10. Physics Applications of Integrals

Distance traveled and displacement Suppose an object moves along a line with velocity (in ft/s) v(t)=6−2t, for 0≤t≤6, where t is measured in seconds.

b. Find the displacement of the object on the interval 0≤t≤6.

Given the velocity function of an object moving along a line, explain how definite integrals can be used to find the displacement of the object.

An oscillator The acceleration of an object moving along a line is given by a(t) = 2 sin πt/4. The initial velocity and position are v(0)= −8/π and s(0)=0.

 a. Find the velocity and position for t≥0.

Acceleration A drag racer accelerates at a(t)=88 ft/s². Assume v(0)=0, s(0)=0, and t is measured in seconds.

d. How long does it take the racer to travel 300 ft?

Acceleration A drag racer accelerates at a(t)=88 ft/s². Assume v(0)=0, s(0)=0, and t is measured in seconds.

e. How far has the racer traveled when it reaches a speed of 178 ft/s?

Deceleration A car slows down with an acceleration of a(t) = −15 ft/s². Assume v(0)=60 ft/s,s(0)=0, and t is measured in seconds.

b. How far does the car travel in the time it takes to come to rest?

40–43. Population growth

Starting with an initial value of P(0)=55, the population of a prairie dog community grows at a rate of P′(t)=20−t/5 (prairie dogs/month), for 0≤t≤200, where t is measured in months.

b. Find the population P(t), for 0≤t≤200.

40–43. Population growth

When records were first kept (t=0), the population of a rural town was 250 people. During the following years, the population grew at a rate of P′(t) = 30(1+√t), where t is measured in years.

b. Find the population P(t) at any time t≥0.

Oil production An oil refinery produces oil at a variable rate given by Q'(t) = <1x3 matrix>, where is measured in days and is measured in barrels. 

a. How many barrels are produced in the first 35 days?

Depletion of natural resources Suppose r(t) = r0e^−kt, with k>0, is the rate at which a nation extracts oil, where r0=10⁷ barrels/yr is the current rate of extraction. Suppose also that the estimate of the total oil reserve is 2×10⁹ barrels. 

a. Find Q(t), the total amount of oil extracted by the nation after t years.

Filling a tank A 2000-liter cistern is empty when water begins flowing into it (at t=0 at a rate (in L/min) given by Q′(t) = 3√t, where t is measured in minutes.

a. How much water flows into the cistern in 1 hour?

Filling a tank A 2000-liter cistern is empty when water begins flowing into it (at t=0 at a rate (in L/min) given by Q′(t) = 3√t, where t is measured in minutes.

b. Find the function that gives the amount of water in the tank at any time t≥0.

Filling a tank A 2000-liter cistern is empty when water begins flowing into it (at t=0 at a rate (in L/min) given by Q′(t) = 3√t, where t is measured in minutes.

c. When will the tank be full?

Blood flow A typical human heart pumps 70 mL of blood (the stroke volume) with each beat. Assuming a heart rate of 60 beats/min (1 beat/s), a reasonable model for the outflow rate of the heart is V′(t)=70(1+sin 2πt), where V(t) is the amount of blood (in milliliters) pumped over the interval [0,t],V(0)=0 and t is measured in seconds.

a. Verify that the amount of blood pumped over a one-second interval is 70 mL.

Blood flow A typical human heart pumps 70 mL of blood (the stroke volume) with each beat. Assuming a heart rate of 60 beats/min (1 beat/s), a reasonable model for the outflow rate of the heart is V′(t)=70(1+sin 2πt), where V(t) is the amount of blood (in milliliters) pumped over the interval [0,t],V(0)=0 and t is measured in seconds.

b. Find the function that gives the total blood pumped between t=0 and a future time t>0.