Chapter 8: The Second Derivative and Applications of Differentiation – Adv - CW1

❖ Exercise 1:
x
For the curve y = , state the coordinates of the point(s) of inflection.
ln x

❖ Exercise 2:
Consider the graph of f ( x) = ce − kx , where c and k are constants.
2

a) Find f ( x) and f ( x) in terms of c and k .

b) Find the coordinates of the points of inflection if c = 1 and k = 2 .
1 1
c) Find the value of k for which there are points of inflection at x = and x = − .
4 4

❖ Exercise 3:
The graph of f ( x) = e − x is shown. Let B ( x, f ( x) ) be
2

a point on the graph, where x  0 . Draw the

rectangle OABC as shown, where A is on the y -axis
and C is on the x -axis.
a) Find an expression for the area, W , of the
rectangle in terms of x .
dW d 2W
b) Find and 2 .
dx dx
c) Find the coordinates of the point of inflection on the graph of W against x .
d) Find the maximum value of W and the value of x for which this occurs. Verify that the
point is a local maximum.

❖ Exercise 4:
The diagram shows a rectangle with sides 4 m and x m and a square with side x m. The area
of the shaded region is y m2.
a) Find an expression for y in terms of x .
b) Find the possible values for x .
c) Find the maximum value of y and the corresponding
value of x .
d) Explain briefly why this value of y is a maximum.
e) Sketch the graph of y against x .
f) State the possible values for y .

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Chapter 8: The Second Derivative and Applications of Differentiation – Adv - CW1

❖ Exercise 5:
It costs (12 + 0.008x) dollars per kilometre to operate a truck at x km/h. In addition, it costs
$14.40 per hour to pay the driver.
a) Write an expression for C , the total cost per kilometre, in terms of x .
b) What is the total cost per kilometre if the truck is driven at 64 km/h?
c) Sketch the graph of C against x for 0  x  120 .
d) At what speed should the truck be driven to minimise the total cost per kilometre?

❖ Exercise 6:
A box is to be made from a 10 cm by 16 cm sheet of metal by cutting equal squares out of the
corners and bending up the flaps to form the box. Let the lengths of the sides of the squares
be x cm and let the volume of the box formed be V cm3.
a) Show that V = 4( x3 − 13x2 + 40 x) .
b) State the set of x -values for which the expression for V in terms of x is valid.
dV
c) Find the values of x such that =0.
dx
d) Find the dimensions of the box if the volume is to be a maximum.
e) Find the maximum volume of the box.

❖ Exercise 7:
A rectangle has one vertex at the origin, another on the
positive x -axis, another on the positive y -axis and a fourth
x
on the line y = 8 − . What is the greatest area the rectangle
2
can have?

❖ Exercise 8:
A manufacturer produces cardboard boxes that have a square base. The top of each box
consists of a double flap that opens as shown. The bottom of the
box has a double layer of cardboard for strength. Each box must
have a volume of 12 cubic metres.
a) Show that the area of cardboard required is given by
C = 3x2 + 4 xh .
b) Express C as a function of x only.
c) Sketch the graph of C against x for x  0 .
d) What dimensions of the box will minimise the amount of
cardboard used?
e) What is the minimum area of cardboard used?

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Chapter 8: The Second Derivative and Applications of Differentiation – Adv - CW1

❖ Exercise 9:
A piece of wire of fixed length, L cm, is bent to form the boundary OPQO of a sector of a circle.
The circle has centre O and radius r cm. The angle of the sector is  radians.
1
a) Show that the area, A cm2, of the sector is given by A = rL − r 2 .
2
dA
b) Find a relationship between r and L for which = 0 . And find
dr
the corresponding value of  .
c) Show that, for the value of  found in b, the area of the triangle
OPQ is approximately 45.5% of the area of sector OPQ .

❖ Exercise 10:
The point S is 8 km offshore from the point O , which is
located on the straight shore of a lake, as shown in the
diagram. The point F is on the shore, 20 km from O .
Contestants race from the start, S , to the finish, F , by
rowing in a straight line to some point, L , on the shore
and then running along the shore to F . A certain
contestant rows at 5 km per hour and runs at 15 km per
hour.
a) Show that, if the distance OL is x km, the time taken by this contestant to complete
64 + x 2 20 − x
the course is (in hours): T ( x) = + .
5 15
b) Show that the time taken by this contestant to complete the course has its minimum
value when x = 2 2 . Find this time.

❖ Exercise 11:
A straight line is drawn through the point (8, 2) to
intersect the positive y -axis at Q and the positive x -axis
at P . (In this question, we find the minimum value of
OP + OQ .)
d  1  1
a) Show that  =− 2 .
d  tan   sin 
b) Find MP in terms of  .
c) Find NQ in terms of  .
d) Hence find OP + OQ in terms of  . Denote OP + OQ by x .
dx
e) Find
d
f) Find the minimum value of x and the value of  for which this occurs.

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Chapter 8: The Second Derivative and Applications of Differentiation – Adv - CW1

❖ Exercise 12:
ex
Let f ( x) = for x  0 .
x
a) Find f ( x) .
b) Find the value of x such that f ( x) = 0 .
c) Find the coordinates of the stationary point and state its nature.
f ( x) f ( x)
d) Find and find lim and comment.
f ( x) x → f ( x )

e) Sketch the graph of f .

f) Over a period of years, the number of birds ( n ) in an island colony decreased and
ae kt
increased with time ( t years) according to the approximate formula n = where t is
t
measured from 1900 and a and k are constant. If during this period the population was
the same in 1965 as it was in 1930, when was it least?

❖ Exercise 13:
Consider the curve with equation y = ( x 2 − 2 x )e x .
a) Find the x -axis intercepts.
b) Find the equation of the tangent to the curve at x = 1 .
c) Find the equation of the tangent to the curve at x = 2 .
d) Find the x -values for which there is a turning point.
e) Find the x -values for which there is a point of inflection.
f) Sketch the curve.

❖ Exercise 14:
Consider the family of curves with equations y = (2 x2 − 5x)eax , where a  \ 0 .
a) Find the x -axis intercepts.
b) Find the x -values for which there is a turning point, in terms of a .
c) Find the x -values for which there is a point of inflection, in terms of a .
d) If a curve from this family passes through the point (3, 10), find the value of a .

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