Related rates question involving volume of cone

In summary, the conversation discusses the problem of finding the rate of change of the radius of a conical pile when the height of the pile is 4 meters. The formula for the volume of a cone is confirmed and it is noted that the height is not constant and must be considered in finding the related rates equation.
  • #1
needingtoknow
160
0

Homework Statement



Sand falls from a conveyor belt at the rate of 10m^3/min onto the top of a conical pile. The height of the pile is always 3/8ths of the base diameter.

How fast is the radius changing when the pile is 4 m high? 3. The Attempt at a Solution

V = pir^2 (4/3) -- volume of a cone

dv/dt = (4pi/3)(2r)(dr/dt)
10 = (4pi/3)(2)(16/3)(dr/dt)
10 = (128pi/9)(dr/dt)
dr/dt = 0.224


The answer is 0.1119 m/sec. What am I doing wrong?
 
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  • #2
needingtoknow said:

Homework Statement



Sand falls from a conveyor belt at the rate of 10m^3/min onto the top of a conical pile. The height of the pile is always 3/8ths of the base diameter.

How fast is the radius changing when the pile is 4 m high?3. The Attempt at a Solution

V = pir^2 (4/3) -- volume of a cone

You might want to confirm this formula for the volume of a cone. Remember, volume has units of L3, and there are units of L2 here. There is also no accounting for the height of the cone in this formula.
 
  • #3
The formula is correct I just mislabelled it. I meant to say that V = pir^2 (4/3) -- volume of a cone when h = 4.
 
  • #4
Might be right (I did not check the prefactor), but the height is not constant. It changes together with r. You cannot consider one change and ignore the other one.
 
  • #5
needingtoknow said:
The formula is correct I just mislabelled it. I meant to say that V = pir^2 (4/3) -- volume of a cone when h = 4.

The volume of a cone is ##V=\frac 1 3 \pi r^2 h##. You must avoid putting in the instantaneous values before you differentiate to get the related rates equation.
 

Related to Related rates question involving volume of cone

1. What is a related rates question involving volume of a cone?

A related rates question involving volume of a cone is a type of problem in calculus where the rate of change of the volume of a cone is determined by the rates of change of other variables, such as the height or radius of the cone. This type of question often involves using the formula for the volume of a cone, V = 1/3πr^2h, and taking derivatives to find the related rates.

2. How do I solve a related rates question involving volume of a cone?

To solve a related rates question involving volume of a cone, you will need to use the formula for the volume of a cone, V = 1/3πr^2h, and the chain rule to take derivatives. You will then set up an equation with the given rates of change and use algebra to solve for the unknown rate of change.

3. What information do I need to solve a related rates question involving volume of a cone?

To solve a related rates question involving volume of a cone, you will need to know the formula for the volume of a cone, the rates of change of the variables involved (such as the height or radius of the cone), and the values of these variables at a specific point in time.

4. Can you provide an example of a related rates question involving volume of a cone?

Sure, here is an example: A cone-shaped cup is being filled with water at a rate of 2 cubic inches per minute. The base of the cone has a radius of 4 inches and the height is increasing at a rate of 3 inches per minute. At what rate is the water level rising when the height of the water is 5 inches? To solve this, we would use the formula V = 1/3πr^2h to find the related rates of V and h, and then set up an equation using the given rates of change.

5. Why are related rates questions involving volume of a cone important?

Related rates questions involving volume of a cone are important because they allow us to analyze and understand the relationships between different variables in a dynamic system. These types of questions are commonly used in real-world applications, such as engineering and physics, to model and predict changes in volume and other quantities over time.

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