Chapter 2

FIRST ORDER DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS

Method (solving) Applications

Separable DE using Population Radioactive Newton’s Electric

variables Integrating growth delays law circuits
Factor V(x) model model of
cooling
 Chapter 2: Differential Equation
Lecture 2 of 2

Application of Differential Equations

Learning Outcomes :

• Solve problems that can be modeled by

differential equations
 A) Population Growth Model

The simplest growth model has a constant relative growth rate.

Denote the population by Rate of change of the

y (t ) population

dy
dt

Rate of change is proportional

to the population

dy k: constant of
 ky proportionality
dt
 A) Population Growth Model
𝒅𝒚
kt  c
𝒅𝒕
= 𝒌𝒚
ye
dy y  e e
kt c
 kdt
y
Let
y  Ae kt
dy
 y   kdt ∗∗ 𝒆𝒄 = 𝑨

ln y  kt  c
Example 1
In a particular bacteria culture, the rate of increase of
bacteria is proportional to the number of bacteria N,
present at time t hours after the experiment.
Given that the number of bacteria at the beginning is
6 9
10 and after 1 hour is 10 . Find
a) The number of bacteria after 5 hours
b) The time taken for the number of bacteria to
be 3 times the original.
Solution
Let N - number of bacteria present atatime
(c is t
constant)
dN
 kN k : +ve constant
dt
 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕 = 𝟎, 𝑵 = 𝟏𝟎𝟔
𝒅𝑵
= 𝒌𝑵 𝑵 = 𝑨𝒆𝒌𝒕
𝒅𝒕
𝟏𝟎𝟔 = 𝑨𝒆𝒌(𝟎)
𝒅𝑵
= 𝒌 𝒅𝒕 𝑨 = 𝟏𝟎𝟔
𝑵
∴ 𝑵 = 𝟏𝟎𝟔 𝒆𝒌𝒕
𝒅𝑵
න = න 𝒌 𝒅𝒕
𝑵 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕 = 𝟏, 𝑵 = 𝟏𝟎𝟗
𝒍𝒏 𝑵 = 𝒌𝒕 + 𝑪 𝑵 = 𝟏𝟎𝟔 𝒆𝒌𝒕
𝟏𝟎𝟗 = 𝟏𝟎𝟔 𝒆𝒌(𝟏)
𝑵 = 𝒆𝒌𝒕+𝑪
𝒆𝒌 = 𝟏𝟎𝟑
𝑵 = 𝑨𝒆𝒌𝒕 𝑵 = 𝟏𝟎𝟔 𝟏𝟎𝟑𝒕
𝑵 = 𝟏𝟎𝟑𝒕+𝟔
 𝑵 = 𝟏𝟎𝟑𝒕+𝟔

a) The number of bacteria after 5 hours

When t=5
𝑵 = 𝟏𝟎𝟑(𝟓)+𝟔
𝑵 = 𝟏𝟎𝟐𝟏
b) The time taken for the number of bacteria to be 3 times
the original
When 𝑁 = 3𝑥106
3𝑥106 = 103𝑡+6
3𝑥106 = 103𝑡 106
3 = 103𝑡
𝑡 = 0.159
 B) Radioactive decay model
• Very accurate over long periods of time
• Primary method for determining age of prehistoric fossils and ancient
artifacts

Denote the decay by Rate of change of the

R(t ) decay (decreasing)

𝑑𝑅
𝑑𝑡

Rate of change is proportional

to the decay (decreasing)

𝒅𝑹 k: constant of
= −𝐤𝐑 proportionality
𝒅𝒕
𝑑𝑅 𝐥𝐧 𝑹 = −𝒌𝒕 + 𝒄
= −𝑘𝑅
𝑑𝑡
𝑹 = 𝒆−𝒌𝒕+𝒄
𝑑𝑅
= −𝑘𝑑𝑡
𝑅
Let 𝑹 = 𝒆−𝒌𝒕 . 𝒆𝒄

𝑑𝑅 𝑹 = 𝑨𝒆−𝒌𝒕
න = න −𝑘 𝑑𝑡
𝑅
∗∗ 𝒆𝒄 = 𝑨
Example 2
Radium decomposes at a rate which is proportional
to the amount present at any time. If 10%
decomposes in 200 years, what percentage of the
original amount of radium will remain after 1000
years?

