Multiple-Choice Test

Background
Ordinary Differential Equations
COMPLETE SOLUTION SET

dy
1. The differential equation 2 + x 2 y = 2 x + 3, y (0 ) = 5 is
dx
(A) linear
(B) nonlinear
(C) linear with fixed constants
(D) undeterminable to be linear or nonlinear

Solution
The correct answer is (A).

A differential equation is linear if the coefficients of the dependent variable and all the
derivatives of the dependent variable in the ordinary differential equation are only functions of
the independent variable. The general form of a linear ordinary differential equation is
d n y (x ) d n −1 y ( x ) dy
a n (x ) n
+ a n −1 ( x ) n −1
+ ....... + a1 ( x ) + a 0 = f ( x )
dx dx dx
For example
dy
2 + x 2 y 2 = 2 x + 3, y (0 ) = 5
dx
is a nonlinear differential equation as the form is
2 + (x 2 y )y = 2 x + 3, y (0 ) = 5
dy
dx
( )
and in this case, the coefficient of the y term is x 2 y .
2. A differential equation is considered to be ordinary if it has
(A) one dependent variable
(B) more than one dependent variable
(C) one independent variable
(D) more than one independent variable

Solution
The correct answer is (C).

A differential equation is considered to be ordinary if it has one independent variable. Ordinary

differential equations can have as many dependent variables as needed. For example the
ordinary differential equations
dy
2 + y + z = e x , y (0) = 6
dx
d 2z dz dz
3 2 + 3y + = sin x, z (0) = 5, (0) = 7
dx dx dx
have two dependent variables y and z, and one independent variable, x.
3. Given
dy
2 + 3 y = sin 2 x, y (0 ) = 6
dx
y (2) most nearly is
(A) 0.17643
(B) 0.29872
(C) 0.32046
(D) 0.58024

Solution
The correct answer is (C).

The homogenous solution for the above ordinary differential equation is given by
(2D + 3) y = 0
The characteristic equation for the above equation is given by
2r + 3 = 0
The solution to this equation is
r = −1.5
y H = Ce −1.5 x
The particular part of the solution is of the form
yP = A sin 2 x + B cos 2 x
To find A and B, we substitute the particular solution into the ordinary differential equation as
d
2 ( A sin 2 x + B cos 2 x ) + 3( A sin 2 x + B cos 2 x ) = sin 2 x
dx
2(2 A cos 2 x − 2 B sin 2 x ) + 3( A sin 2 x + B cos 2 x ) = sin 2 x
(4 A + 3B )cos 2 x + (− 4 B + 3 A)sin 2 x = sin 2 x
Equating coefficients of sin 2 x and cos 2 x on both sides we get
− 4B + 3 A = 1
3B + 4 A = 0
Solving the above two simultaneous linear equations we get
A = 0.12
B = −0.16
Hence
yP = 0.12 sin 2 x − 0.16 cos 2 x
The complete solution is
y = yH + yP
= Ce −1.5 x + 0.12 sin 2 x − 0.16 cos 2 x
Find the value of C by setting
y(0) = 6
 6 = Ce −1.5×0 + 0.12 sin (2 × 0) − 0.16 cos(2 × 0)
6 = C − 0.16
C = 6.16

Thus
y = 6.16e −1.5 x + 0.12 sin 2 x − 0.16 cos 2 x
y (2 ) = 6.16e −1.5×2 + 0.12 sin (2 × 2 ) − 0.16 cos(2 × 2 )
= 0.32046
4. The form of the exact solution to
dy
2 + 3 y = e − x , y (0 ) = 5
dx
is
(A) Ae−1.5 x + Be− x
(B) Ae−1.5 x + Bxe− x
(C) Ae1.5 x + Be − x
(D) Ae1.5 x + Bxe− x

Solution
The correct answer is (A).

The homogeneous solution for the above ordinary differential equation is given by
(2D + 3) y = 0
The characteristic equation for the above equation is given by
2r + 3 = 0
The solution to this equation is
r = −1.5
giving the homogeneous part of the solution as
yH = Ae−1.5 x
Based on the forcing function of the ordinary differential equations, the particular part of the
solution is of the form Be − x , that is,
yP = Be − x
The exact solution is of the form
y = Ae −1.5 x + Be − x
5. The following nonlinear differential equation can be solved exactly by separation of variables.
dθ
= −10 −6 (θ 2 − 81), θ (0 ) = 1000
dt
The value of θ (100) most nearly is
(A) −99.99
(B) 909.10
(C) 1000.32
(D) 1111.10

Solution
The correct answer is (B).

