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Calculus question, shown in attachment

Thank you for your assistance
(A rotating light is located 17 feet from a wall..)

Calculus question, shown in attachment Thank you for your assistance (A rotating light-example-1

1 Answer

7 votes

Answer:

21.53 ft/s

Explanation:

You want the rate of movement along a wall of a rotating light projected from 17 ft away when the rotation rate is 1 revolution per 5 seconds and the angle is 5° from perpendicular.

Solution

The distance x from the point closest to the light is ...

x = (17 ft)·tan(θ)

where θ is (2π)(5°/360° +t/5) . . . . . . defining t=0 at the point of interest

The rate of change is ...

x' = (17 ft/s)·sec(θ)²(2π/5)

At t = 0, θ = π/36, so this is ...

x'(0) = 6.8π/cos(π/36)² ft/s ≈ 21.53 ft/s

The light is moving at about 21.53 ft/s when the angle is 5°.

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Additional comment

Using a table of derivatives or other means, you can find d(tan(u)) = sec(u)²·du. For the purpose of figuring this with a scientific calculator, sec(x) = 1/cos(x).

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Calculus question, shown in attachment Thank you for your assistance (A rotating light-example-1
Calculus question, shown in attachment Thank you for your assistance (A rotating light-example-2
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