At what approximate rate (in cubic meters per minute) is the volume of a sphere changing at the instant when the surface area is 4 square meters and the radius is increasing at the rate of 1/6 meters per minute?

1 Answer
Mar 25, 2015

We know the volume of a sphere relative to its radius is given by:
V(r) = 4/3 pi r^3V(r)=43πr3

We are given that
Surface area at the time in question is 4 m^24m2
which implies since S = 4 pi r^2S=4πr2 that the radius at that time is
r = 1/sqrt(pi)r=1π

We are asked for (dV)/(dt)dVdt

(d V)/(dt) = (d V)/(dr) * (dr)/(dt)dVdt=dVdrdrdt

(d V)/(dr) = 4 pi r^2dVdr=4πr2 (using the derivative ofour formula for the Volume)
and we are told that (dr)/(dt) = 1/6 m/secdrdt=16msec

So at the time indicated
(d V)/(dt) = 4 pi r^2 * 1/6dVdt=4πr216

and with r= 1/sqrt(pi)r=1π

(d V)/(dt) = 2/3 m/secdVdt=23msec