dθ
dt
(
= −10 −6 θ 2 − 81 )
dθ
∫ θ 2 − 81 = −∫10 dt
−6

dθ
∫ (θ − 9)(θ + 9) = −∫10 dt
−6

1 A B
= +
(θ − 9)(θ + 9) θ − 9 θ + 9
1 = A(θ + 9) + B(θ − 9 )
1 = ( A + B )θ + (9 A − 9 B )
A+ B = 0
9 A − 9B = 1
1
A=
18
1
B=−
18
⎛ 1 ⎞⎛ 1 ⎞ ⎛ 1 ⎞⎛ 1 ⎞
∫ ⎜⎝ 18 ⎟⎠⎜⎝ θ − 9 ⎟⎠dθ − ∫ ⎜⎝ 18 ⎟⎠⎜⎝ θ + 9 ⎟⎠dθ = − ∫10 dt
−6

1 1
ln (θ − 9 ) − ln (θ + 9 ) = −10−6 t + c
18 18
1 ⎛θ −9 ⎞ −6
ln⎜ ⎟ = −10 t + c
18 ⎝ θ + 9 ⎠
To find the value of c, θ (0) = 1000
1 ⎛ 1000 − 9 ⎞ −6
ln⎜ ⎟ = −10 × 0 + c
18 ⎝ 1000 + 9 ⎠
c = −0.0010000
Substituting the value of c , we get
1 ⎛θ −9 ⎞ −6
ln⎜ ⎟ = −10 t − 0.0010000
18 ⎝ θ + 9 ⎠
To find the value of θ at t = 100 ,
1 ⎛θ −9 ⎞
⎟ = −10 (100) − 0.0010000
−6
ln⎜
18 ⎝ θ + 9 ⎠
⎛θ −9 ⎞
ln⎜ ⎟ = −0.0198
⎝θ + 9 ⎠
⎛ θ −9 ⎞
ln ⎜ ⎟
⎝ θ +9 ⎠
e = e −0.0198
θ −9
= 0.98039
θ +9
θ = 909.10
6. A solid spherical ball taken out of a furnace at 1200 K is allowed to cool in air. Given the
following,
radius of the ball = 2 cm
kg
density of the ball = 7800 3
m
J
specific heat of the ball = 420
kg - K
emmittance = 0.85
J
Stefan-Boltzman constant = 5.67 × 10 −8
s - m2 - K 4
ambient temperature = 300 K
J
convection coefficient to air = 350
s - m2 - K
the differential equation governing the temperature θ of the ball as a function of time t is given
by
dθ
(A) = −2.2067 × 10 −12 (θ 4 − 81× 108 )
dt
dθ
(B) = −1.6026 × 10 −2 (θ − 300 )
dt
dθ
(C) = 2.2067 × 10 −12 (θ 4 − 81× 108 ) + 1.6026 × 10 −12 (θ − 300 )
dt
dθ
(D) = −2.2067 × 10 −12 (θ 4 − 81× 108 ) − 1.6026 × 10 −2 (θ − 300 )
dt

Solution
The correct answer is (D).

(
The rate of heat loss due to radiation = A ∈ σ θ 4 − θ a
4
)
where
A = surface area of the ball, m 2
∈= emittance
J
σ = Stefan-Boltzman constant, 5.67 × 10 −8
s - m2 - K 4
θ = temperature of the ball at a given time, K
θ a = ambient temperature, K
The rate of heat loss due to convection = hA(θ − θ a )
where
J
h = convection coefficient to air, 350
s - m2 - K
The energy stored in the mass is given by
energy stored in the mass = mCθ
where
m = mass of the ball, kg
 J
C = specific heat of the ball,
kg - K
The surface area of the ball
A = 4πr 2
= 4π (0.02 )
2

= 5.0265 ×10 −3 m 2
The mass of the ball
m = ρV
⎡4 ⎤
= ρ ⎢ πr 3 ⎥
⎣3 ⎦
⎛4⎞
= 7800 × ⎜ ⎟π (0.02 )
3

⎝ 3⎠
= 0.261380 kg

From an energy balance,

Rate at which heat is gained – Rate at which heat is lost = Rate at which heat is stored
gives
dθ
( )
− A ∈ σ θ 4 − θ a4 − hA(θ − θ a ) = mC
dt
( ) ( )(
− 5.0265 × 10 (0.85) 5.67 × 10 θ − 300 4
−3 −8 4
)
(
− (350 ) − 5.0265 ×10 −3)(θ − 300) = (0.26138)(420) ddtθ
dθ
dt
( )
= −2.2067 × 10 −12 θ 4 − 81×108 − 1.6026 ×10 −2 (θ − 300 )