp increased to 10 degrees C. what the temperature of the drink after 50 minutes. When
will the temperature be 15 degrees C?
Solution: The problem involves Newtons law of cooling.
dT
= k(T 20), T (0) = 5,
dt
where t is time in minutes and T is temp of the drink in degrees celsuis. We know from class that the solution
is given by
T (t) = 20 15ekt .
Let us find k. Noting that T (25) = 10 we find
1 2
10 = 20 15e25k k = ln .
25 3
Now
T (t) = 20 15ef ract25 ln(2/3) .
We may compute T (50) = 13.3 degrees C, and the time t where T (t) = 15 is t = 67.74 minutes.
2. (7.4 #16) A freshly brewed cup of coffee has temperature 95 degrees celsuis in a 20 degree celsuis room. When
its temperature is 70 degrees, it is cooling at a rate of 1 degree per minute. When does this happen?
Solution: This is a problem involving Newtons law of cooling:
dT
= k(T 20), T (0) = 95.
dt
We know from class that the solution is given by
T (t) = 20 + 75ekt .
In order to find k, we return to the differential equation as we know the value of dT /dt:
1 = k(70 20),
1
where we have chosen a negative sign as the coffee is cooling. So k = 50 . This means the model is
t
T (t) = 20 + 75e 50 .
Now we solve for the time when T = 70:
t
70 = 20 + 75e 50 ,
So t = 50 ln(2/3) = 20.27 minutes.
3. (7.4 #18a) If $1000 is borrowed at 8% interest, find the amounts due at the end of 3 years if the interest if
compounded annually, quarterly, monthly, weekly, daily, hourly and continuously.
Solution: The main idea is to use the formula
r
A(t) = 1000(1 + )mt ,
m
where t is the time in years, r is the annual interest rate and m is the number of compound periods per year.
For this problem t = 3, r = 0.08 and:
m = 1 A(3) = 1259.71.
m = 4 A(3) = 1268.24.
m = 12 A(3) = 1270.24.
m = 52 A(3) = 1271.01.
m = 365 A(3) = 1271.22.
m = 365 24 A(3) = 1271.25.
For continuous compounding we find
A(3) = 1000e0.083 = 1271.25.
Math 21 HW7 solutions Spring 2010

4. (7.4 #22) Consider the doomsday equation

dy
= ky 1+c ,
dt
where k, c are positive constants.
Solution: First we solve the equation. Separating variables we find
dy
= kdt
y 1+c
Z Z
1c
y dy = kdt

y c
= kt + D
c
y c = ckt + D = D ckt

At this point, lets solve for D using y(0) = y0 . We find

y0c = D,

so that

y c = y0c ckt
1
y= q
c c
y0 ckt
1
= q
c 1y0c ckt
y0c
y0
= p
c
1 y0c ckt

Observe that this function has a vertical asymptote when the denominator is zero. This is the doomsdays time.
This occurs when
1
1 y0c kt = 0 t = c ,
y0 ck
i.e.
y0
lim1 p = .
t yc ck
0
c
1 y0c ckt

Finally for part (c), we have from the text that c = 0.01, y0 = 2 and y(3) = 16. We may solve for k.
2
16 =
0.01
1 20.01 0.01 k 3
1
Once we have this, plut into the doomsday formula y0c ck to obtain a doomsday of 145.77 months.

5. (7.5 #4) Suppose a population P (t) satisfies:

dP
= 0.4P 0.001P 2 , P (0) = 50.
dt
where t is measured in years.
(a) What is the carrying capacity?
Solution: Here lets rewrite the equation to match the algebraic form of the logistic model:
   
dP 2 0.001 P
= 0.4P 0.001P = 0.4P 1 P = 0.4 1 0.4 .
dt 0.4 0.001

So M = 0.4/0.001 = 400.
(b) What is P 0 (0)?
Solution:
dP
P 0 (0) = (0) = 0.4P (0) 0.001P (0)2 = 0.4(50) 0.001(50)2 = 17.5.
dt
Math 21 HW7 solutions Spring 2010

(c) When will the population reach 50% of the carrying capacity?
Solution: Noting that k = 0.4, we may use the solution for the logistic model derived in class:
400
P (t) = .
350/50e0.4t + 1

We solve for t where

400 400
= 0.4t
2 7e +1
So
2 = 7e0.4t + 1
and t = 4.86 years

6. (7.5 # 9) One model for the spread of a rumor is that the rate of spread is proportional to the product of the
fraction y of the population who have heard the rumor and the fraction who have not.

