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Differential Equations Water Tank Problems

Chapter 2.3
Problem #3 Variation
A tank originally contains 100 gal of fresh water. Then water containing 12 lb of salt per 2 gallon
is poured into the tank at a rate of 2 gal/min, and the mixture is allowed to leave at the same
rate. What is the amount of salt at any instant?

dQ
= rate in - rate out
dt
= (salt concentration in) x (flow rate in) - (tank salt concentration) x (flow rate out)
dQ lb
*Note dt should be in terms of min

Parameters
Q(t) : the amount of salt at time t (lbs)
Qo : initial amount of salt in the tank
Q(0) = Qo = 0
1 lb
salt concentration in =
2 gal
Q
tank salt concentration =
current amount of water solution
Q lb
=
100 gal
In this question flow rate in is the same as flow rate out so we will let the rates be defined as:
gal
rate in = rate out = 2
min
Substituting everything into our differential equation, we arrive at

dQ 1 lb gal Q lb gal
= 2 2
dt 2 gal min 100 gal min
lb Q lb
=1
min 50 min
Rewriting our equation, we have

dQ Q
+ =1
dt 50

1
Multiplying by the integrating factor et/50 followed by applying the product rule
for derivatives we have

dQ t/50 et/50
e +Q = 1 et/50
dt 50
d
[Q et/50 ] = et/50
dt
d
[Q e ]dt = et/50 dt
t/50
dt
After integrating both sides we are left with

Q et/50 = 50 et/50 + C
Q = 50 + Cet/50

From our initial condition Q(0) = 0 we have C = 50. Our solution to this differential
equation is
Q(t) = 50 50et/50
What is the amount of salt after 10 minutes?

Q(10) = 50 50e10/50
(9.063)

What is the amount of salt after 30 minutes?

Q(10) = 50 50e30/50
(22.559)

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Chapter 2.3
Problem #4
A tank with a capacity of 500 gal originally contains 200 gal of water with 100lb of salt in
solution. Water containing 1lb of salt per gallon is entering at a rate of 3 gal/min, and the
mixture is allowed to flow...

The first thing to note is now the rate out does not match the rate in. The amount
of the solution in the tank in increasing (3 gal/min IN - 2 gal/min OUT = INCREASING
by 1 gal/min). This alters our equation for the tank salt concentration. It will now
be
Q Q
tank salt concentration = =
current amount of water solution 200 + 1t

dQ lb gal Q lb gal
=1 3 2
dt gal min 200 + 1t gal min
lb 2 lb
=3 Q
min 200 + 1t min
Rewriting our equation, we have
dQ 2
+ Q=3
dt 200 + t
with the initial condition of Q(0) = 100.

Multiplying by the integrating factor (200 + t)2 followed by applying the product
rule for derivatives we have

dQ 2
(200 + t)2 + Q (200 + t)2 = 3 (200 + t)2
dt 200 + t
dQ
(200 + t)2 + Q 2(200 + t) = 3(200 + t)2
dt
d
[Q (200 + t)2 ] = 3(200 + t)2
dt
After integrating both sides we are left with
Q (200 + t)2 = (200 + t)3 + C
Q = (200 + t) + C(200 + t)2

From the initial condition, Q(0) = 100, we get C = 100(200)2 . Our solution to this
differential equation is

Q(t) = 200 + t 100(200)2 (200 + t)2


100(200)2
= 200 + t , t < 300
(200 + t)2

We have to consider when the tank will begin to overflow which is after 300 min
since we initially have 200 gal in our 500 gal tank which leads to, t < 300.

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As for, Find the concentration (in pounds per gallon) of salt in the tank when it is on the
point of overflowing. Compare this concentration with the theoretical limiting concentration if
the tank had infinite capacity.

We let t = 300 which gets us Q(300) = 484lb of salt, but since it asks for the concen-
tration we take our solution and divide it by the amount of water in the tank and
arrive at
2
Q(t) 200 + t 100(200)
(200+t)2
Concentration = =
200 + t 200 + t
100(200)2
=1
(200 + t)3
Evaluate when t = 300
= 484lb/500gal
lb
= 121/125
gal

If the tank had infinite capacity the concentration would then converge to,

Q(t) 100(200)2
lim = lim 1
t 200 + t t (200 + t)3
lb
= 1
gal

4
Tank with salt coming in from two pipes:
A tank with a capacity of 1500 gals originally contains 1000 gals of fresh water. The first pipe
containing 12 lb of salt per gallon is entering at a rate of 4 gal/min. The second pipe containing
1
3 lb of salt per gallon is entering at a rate of 6 gal/min. The mixture is allowed to flow out of
the tank at a rate of 5 gal/min. Find the amount of salt in the tank at any time prior to the
instant when the solution begins to overflow.

Note* the rate out does not match the rate in. The amount of the solution in the
tank in increasing (10 gal/min IN - 5 gal/min OUT = INCREASING by 5 gal/min). This
alters our equation for the tank salt concentration. It will now be
Q Q
tank salt concentration = =
current amount of water solution 1000 + 5t
Determine how much salt is coming in

1 lb gal
Pipe 1 = 4
2 gal min
1 lb gal
Pipe 2 = 6
3 gal min
Total Rate In = Pipe 1 + Pipe 2
lb lb
=2 +2
min min
lb
=4
min
Determine how much salt is going out
Q lb gal
Rate Out = 5
1000 + 5t gal min
5Q lb
=
1000 + 5t min
Combining everything our differential equation becomes
dQ lb 5Q lb
=4
dt min 1000 + 5t min
dQ 5Q
+ =4
dt 1000 + 5t
Multiplying by our integrating factor 1000 + 5t we arrive to
dQ 5Q
(1000 + 5t) + (1000 + 5t) = 4 (1000 + 5t)
dt 1000 + 5t
d
[Q (1000 + 5t)] = 4 (1000 + 5t)
dt
5t2
Q (1000 + 5t) = 4(1000t + )+C
2
2
4(1000t + 5t2 ) + C
Q=
(1000 + 5t)

5
Because Q(0) = 0, we get C = 0 which makes our solution
2
4(1000t + 5t2 )
Q= , t < 100
(1000 + 5t)

Since our tank overflows after 1500 gallons at time t = 100, to find the amount of
salt at that instant we evaluate Q(100).
500000 1000
Q(100) = = 333.333
1500 3

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