CHAPTER 3: APPLICATION OF FIRST-ORDER DE

Orthogonal Curves
Two curves C1 and C2 are orthogonal at a point if their tangent lines T 1 and T2 are
perpendicular at the point of intersection.

1
Example: The families y =  x + 1 and y = 2x + 3 are orthogonal.
2

Orthogonal Trajectories (OT)

Definition:
Let F(x, y, c) = 0 be a given one parameter family of curves in the xy-plane. A curve that
intersects the curves of the family F(x, y, c) = 0 at right angles is called an orthogonal
trajectory of the given family.

Example: Each straight line through (0, 0), y = mx is an orthogonal trajectory of the
family OR circles
x2 + y2 = r2

Method for finding the OT with a given family of curves F(x, y, c) = 0.

STEP 1 From the equation F(x, y, c) = 0 find the DE
dy
= f(x, y)
dx

STEP 2 The DE of the OT is given by

dy 1
=  f ( x , y)
dx

STEP 3 Solve the DE in STEP 2 to obtain the desired family of OT.

Example: Find the orthogonal Trajectories of the family of parabolas y = cx2

 dy
Sep 1: y = cx2 => = 2cx
dx
dy
 x = 2 cx2 = 2y
dx
dy 2y =

dx x
Step 2: The DE for the orthogonal trajectories is
dy
= –
dx x
2y
x dy
Step 3: Solve = –
2y dx

∫ 2y dy = ∫ - x dx
x2
y2 = + C1
2

Example: Find the orthogonal trajectories of the circles x2 + y2 = r2

x2 + y2 = r2
dy
2x + 2y =0
dx
dy
x+y =0
dx
dy x
= –
dx y

The DE of OT is
dy y =
dx x

dy dx
∫ y = ∫ x

In│y│ = In│x│ + C
y = kx
Polar Curves
We have
d
r = tan 
dr

Proof:
tan β = tan (α – θ)
tan α – tanθ
= 1 + tanα tanθ
dy
dy dx
tan α = = ÷
dx dθ dθ
tan θ = y
x
dy / dx - y
tan β = dx dθ x
1 + ( dy / dx ) ( y )
dθ dθ x
= [x (dy/dθ) – y(dx/dθ)] / [x(dx/dθ) + y(dy/dθ)]

since x = r cos θ , y = r sin θ , we get

(dx/dθ) = -r sin θ + (cos θ)(dr/dθ)

(dy/dθ) = r cos θ + (sin θ)(dr/dθ)

x(dy/dθ) – y(dx/dθ) = [x r cos θ + x (sin θ)(dr/dθ)] – [-y sin θ + y (cosθ)(dr/dθ)]

= x2 + y2 + r cosθ sinθ + r (cos2θ)(dr/dθ) + r2cosθ sinθ +

r (sin2θ)(dr/dθ)

= r (dr/dθ)

tan β = r2/(r)(dr/dθ)

= r (dr/dθ)

Consider two polar curves r = f1(), r = f2(). Let  be the angle between the tangents to
the angle between the tangents to the two curves at a point of intersection and 1 be the
angel between curve r = f2() and radial line. Then we have
tan  tan 1 = -1
if r = f1() and r = f2() ar perpendicular.

Proof:
 radical line

γ = β – β1
tan γ = tan(β – β1)
tan β – tan β1
= 1 + tan β tan β1
if γ = 90˚, 1 + tanβ1 tanβ = 0
tanβ1 tanβ = -1

Example: Find the OT of r = C1(1 - sinθ)

Solution: For the given curve we can write
r cos θ
(dr/dθ) = - C1 cos θ = -
1 – sin θ
so that,
r dθ = – 1 – sin θ = tan β1
dr cos θ

Thus, the DE of rhe OT is

r dθ = = cos θ tan β2
dr 1 – sin θ

Separating variables then gives ∫ dr = ∫ 1 – sin θ dθ

r cos θ
= ∫ secθ + tanθ dθ

So, In│r│ = In│secθ + tanθ│ + In│cosθ│+ In│C│

= In│(1 + sinθ)│
Hence, r = C2 (1 + sinθ)

Example: Find the OT of r = a(1 + sinθ)

dr r cos θ
= a cosθ =
dθ 1 + sin θ

dr 1 + sin θ
r = = tan ψ1
dθ cos θ
tan ψ1ψ2 = – 1
=> The DE of the OT is r dθ = cos θ
dr 1 + sin θ
dr (1+ sinθ) dθ
= –
dr . cos θ
=> In│r│ = – In│secθ + tanθ│ + In│cosθ│+ In C
C cos θ
r =
sec θ + tan θ

= C(1 - sinθ)

Application of Linear Equation

Population Growth
If the population of a country doubles in 50 years, in how many years will it triple under
the assumption that the rate of increase is proportional to the number of inhabitants?

Solution: Let x denote the population at time t years. Then,

dx
=kx
dt

and k – proportional constant

x(0) = x0
So, we have to solve initial value problem

= dx kx , x (0) = x0
dt

In │x│= k t + In C
x = Cekt
t = 0, x = x0
=> C = x0

at t = 50, x = 2x0
2x0 = x0e50k
=> e50k = 2
when x = 3x0
3x0 = x0ekt
3 = e5kt
350 = e50kt
2t = 350
=> In 2t = In 350
t In 2 = 50 In 3
50 In 3
t=
In 2

Newton Law of Cooling

This law states that the rate at which the temperature T(t) changes in a cooling body is
proportional to the difference between the temperature in the body and the constant
temperature T0 of the surrounding medium. That is
dT
= k(T – T0)
dt
where k is a constant of proportional. If the temperature of the air is 300k and the
substance cools from 370k to 340k in 15 minutes, find when the temperature will be
310k.

Solution: dT
= k (T – 300)
dt
In │T – 300│= kt + In C
T – 300 = Cekt
t=0 T = 370 C = 70
15k
t = 15 T = 340 70e = 40
when T = 310 K
│310 – 300│ = 70ekt
10 = 70ekt

t= 15 In 7
In 7 – In 4

Mixture Problem
A tank initially contains 50 gallons of pure water. Starting at time t = 0, a brine solution
containing 2lb of dissolved salt per gallon flows into the tank at the rate of 3 gal/min.
The mixture is kept uniform by stirring and the well –stirred mixture simultaneously
flows out of the tank at the same rate.

1. How much salt is on the tank at any time t > 0?

2. How much salt is present at the end of 25 minutes?
Let x be the amount of salt in the tank at time t
dx 3x
= 6– , x(0) = 0
dt 50

dx 3x
+ =6
dt 50
x = 100 + Ce –(3t)/50

A large tank initially contains 50 gallon of brine in which there is dissolved 10lb of salt.
Brine containing 2lb of dissolved salt per gallon flows into the tank at the rate of 5
gal/min. The mixture is kept uniform by stirring and the stirred mixture simultaneously
flows out at the slower rate of 3 gal/min. How much salt is in the tank at any time t > 0?