Solution

Let R - the mass units at time t years

𝒅𝑹
= −𝒌𝑹
𝒅𝒕
 𝑳𝒆𝒕 𝑹𝟎 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝑹𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒖𝒎
𝒅𝑹
= −𝒌𝑹 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕 = 𝟎, 𝑹 = 𝑹𝟎
𝒅𝒕
𝑹𝟎 = 𝑨𝒆−𝒌(𝟎)
𝒅𝑹
= −𝒌𝒅𝒕
𝑹 𝑨 = 𝑹𝟎
Let
𝒅𝑹 𝑹 = 𝑹𝟎 𝒆−𝒌𝒕
න = න −𝒌 𝒅𝒕
𝑹
𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕 = 𝟐𝟎𝟎, 𝑹 = 𝟎. 𝟗𝑹𝟎
𝐥𝐧 𝑹 = −𝒌𝒕 + 𝒄
𝟎. 𝟗𝑹𝟎 = 𝑹𝟎 𝒆−𝒌(𝟐𝟎𝟎)
𝑹 = 𝒆−𝒌𝒕+𝒄
𝒆−𝟐𝟎𝟎𝒌 = 𝟎. 𝟗
𝑹 = 𝒆−𝒌𝒕 . 𝒆𝒄 𝒌 = −𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟓𝟐𝟕

𝑹 = 𝑨𝒆−𝒌𝒕 ∴ 𝑹 = 𝑹𝟎 𝒆−𝟎.𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟓𝟐𝟕𝒕
𝑹 = 𝑹𝟎 𝒆−𝟎.𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟓𝟐𝟕𝒕

𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕 = 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎

𝑹 = 𝑹𝟎 𝒆−𝟎.𝟎𝟎𝟎𝟓𝟐𝟕(𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎)

𝑹 = 𝟎. 𝟓𝟗𝟎𝑹𝟎

∴ 𝟓𝟗% 𝒐𝒇 𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒖𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔

 C) NEWTON’S LAW OF COOLING

When an object has a temperature greater than the ambient

temperature it cools according to Newton’s Law of Cooling.

Denote the temperature by Rate of change of the

 (t ) cooling (decreasing)

d
dt

Rate of cooling is proportional to

the difference in the temperature

d
 k   a  k : constant of proportionality
dt a : ambient temperature
𝑑𝜃 𝐥𝐧 𝜽 − 𝒂 = −𝒌𝒕 + 𝒄
= −𝑘 𝜃 − 𝑎
𝑑𝑡
𝜽 − 𝒂 =𝒆−𝒌𝒕+𝒄
𝑑𝜃
= −𝑘𝑑𝑡
𝜃−𝑎 𝜽=𝒆−𝒌𝒕+𝒄 + 𝒂
Let

𝑑𝜃 𝜽=𝑨𝒆−𝒌𝒕 + 𝒂
න = න −𝑘𝑑𝑡
𝜃−𝑎
∗∗ 𝒆𝒄 = 𝑨
Example 3
A body temperature is 1800 C is cooled by immersing
in a liquid at 600 C . In one minute, the temperature of
0
the body has fallen to 120 C . How long will it take for
the temperature of the body to fall to 900 C ?
Solution
𝐿𝑒𝑡 𝜃 − 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡 𝑖𝑛 °𝐶

𝑎 = 60°𝐶
𝑑𝜃
= −𝑘(𝜃 − 𝑎)
𝑑𝑡
(c is a constant)
𝑑𝜃
= −𝑘(𝜃 − 60)
𝑑𝑡
 𝑑𝜃 𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡 = 0, 𝜃 = 180
= −𝑘(𝜃 − 60)
𝑑𝑡 𝜃 − 60 = 𝐴𝑒 −𝑘𝑡