(a) Write a DE modeling this.

Solution: Let t be time and y(t) be the fraction of the population that have heard the rumor.
Note that if 25% of the population have heard the rumor, then 75% have not heard it. So 1 y represents
the fraction who have not heard the rumor. This means dy/dt is proportional to y(1 y), or

dy
= ky(1 y),
dt
for some constant k.
(b) Solve the DE.
Solution: We recognize that the DE is just the logistic equation with M = 1. So from the notes,
1
y(t) = 1y0 kt ,
y0 e +1

where y(0) = y0 . There are other correct ways to write this equation, and it is ok if you solved for this
equation instead of citing the result.
(c) A small town has 1000 inhabitants. Suppose at 8 am, 80 people hear a rumor. By noon half the town has
heard it. At what time will 90% of the population have heard it?
Solution: Let us take t = 0 to be 8 am. We are told y(0) = 80/1000 = 0.08. The fact that
y(4) = 0.5 means that
1
0.5 = y(4) = 10.08 4k
0.08 e +1
1
0.5 =
11.5e4k + 1
5.75e4k + 0.5 = 1
e4k =0.086956522
1
k = ln 0.086956522
4
k = 0.612

Now then,
1
y=
11.5e0.612t +1
We now solve for t where y(t) = 0.9. So
1
0.9 = y(t) =
11.5e0.612t + 1
t = 7.58

So 90% of the town hears the rumor 7.58 hours after 8 am. This is about 3:35 pm.
Math 21 HW7 solutions Spring 2010

7. (7.5 #11) Show that if P satifies the logistic growth equation then

d2 P
  
2 P 2P
= k P 1 1 ,
dt2 M M

and deduce that a population grows fastest when it reaches half its carrying capacity.
Solution: Begin with the logistic equation
 
dP P
= kP 1 .
dt M

Before differentiating we write this as

dP k 2
= kP P ,
dt M
but this step is not strictly necessary. We now differentiate in t. This means we have to remember to use
implicit differentiation, since P = P (t):

d2 P dP k dP
2
=k 2P .
dt dt M dt
The idea now is we have an equation for dP/dt! So using the logistic equation,

d2 P
     
P k P
= k kP 1 2P kP 1 .
dt2 M M M

We now simplify. Factor out common terms:

d2 P
  
P 2P
= k2 P 1 1 ,
dt2 M M

as we needed. Now the population is growing fastest when dP/dt is at a max. But to detect this we take
2
its derivative, ddtP2 and set it equal to zero to find critical numbers. The above calculation shows the critical
numbers are when P = 0, M and M 2 . We can reject the first two possibilities as the logistic model is constant
when P = 0 and P = M . So the population grows fastest when P = M/2.

8. (7.5 #19a) Find a solution to the seasonal growth model

dP
= kP cos(rt ), P (0) = P0 ,
dt
where k, r, are positive constants.
Solution: We separate the variables, as always.
Z Z
dP
= k cos(rt )dt
P
k
ln |P | = sin(rt ) + C, (use u = rt )
r
k
P = Ce r sin(rt) .

We solve for C:
k k
P0 = Ce r sin(0) = Ce r sin()
So
P0 k
C= k = P0 e r sin()
e r sin()

We conclude
k k
P = P0 e r sin() e r sin(rt)
and we simplify a bit:
k
P = P0 e r (sin(rt)sin())