Water is poured into a cone vessel at a constant rate of 24cm^3 per second. The depth of water is h cm at any time t seconds. What is the rate of increase of the area of the surface S of the liquid when the depth is 16cm...
V = (1/3)πr
2h
but h = r, so
V = (1/3)πr
3
dV/dr = πr
2
so dr/dV = 1/πr
2
dV/dt = 24
So dr/dt = dV/dt . dr/dV (chain rule)
= 24/πr
2
S = πr
2
so dS/dr = 2πr
dS/dt = dr/dt . dS/dr (chain rule)
= 24/πr
2 . 2πr
= 48/r cm
2/s
but r = h = 16
so dS/dt = 48/16 cm
2/s
= 3 cm
2/s
There we go. It can be done without knowing that h = r (you substitute h = 16 into the first equation for V, and that eliminates it completely), but then you end up with the rate of change of area with respect to time being 4.5 cm
2/s.
I_F