𝑑𝜃 180 − 60 = 𝐴𝑒 −𝑘(0)
= −𝑘𝑑𝑡
𝜃 − 60 𝐴 = 120

𝑑𝜃 𝜃 − 60 = 120𝑒 −𝑘𝑡
න = න −𝑘𝑑𝑡
𝜃 − 60 𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡 = 1, 𝜃 = 120

ln 𝜃 − 60 = −𝑘𝑡 + 𝑐 𝜃 − 60 = 120𝑒 −𝑘𝑡

120 − 60 = 120𝑒 −𝑘(1)
𝜃 − 60 = 𝑒 −𝑘𝑡+𝑐
𝑘 = 0.69
𝜃 − 60 = 𝐴𝑒 −𝑘𝑡
𝜃 − 60 = 120𝑒 −0.69𝑡
 𝜃 − 60 = 120𝑒 −0.69𝑡

𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝜃 = 90

90 − 60 = 120𝑒 −0.69𝑡

𝑡 = 2 𝑚𝑖𝑛

𝐼𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 2 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒

𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑡𝑜 90°
 D) Electric Circuits

dI
L  RI  E
dt

I(t) – Current that flows in the circuit at time t

L – inductance
R – resistance constant
E – voltage
R
P(t )  (a constant)
dI R E L
 I E
dt L L Q(t )  (a constant)
First order linear differential equation
L
The simplest model of the amount of current I in a
simple electrical RL circuit is given by a linear first-
order differential equation

 Pt I  Qt 
dI
dt
where I = amount of current and t = time

The usual solution to the differential equation is to

change it to an exact equation by means of an
integrating factor. This integrating factor is V(t).
Example 4
The basic equation governin the amount of current I
dI
in a simple RL circuit is given by  50I  5 . When
dt
𝑡 = 0, 𝐼 = 0, find the current at any time t.

Solution

𝒅𝑰
+ 𝟓𝟎𝑰 = 𝟓
𝒅𝒕 (c is a constant)
 𝒅𝑰 𝟏 𝒆𝟓𝟎𝒕
+ 𝟓𝟎𝑰 = 𝟓 𝑰= +𝑪
𝒅𝒕 𝒆𝟓𝟎𝒕 𝟏𝟎
𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕 = 𝟎, 𝑰 = 𝟎
𝑷 𝒕 = 𝟓𝟎 𝑸 𝒕 =𝟓
𝟏 𝒆𝟓𝟎(𝟎)
𝟎= +𝑪
𝑽 𝒕Let= 𝒆‫𝑷 ׬‬ 𝒕 𝒅𝒕 𝒆𝟓𝟎(𝟎) 𝟏𝟎

= 𝒆‫𝒕𝒅𝟎𝟓 ׬‬ 𝟏
𝑪=−
𝟏𝟎
= 𝒆𝟓𝟎𝒕
𝟏 𝒆𝟓𝟎𝒕 𝟏
𝑽 𝒕 𝑰 = න 𝑽 𝒕 . 𝑸 𝒕 𝒅𝒕 𝑰= −
𝒆𝟓𝟎𝒕 𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎

𝒆𝟓𝟎𝒕 𝑰 = න 𝒆𝟓𝟎𝒕 . 𝟓 𝒅𝒕
𝟏 𝟏
𝒆 𝟓𝟎𝒕 𝑰= 𝟏 − 𝟓𝟎𝒕
𝒆𝟓𝟎𝒕 𝑰 = 𝟓 +𝑪 𝟏𝟎 𝒆
𝟓𝟎
Summary (Applications of differential equations)

Radioactive
Population
decay model
growth model
dy dC
 ky  kC
dt dt

Applications
(DE)
Electric
Circuits
dI
Newton’s Law of L  RI  E
dt
cooling
d
 k   a 
dt