CHAPTER 9: DIFFERENTIATION

1998
2 (a) Given f(x) = 4x(2x – 1)5 , find f ' ( x) . [2 marks]
(b) A cuboid has a square base with length x cm. The height of the cuboid is 4 times
the length of the side of the base. If x increases at a rate of 0.02 cm s-1, find the rate
of change of the volume of the cuboid when its surface area is 162 cm2. [4 marks]
(Ans: (a) 4(2x – 1)4 (12x – 1) (b) 2.16 )

4
3 Find the gradient of the curve y  at the point (-2, -1) . Hence find the equation of
3x  2
the normal to the curve at this point.
dy 3
(Ans:   , 4x – 3y + 5 = 0 )
dx 4

1997

1 (a) Diagram shows a perfume container in a

shape of a pyramid. The pyramid has a square base
with an area of 36 cm2 . The height of the pyramid
is 4 cm. Perfume is poured into the container such
that the surface area forms a square with an area of
4p2 cm2 and its height from the vertex is h cm.
(i) Show that the volume of the space not filled
3
by perfume is V  (64  h 3 )
4

(ii) If the rate of change of height of the perfume is

0.2 cm s-1, find the rate of change of the volume of the space that is not filled by the
perfume when h = 2 cm. [5 marks]

(Ans: (ii) -1.8 cm3 s-1 )

(b) JKLM is a rectangle in a circle. Given JK = x cm and

KL = 6 cm.
(i) show that the area of the shaded region L cm2
x 2
is L   6 x  9
4
(ii) Find the value of x such that the shaded area
is a minimum. [5marks]

12
(Ans: (ii) x  cm


lim  n 2  4 
2 (a) Find the value of  . [2 marks]
n  2  n  2 

(b) Given f(x) = (2x – 3)5, find f '' ( x) [3 marks]

1
 Ans: (a) 4 (b) 80(2x - 3)3
4
3 Differentiate by first principle y  3
x
4
Ans: 
x2

1996

1. (a) The figure shows a pendulum with length l cm and the

l
time taken for one oscillation T s is given by, T  2 .
10
dl
(i) Find .
dT

(ii) Find the approximate change in the time taken for

one oscillation T, when the length of the string l
changes from 90 cm to 92 cm.
[Give your answers in terms of  ].

(b) ABCD is a square with sides a cm. Points P and Q lies on BC and CD respectively
such that BP = x cm and CQ = 2x cm.
1 1
(i) Show that the area of  APQ is x 2  ax  a 2 .
2 2
(ii) Find the value of x in terms of a such that the area of  APQ is a minimum
(iii) Find the minimum area of  APQ in terms of a.

dl 5T  1 7 2
Ans: (a)  2 , (ii) T  (b) (i) x  a (ii) a
dT  15 4 16

2 (a) Differentiate x2(1 + 3x)7 with respect to x..

k 7
(b) The gradient of the curve y  hx  2
at point (  1, ) is 2. Find the value of h
x 3
and of k.

20 1
Ans: (a) x(1 + 3x)6(27x + 2) (b) h = ,k= 
9 9

3
3 Given p = 2x – 3 and y   . Find
p2
(a) rate of change of x, when p changes at a rate of 3 unit per second.

dy
(b) in terms of x.
dx

(c) the approximate change in y when x decrease from 2 to 1.98

12
Ans: (a) 1.5 (b) (c) - 0.24
(2 x  3) 3

2
1995

1 (a) Figure (i) given shows a rectangular

piece of thin metal PQRS. The sides PS
and QR is jointed to form an open
cylinder with height y cm as shown in
diagram (ii). Given that the perimeter of
PQRS is 25 cm and the volume of the
cylinder is V cm3.

x2
(i) Show that V  (25  2 x)
8
(ii) Find the value of x and y when the volume of the cylinder is a maximum.
[5 marks]

(b) The diagram given shows a bowl in the shape

of a hemisphere with radius 10 cm. Water is
poured into the bowl where the height , h cm
from the bottom of the bowl increases at a
rate of 0.2 cm s-1.
(i) Show that the surface area , L cm2,
of the water surface is ,
L =  (20h – h2).
(ii) Find the rate of change in the surface area of the water surface when h = 4
cm.

25 25
Ans: (a) (ii) x  , y (b) (ii) 2.4 
3 6

1  2x3
2 (a) Given f ( x)  , find f ' ( x)
x 1

(b) Find the coordinate of the point at the curve y = (2x – 5)2 such that the gradient of
1
the normal at that point is
4
3 2
 4x  6x  1
Ans: (a) (b) (2, 1)
( x  1) 2

d2y dy
3 Given y = x(3 – x), express y x  12 in terms of x in its simplest form. Hence,
dx 2
dx
d2y dy
find the value of x which satisfies the equation y 2  x  12  0
dx dx

Ans: –3x + 12 , x = 4

3
1994
dy
1 (a) Given y = 3x + 5. Find by first principle.
dx
d 1
(b) Find ( )
dx 2 x  1)
dy 2
Ans: (a) = 3 (b)
dx (2 x  1) 2

16 dy 16
2 Given y  , find when x = 2. Hence, find the approximate value of
x 4
dx (1.98) 4
[4 marks]
Ans: -2, 1.04

3 An object is placed u cm from a lens which has a focal length of 3 cm. It forms an image
1 1 1
v cm behind the lens. Given that   . Find the rate of change in v when u changes
u v 3
at a rate of 2 cm s-1 when u = 4 cm. (Ans: -18 cm s-1 )
[5 marks]

1993
1 (a) A piece of wire 100 cm long is bent to form a
closed shape as shown in the diagram. Given
that AB = DC and AED is a semicircle with
radius r cm.
(i) Show that the area of the closed shape, L
cm2 , is given by the equation
3
L  100r  2r 2  r 2
2
(ii) Find the value of r when L is a maximum and show that L is a maximum.

(b) The straight line y + 2x + 19 = 0 is a tangent to the curve y = 2x3 + 3x2 – 14x – 12
at point P. Find
(i) coordinate P.
(ii) the equation of another tangent which is parallel to the tangent at point P.

100
Ans: (a) (ii) r  (b) (i) P(1, - 21) (ii) y + 2x = 8
4  3

1  2x 2
2. (a) Given f ( x)  , Find f ‘ (x) .
4x  3
(b) A closed cylinder has a fix height of 10 cm . The radius the base is constantly
changing. Estimate the rate of change of the total surface of the closed cylinder
when the radius of its base increases at a rate of 0.2 cm-1 , when the radius is 3 cm.

 8 x 2  12 x  4 dL
Ans: (a) f ' ( x)  (b)  6.4 cm2 s-1 .
(4 x  3) 2 dt