FIS-502: Mathematical Physics I

Quiz 2 Surfaces in R3
The temperature of a metal rod at position x(0 x 1), and at time t(t 0) is given by u(t, x) = 100et sin x.

1. Find the rate of change of temperature with respect to position when x = 34 and t = 1.
Solution 1. The rate of change of temperature, u(t, x), with respect to position x for a fixed time t is the partial
derivative of u(t, x) with respect to x, so that

u
100et sin x


=
x x
= 100et cos x
u 3 3
(1, 4) = 100e1 cos
x  4

100 1 100
= = 82
e 2 2e

2. Find the rate of change of temperature with respect to time when x = 34 and t = 1.
Solution 2. The rate of change of temperature, u(t, x), with respect to time t for a fixed position x is the partial
derivative of u(t, x) with respect to t, so that

u
100et sin x


=
t t
= 100et sin x
u 3 3
(1, 4) = 100e1 sin
t  4
100 1 100
= = 26
e 2 2e

1
 3. Illustrate these rates of change by sketching the cross-sections x = 34 and t = 1.

100 100

80 80
Temperature u(t, x = 3/4)

Temperature u(t = 1, x)
60 60

40 40

20 20

00.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 00.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
Time t Position x

4. Sketch the level curves u = 0, 25, 75, 100. Shade the region of the tx-plane for which u > 75.

1.0 0
0.8
0.6
Position x

100
0.4
75
0.2
25
0.0 0
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0
Time t