CLASS-XII (MATHEMATICS) SRAJAN NURTURES

Applications of Derivatives
Question Bank
1. If y = sin x and x changes from to 22/14, what is the approximate change in y?
2. Find the value of c in Rolle’s theorem for the function f(x) = x 3 – 3x in [–√ 3, 0].
3. Using differentials find approximate value of tan460, if it is given that 10 = 0.01745 radians.
4. If y = a log x + bx2 + x has its extreme values at x = -1 and x = 2, then find a and b.

5. Find the equation at which the tangent to the curve y = - 1 has its slope 2/3.
6. Find the value of c for which the conclusion of Mean Value Theorem holds for the function f(x)
= x2 + 2x + 3 on [4, 6].
7. If Rolle’s Theorem holds for the function f (x) = x 3 + bx2 + cx, x [1, 2] at the point 4/3, then find
the value of b and c.
8. A particle moves along the path s = 3t2 – 8t + 5. Find t when It will come to rest.
9. Prove that the curves y = 6 + x – x2 and y(x - 1) = x + 2 touch each other at (2, 4) also find the
equation of common tangent.
10. Find the value of ‘c’ for which the conclusion of Mean Value Theorem holds for the function f(x)
= logex on the interval [1, 2].
11. If the curves y = 2e x and y = ae–x intersect orthogonally (cut at right angles), what is the value of
a?
12. The sides of an equilateral triangle are increasing at the rate of 2 cm/sec. Find the rate at which
the area increases when the side is 10cm.
13. If the ratio of base radius and height of a cone is 1 : 2 and % error in radius is  %, then find the
% error in its volume.
14. Show that the function f(x) = 4x3 – 18x2 + 27x – 7 is always increasing on.
15. A balloon, which always remains spherical on inflation, is being inflated by pumping in 900
cubic centimeters of gas per second. Find the rate at which the radius of the balloon increases
when the radius is 15 cm.
16. Find the equation of tangent to the curve y = x + 4/x2 which is parallel to X- axis.
Find a point on parabola y = (x − 3) , where the tangent is parallel to the chord joining the
2
17.
points (3, 0) and (4, 1).
18. If Rolle’s Theorem holds for the function f (x) = x 3 + bx2 + cx, x [1, 2] at the point 4/3, then find
the value of b and c.
19. Find a point on the curve y = x2 + x, where the tangent is parallel to the chord joining (0, 0) and
(1, 2).
20. Using differentials, find the approximate value of f (2.01), where f(x) = 4x3 + 5x2 + 2.
21. Find the point of the function f(x) = x 3 – 6x2 + 12x + 15 where f(x) is neither maximum nor
minimum.
22. A man 2 meters high walks at a uniform speed of 5 km/hr away from a lamp post 6 meters high.
Find the rate at which the length of his shadow increases.
23. Two sides of a triangle have length a and b and the angle between them is α . What value of α
will maximize the area of the triangle? Find the maximum area of the triangle also.
24. Find the intervals where the function f (x) =2x 3 – 9x2 + 12x + 30 is a) increasing b) decreasing.

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25. Find the points on the curve = 0 at which the tangents are parallel to x –
axis.
26. Find the equation of the normal’s to the curve y = , which are parallel to the
line x +14y + 4=0.
27. Find the coordinates of the points on the curve y = x 2 + 3x + 4, the tangents at which pass through
the origin.
28. Show that the condition that the curves ax2 + by2 = 1 and mx2 + ny2 = 1 should intersect

orthogonally is given by: - = -

29. If the curves = 1 and = 1 cut each other orthogonally, then prove that
- = a2 - b2.
30. Find coordinates of the point on the curve 9y2 = x3, where normal to the curve makes equal
intercepts with the axes.
31. A tank with rectangular base and rectangular sides, open at the top is to be constructed so that
its depth is 2m and volume 8𝑚3. If building of tank costs Rs. 70 per sq. meter for the base and
Rs. 45per sq. meter for sides, what is the cost of least expensive tank?
32. Prove that (x/a)n + (y/b)n = 2 touches the straight line x/a + y/b = 2 for all nN, at the point (a, b).
33. A balloon in the form of a right circular cone surmounted by a hemisphere, having a diameter
equal to the height of the cone, is being inflated. How fast is its volume changing with respect
to its total height h, when h = 9 cm.
34. Water is running out of a conical funnel at the rate of 5 cm3/sec. If the radius of the base of the
funnel is 10 cm and altitude is 20 cm, find the rate at which the water level is dropping when it
is 5 cm from the top.
35. Sand is pouring from a pipe at the rate of 12cm3/s. The falling sand forms a cone on the ground
in such a way that the height of the cone is always one-sixth of the radius of the base. How fast
is the height of the sand cone increasing when the height is 4 cm? Write two uses of sand in our
life?
36. Find the intervals in which the function f given by f(x) = sinx - cosx, 0 ≤ × ≤ 2 is strictly increasing
or strictly decreasing.
37. Find the intervals in which f(x) = sin 3x – cos 3x, 0 < x < π , is strictly increasing or strictly
decreasing.
38. A water tank has the shape of an inverted right cone with its axis vertical and vertex lowermost.
Its semi-vertical angle is tan-1(0.5). Water is poured into it at a constant rate of 5 cubic meter per
hour. Find the rate at which the level of the water is rising at the instant when the depth of water
in tank is 4 m.
39. Find the intervals in which f(x) = 2 log (x – 2) – x2 + 4x + 1 is increasing or decreasing.
40. Find the intervals in which the function f(x) = log (1 + x) – is increasing or decreasing.
41. Verify Rolle’s theorem for the function f(x) = sin x – sin 2x in [0, ].
42. Verify Lagrange’s theorem for the function f(x) = 2sin x + sin 2x in [0, ].
43. Find all the tangents to the curve y = cos (x + y), - 2  x  2 that are parallel to the line x + 2y
= 0.
44. The two equal sides of an isosceles triangle with fixed base b are decreasing at the rate of 3
cm/sec. How fast is the area decreasing when the two equal sides are equal to the base?

