SOLUTION: Please help me solve this equation: A pebble is dropped into a calm pond, causing ripples in the form of concentric circles. The radius of the outer ripple is increasing at a const

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Question 1201893: Please help me solve this equation: A pebble is dropped into a calm pond, causing ripples in the form of concentric circles. The radius of the outer ripple is increasing at a constant rate of 6 inches per second. When the radius is 4 feet, at what rate (in 1ft/sec) is the total area A of the disturbed water changing.
Answer by ikleyn(52755) About Me  (Show Source):
You can put this solution on YOUR website!
.
Please help me solve this highlight%28cross%28equation%29%29 problem.
A pebble is dropped into a calm pond, causing ripples in the form of concentric circles.
The radius of the outer ripple is increasing at a constant rate of 6 inches per second.
When the radius is 4 feet, at what rate (in 1ft/sec) is the total area A
of the disturbed water changing.
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About the radius, we know from the problem, that

      R = 6*t,  where R is in inches and t is the time in seconds.


It is the same as to say that

      R = %281%2F12%29%2A6%2At = 0.5%2At,  where R is in feet and t is the time in seconds.


Hence, the disturbed area in t seconds is

      A = pi%2AR%5E2 = pi%2A%280.5%2At%29%5E2 = 0.25%2Api%2At%5E2  ft^2.    (1)


Then the rate, at which this area is changing, is the derivative of the function (1) over t

     %28dA%29%2F%28dt%29 = 0.5%2Api%2At  ft^2/s.    (2)


The radius R is 4 ft when  

    0.5%2At = 4,  or  t = 4%2F0.5 = 8 seconds.


Substituting t= 8 seconds into (2), we obtain the 

highlight%28ANSWER%29  to the problem's question  %28dA%29%2F%28dt%29 = 0.5%2Api%2A8 = 4%2Api = 4*3.14 = 12.56 ft^2 per second  (rounded).

Solved, with complete explanations.

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Notice that the dimension's unit name of the quantity under the question in your post is INCORRECT.

The correct dimension's unit name is ft^2/s, as it is in my solution.

By the way, physicists have a simple criterion whether a person understands a subject or not.
If a person uses wrong dimensions, it is a 100% indication that he (or she) does not understand.

Notice that this your error does not surprise me, since at this forum it is a rare case
and great fiesta, when the post comes in proper form.