- Difficulty
- Standard
- Suggested time
- 4 min
- Marks
- 2
Slope fields and Euler’s method practice question 6
Check that solves for every positive constant . Then find the solution with , and give .
There are two jobs: confirm the family satisfies the equation, then let choose . The square root of an expression in is a composition: which rule differentiates it?
By the chain rule, . Compare with .
The initial condition says . Solve for before evaluating at .
An exact expression, or a decimal.
Theory UBC Math 100 §11.1Key results
Worked solution
Strategy
Verify the family by substituting it into the equation; then the initial value picks out one curve from the family by fixing C.
Working
The two sides agree for every C, so every member of the family is a solution.
The initial value fixes the constant: square both sides.
Evaluate the particular solution.
Answer
The answer is 5.
Check
Along any solution y² − t² stays constant, since its derivative 2yy′ − 2t is 0, and 5² − 3² = 16 = 4².
Where this goes wrong
Setting C equal to the initial value 4, which gives √13. That shortcut works for y = Cekt, where y(0) = C; here y(0) = √C, so C = 16.
Leans on
The chain rule, from The chain rule and logarithms
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