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45. Find all the points of maxima and minima of the function f(x) = (1 – x)2 ex. Also find the
corresponding maximum and minimum values.
46. Find the least value of the function f(x) = x x, x > 0.
47. The sum of the perimeter of a circle and square is K, where K is constant. Prove that the sum of
their areas is least when the side of the square is double the radius of the circle.
48. A window is in the form of the rectangle surmounted by a semi circular opening .The total
perimeter of the window is 30 m. Find the dimensions of the window so as the admit maximum
light through the opening.
49. Show that semi vertical angle of right circular cone of given surface area and maximum volume
is sin-1 (1/3 ).
50. Prove that the volume of the largest cone that can be inscribed in a sphere of radius R is 8/27 of
the volume of the sphere.
51. Show that the volume of the greatest cylinder which can be inscribed in a cone of height h and
semi vertical angle α is 4/27 πh3tan2α .
52. Show that of all the rectangles inscribed in a given fixed circle the square has the maximum area.
53. If the length of the three sides of a trapezium other than base are equal to 10 cm , then find the
area of the trapezium when it is maximum .
54. Prove that the area of a right angled triangle of given hypotenuse, is maximum when triangle is
isosceles.
55. A given quantity of metal is to be cast into a half cylinder with a rectangular base and semi
circular ends. Show that in order that surface area is minimum, the ratio of the length of cylinder
to the diameter of its semi circular ends is π: (π + 2).
56. Show that the height of the cylinder of maximum volume that can be inscribed in a sphere of a
radius R is 2R/√3 . Find the volume of the largest cylinder inscribed in a sphere of radius R.
57. An open toped box is to be constructed by removing equal squares from each corner of a 3 meter
by 8 meter rectangular sheet of aluminum and folding up the sides. Find the volume of the
largest such box.
58. Find the area of the greatest isosceles triangle that can be inscribed in a given ellipse having its
vertex coinciding with one extremity of major axis.
59. If the sum of the length of the hypotenuse and a side of a right angled triangle is given, show
that the area of the triangle is maximum when the angle between them is π/3.
60. A square tank of capacity 250 cubic meters has to be dug out. The cost of land is Rs 50 per square
metre. The cost of digging increases with the depth and for the whole tank cost Rs 400 × h 2,
where h meters is the depth of the tank. What should be the dimensions of the tank so that the
cost is minimum?
61. Show that the right circular cone of least curved surface and given volume has an altitude equal
to times the radius of the base.
62. An isosceles triangle of vertical angle 2 is inscribed in a circle of radius a. Show that the area of
triangle is maximum when  = .
63. An open tank with a square base and vertical sides is to be constructed from a metal sheet to
hold a given quantity of water. Show that the cost of the material will be least when the depth
of the tank is half of its width.
64. A farmer wants to construct a circular garden and a square garden in his field. He wants to keep
the sum of their perimeters 600 m. Prove that the sum their areas is the least, when the side of
the square garden is double the radius of the circular garden.

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65. There are 60 newly built apartments. At a rent of Rs. 450 per month per all will be occupied.
However, one apartment will be vacant for each Rs. 15 increase in rent. An occupied apartment
requires Rs.60 per month for maintenance. Find the relationship between the profit and the
number of unoccupied apartments. What is the number of vacant apartments for which profit is
maximum?
66. The three sides of a trapezium are equal each being 6 cm long. Find the maximum area of
trapezium.
67. Find the area of the smallest triangle formed by the tangent at any point P of the ellipse
= 1 and its axes.
68. The given right circular cone has a volume P and largest right circular cylinder that can be
inscribed in the cone has a volume Q then prove that P : Q = 9 : 4.
69. A telephone company has 1000 subscribers in a village and collects fixed charges of Rs 500/- per
subscriber per month. The company proposes to increase the monthly subscription and it is
believed that for every increase of Rs 1 one subscriber will discontinue the service, find monthly
subscription charge which will bring maximum revenue to the company.
70. A firm has a branch store in each of the three cities A, B and C. A and B are 320 km apart and C
is 200 km from each of them. A godown is to be built equidistant from A and B. In order of
minimize the time of transportation it should be located so that sum of distances from the
godown to each of the cities is minimum. Where the godown should be built?
71. The length of the sides of an isosceles triangle are 9 + x 2, 9 + x2 and 18 – 2x2 units. Calculate the
area of the triangle in terms of x and find the value of x which makes the area maximum.
72. Prove that the least perimeter of an isosceles triangle which can be circumscribed to a circle of
radius ‘a’ is 6 3 a.
73. A point on the hypotenuse of a right triangle is at distance a and b from the sides of the triangle.
Show that the minimum length of the hypotenuse is (a 2/3 + b2/3)3/2.
74. The production manager of a company plans to include 180 square centimeters of actual printed
matter in each page of a book under production. Each page should have a 2.5 cm wide margin
along the top and bottom and 2.0 cm wide margin along the sides. What are the most economical
dimensions of each printed page?
75. A window has the shape of a rectangle surmounted by an equilateral triangle. If the perimeter
of the window is 12 m, find the dimensions of the rectangle that will produce the largest area of
the window.

I know you are tired. I know you are physically and emotionally drained but
you have to keep going.
- ABHISHEK JAIN
SRAJAN NURTURES

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