[Math] related rate change problem

calculus

Thanks to both Mufasa and Ron Gordon, I now understand when I difficultly came from, misunderstanding of the term vertically.

Problem:

A rocket takes off vertically from the ground. 2000 ft. away, a camera captures it image. The rocket lift-off vertically to the position equation $s=50t^2$. Find the rate of change of the angle of the camera at 10 seconds after lift-off.

I am having trouble solving this problem. Also, a bit unsure if I fully understand the language used in the problem.

I know that the rocket lift off vertically, and I know the graph of the position function $s$. image of the position function

I know to use the right half of the graph, otherwise time would being going backwards.

However, how to give the angle is puzzling me, from the camera's reference point. I know how to use the arc length to find the angle, but only for circles.

Now, I understand that vertically means a straight line, but how does one solve it if it doesn't follow the strict meaning of vertically, and insteads follows a parabola?

Best Answer

The angle of the camera $\theta$ and the height $s$ of the rocket are related as follows:

$$\tan{\theta}= \frac{s(t)}{2000} $$

so that

$$\sec^2{\theta} \frac{d\theta}{dt} = \frac{1}{2000} \frac{ds}{dt}$$

Note that $\sec^2{\theta}=1+\tan^2{\theta}$ and we have

$$\frac{d\theta}{dt} = \frac{(ds/dt)/2000}{1+s^2/(2000)^2}$$

Now use $s(t)=50 t^2$, $ds/dt=100 t$, to get

$$\frac{d\theta}{dt} = \frac{t/20}{1+(t^4/1600)} $$

At $t=10$, I get that

$$d\theta/dt = \frac{1/2}{1+(10000/1600)} \approx 0.06897 $$

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